The Muskingum County Community Foundation offers scholarships to help cover expenses of higher education thanks to the establishment of several scholarship funds. MCCF is now pleased to announce the establishment of a new fund that helps one local organization achieve their goals.

The Soroptimist International of Zanesville has started the “Follow Your Dream” Fund, an award for women of Muskingum County seeking financial aid that is not covered by traditional FAFSA-type funding. This award is intended to offset costs to attain higher education, skills training, or job placement.

“Last year, Soroptimist International set a goal to reach half a million women to provide education opportunity, to remove those barriers to education or economic improvement,” said Amy Hursey of the Zanesville chapter. “So, I said, ‘Maybe we need to think different about how we do that.’ Economic improvement isn’t just sending somebody to school... Maybe somebody wants to go to real estate school, and they can’t afford the application. Maybe they need to get a background check for a job, and they have to pay for it, and they can’t afford it. Or they have to buy uniforms for their new job, or they need to get ServeSafe certified. How can we help those women?”

Requests will be considered for expenses such as transcript fees, GED fees, enrollment application fees, licensure test fees, supplies or materials needed for a course, uniform equipment or other items required as a condition of employment, or anything that is not covered by traditional scholarships that can fill in the gap.

Applicants must be a woman who lives in Muskingum County who demonstrates financial need, and is working toward an education, skills training, or job placement. Hursey says each application will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, as they strive to remove barriers for women and girls who need a boost to achieve their dreams. The long-term goal of this fund is to help see a reduction in poverty, an increase in job placement, and an increase in educated women in the community.

While the application is a rolling deadline throughout the year, Soroptimist of Zanesville plans to give out their first awards in January 2024. Hursey asks for interested people to apply by late December.

“We just want people to submit. Even if we say no, that this doesn’t fit our guidelines, it’s still a case-by-case basis,” concluded Hursey. “There might be something that we’re like, ‘Oh, well we never thought of that, that would definitely help remove a barrier.’”

The Muskingum County Community Foundation houses more than 350 funds, including endowed and pass-through funds. MCCF partners with local nonprofit organizations to provide support for projects like the “Follow Your Dream” fund. For more information on how MCCF can partner with your organization, please phone 740-453-5192 or email info@mccf.org.