Inna Shames and Margie Barber
The Women of Quail Creek (TWOQC) Scholarship Matching Funds Program is just two years young and going strong!
In 2023 a small group of donors who wanted to help grow the TWOQC Scholarship Program came up with 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. 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 $60,000 was added to last year’s 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 has gone 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.
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) AWE (Advancing Women through Education): women over 21 at a transition point in their lives who need additional education or training. 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, or a certification program.
Funds for scholarships are raised through our annual Javelina Hoedown event and through generous donations from our members and supporters, including those participating in the Matching Fund Program.
Donating to the Matching Funds Program: Every $100 you donate to the Matching Funds Program puts $300 into the Scholarship Fund! But there’s more: Yes, as usual, your contribution is totally tax deductible, but if you plan for this next year, remember that if your donation is paid from your annual RMD (Required Minimum Distribution), it also qualifies as an IRS-approved Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to provide you with even more tax savings.
If you wish to donate to the Matching Funds Program, please mail a check made out to TWOQC with “Matching Funds” in the comment line to TWOQC, P.O. Box 395, Green Valley, AZ 85614, or contact Director of Scholarships Deb Melton at [email protected], or visit womenqc.com/matching-funds-campaign for more details.