Community Foundation Marks 40 Years of Impactful Scholarship Program

The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is marking 40 years since the launch of its impactful scholarship program. In celebration of this milestone, the Community Foundation has also launched a new $5 million fundraising effort to expand the program’s reach and open doors to higher education for even more local, aspiring college students.

Since 1985, the Community Foundation has offered both need- and merit-based scholarships to rising college students in Palm Beach and Martin Counties to increase access to higher education and decrease the burden of debt. To date, the organization has distributed nearly $18 million to deserving students through over 3,200 scholarships.

“Community Foundation scholarship recipients have the intelligence, fortitude and ambition to be successful in college,” said Joanne Julien, Chair of the Community Foundation’s Scholarships Committee. “Often all they lack are the financial resources to support their dream. That’s why it is imperative for the Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties to step up with the essential support and funding.”

In a pioneering act of philanthropy, it was the Dahlberg family that set up the Community Foundation’s inaugural scholarship fund in 1983. and nearly 140 more donors have followed suit. That original fund’s namesake is Donald (Donnie) David Dahlberg, a 16-year-old Jupiter High School student who tragically passed away in an automobile accident. The Don Dahlberg Memorial Scholarship Fund is intended for seniors at Jupiter High School, where Donnie attended, who share his passion for sports as well as his ambition to attend college. To-date, 45 students have benefited from the Dahlberg Scholarship, which has distributed over $77,000.

Several past scholarship recipients will also be recognized by the Community Foundation at the Founders Luncheon. They include graduates from Stanford University, the University of Florida, Florida Atlantic University and Tallahassee State College. In the scholarship program’s 40 year history, students have enrolled in 270 unique institutions across 42 states.

• 89% of scholars come from Palm Beach County and 11% come from Martin County. The top hometowns include West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Lake Worth, Jupiter and Boynton Beach.
• 74% of students who received Community Foundation scholarships attended a college in the state of Florida, 19% of whom received their degree from University of Florida.
• Out-of-state universities attended by scholarship recipients include Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, MIT, Duke University, and other prestigious universities.

“Scholarships are a vital tool for creating economic mobility and developing a highly skilled workforce rooted in Florida, from education to career,” said Danita R. DeHaney, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. “Raising $5 million for scholarships is critical as we work to meet the growing need and number of talented and deserving applicants right here in our community. Last year, we had over 850 applicants and were only able to award 117 scholarships. Our goal is to close that gap with the help of our generous donors.”