Scholarship Donors

Many of our donors are passionate about giving the gift of education to help students attend college or other qualified educational institutions. Rochester Area Community Foundation administers a wide variety of scholarship funds that make it possible for donors to provide support to individual students for educational costs.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, the Community Foundation administers more than 130 scholarships from 125 funds. In 2022-23, we awarded 559 scholarships totaling $787,514 to students in the eight-county region

Scholarship Options

Establish Your Own Permanent Fund. When you create a scholarship fund, it will bear the name you choose, remain distinct and separate, be wisely invested and managed, and make scholarship awards forever. Your fund will also be listed in Community Foundation reports unless you request otherwise. The minimum amount to open a scholarship fund is $50,000. Learn more about creating a fund.

Donate to an Existing Fund: While we encourage individuals to establish scholarship funds, we understand this is not always the best option. Rather than create a new fund, you may choose to make a gift to one of more than 130 current scholarship funds, including the Community Scholarship Fund, from which additional awards are provided. Contributions to existing funds enhance our ability to provide ongoing support to deserving students. Learn more about the Community Scholarship Fund here.

Contact Us

If you are interested in learning more about establishing a scholarship fund, contact our Philanthropic Engagement Department at Giving@racf.org or 585.271.4100.