Donors

Our staff works closely with each donor to establish meaningful scholarship criteria and promote the availability of your scholarship including:

• Helping to develop scholarship criteria that meets the philanthropic goals of the donor.
• Conducting workshops in high schools and community-based organizations to publicize your scholarship opportunity.
• Supporting students, parents, and counselors with questions regarding the application process.
• Managing the application process through our online application portal

The George Snow Scholarship Fund benefits from an outstanding group of more than 60 community leaders who serve as trained volunteers on our Scholarship Selection Committee and review all applications for your scholarship. The Selection Committee is composed of educators, doctors, lawyers, businessmen and women, former scholars, and other professionals. Most committee members have served for many years and have a great deal of experience in our process. All share a passion for helping others. Below are just a few of the tasks required to ensure a fair and unbiased selection process.

• Based on Selection Committee results, we determine who will move on to the interview phase of the process.
• We notify, schedule, and coordinate candidate interviews with interviewees and Interview Committee.
• We conduct a financial need analysis and verify tax and academic documentation.
• We allocate scholarships based on need and criteria established by donor.
• We notify applicants who did not score high enough to be granted an award.
• We notify scholarship winners and issue letters of commitment.
• We host and conduct an Annual Awards Reception where scholarship providers can meet their scholars and their families.

Most donors are not aware that “Award Displacement” occurs when a recipient of one form of financial aid, such as a private scholarship, leads to a reduction in other forms of student financial aid. Unfortunately, this is a common practice at many colleges and universities. Every year, many unsuspecting scholarship donors and scholarship recipients fall victim to this practice, but NOT your scholars. Our staff  works tirelessly to ensure your scholars maximize their financial aid award and avoid the displacement of scholarship funds by their college or university. We have developed relationships with financial aid officers at many universities and have a variety of strategies to make sure your scholarship funds benefit the student, not the university. We coordinate with each college’s Financial Aid Office regarding the most efficient and effective use of your student’s award, being sure to avoid displacement of funds and:

• Ensuring that scholars are not over-awarded
• Verifying student enrollment status each semester prior to distributing funds
• Being available to each scholar to assist with financial aid needs and special circumstances that may arise
• Donors receive a Scholar Report outlining scholar’s disbursements and progress

This innovative program educates your scholarship recipients on the many challenges and changes in lifestyle and environment they will experience entering their first year of college. The concept behind the program is that once they get through four years of college, they will know “how” the system works. Unfortunately, by that time, it is too late to use this knowledge to their own benefit. We want to communicate that knowledge to your scholarship recipients before entering their first semester of school and let them enter college with the benefit of having learned the easy way what others had to learn the hard way

It is our belief that what we provide to your scholars in the form of programs and services can be just as valuable as the financial commitment you make to them. With this in mind, The George Snow Scholarship Fund has created and implemented a series of programs designed to enhance and maximize your scholar’s college experience. We provide a support system that many of our scholars are lacking at home. Below are just a few examples of the of programs that are available to your Scholars

• College Care Packages
• Career Development Program
• College Physical Program
• College Supply Gift Bags
• Computers and College Supply Program
• Emergency Fund
• Free Mental Health and Guidance Services
• Guidance from Scholar Support Staff
• Snow Family Networking Platform
• Scholar Closet
• Monday Morning Motivational Message
• Senior Portraits