Inna Shames and Margie Barber
If you’re not familiar with The Women of Quail Creek’s (TWOQC) Scholarship Matching Funds Program, you are not alone, because it’s only two years young.
What Is the Scholarship Matching Funds Program?
In late 2023, a small group of donors had a large vision. Wanting to help grow the TWOQC Scholarship Program, they offered a unique incentive: a donation of $40,000, which was to be used as a 2 to 1 matching fund for other TWOQC Scholarship donations. So, for every $100 donated, the group would donate $200 more. Within a few months, and despite minimal fanfare, over $20,000 was collected from hundreds of donors, large and small, and the end-result? Over $60,000 was added to the 2024 Scholarship Fund!
A Quick History of TWOQC Scholarships:
• It started in 2016 when two scholarships totaling $2,000 were awarded to two high school seniors.
• In 2021 TWOQC became a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization to more effectively fulfill its mission as “… a Community of Women Dedicated to Learning, Giving, and Engaging.”
• Fast forward to 2024. In just eight years, the organization went from awarding two scholarships totaling $2,000 to awarding 32 scholarships totaling $104,000! And cumulatively since inception, TWOQC has awarded almost a quarter of a million dollars in scholarships.
Who Receives TWOQC Scholarships?
Recipients of TWOQC Scholarships fall into two categories: 1) High School: young women graduating high school from Rio Rico, Sahuarita, and Walden Grove High Schools; and 2) WIT: women over 21 who are at a transition point in their lives and need additional education or training. Our scholarships cover tuition only, and all funds are paid directly to the educational institution, which can be a community college, an accredited trade or vocational school, a four-year college, a graduate program, or a certification program.
Funds for scholarships are raised through our annual Javelina Hoedown event (coming Oct. 22, so save the date!) and through generous donations from our members and supporters, including those participating in this program.
Donating to the Matching Funds Program: Yes, the fund matches donations 2 to 1, so every $100 you donate puts $300 into the Scholarship Fund! But there’s more. Not only is your contribution totally tax deductible, but if it is paid directly from your annual RMD (Required Minimum Distribution), it then qualifies as an IRS-approved Qualified Charitable Donation (QCD) to provide you with even greater tax savings.
If you wish to donate and become part of the Matching Funds Program, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Linda Hauschild, Assistant Director of Scholarships, at [email protected] or visit womenqc.com/matching-funds-campaign.