Scholars Circle members Norm Habermann, Vicki Hazard, Jane Habermann, Judy Frost, Erik Frost.
At the Scholarship Foundation, we depend on generous donations of all sizes from the community of Santa Barbara and beyond to fulfill our mission. Yet there are some donors who plan ahead and add the Scholarship Foundation to their estate plan, ensuring the success of our organization for years to come.
We call this group of donors our Scholars Circle legacy society, and last week we gathered together at the Birnham Wood Country Club to thank them for their support and show them how much their gifts can affect the students of our community.
Board of Directors Chair Barrett O’Gorman and student speaker John Unzueta.
Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors Chair Barrett O’Gorman welcomed the group and introduced speaker John Unzueta, a senior at Westmont University and a recipient of a scholarship from our organization. He recounted his journey from a child uninterested in classes to his acceptance to his “dream school”; and, most importantly those in Santa Barbara who mentored him along the way.
“The scholarship help I received made all the difference in my attending Westmont,” he said. “This speech can hardly do justice to the gratitude I feel towards all of those who have helped to lift me up along the way during the times I needed them most, whether I knew it at the time or not.”
Candace Winkler, President and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation, addresses the legacy society of The Scholars Circle.
Candace Winkler, our President & CEO, also reminded the Scholars Circle about legacy gifts in the past that had helped the Scholarship Foundation grow and succeed, including such unusual yet valuable gifts such as the bequest of an Iowan farm and profits from the sale of a steel company.
“There are many more stories I wish I could share with you about the transformative nature of legacy gifts,” she told the donors. “Each and every one effectively ensures that hardworking, deserving young people will have the opportunity to earn a higher degree and reach their fullest potential.”
Are you ready to join The Scholars Circle? You can leave a bequest establish your own named scholarship fund now or in for the future. Planned gifts can be a great source of satisfaction and many provide tax advantages to you and/or your heirs. We encourage you to work with your financial advisor to determine which assets to give, the best time to give them, and the type of gift arrangement, or contact the Scholarship Foundation to help arrange a consultation with an attorney or financial advisor to help answer your questions.
And, please let us know if you have already remembered the Scholarship Foundation in your estate plans so we can thank you.
Click here to learn more about the Scholars Circle or contact Nicole Jones, Donor Relations Manager, at (805) 687-6065 or [email protected].