CCF Awards $396,000 In Scholarships to local students

The Catholic Community Foundation Awards $396,000 In Scholarships to local students

Tempe, Arizona – The Catholic Community Foundation held their annual Scholarship Award Ceremony on August 5, 2023 at Mount Claret Retreat Center in Phoenix, Arizona. This event celebrates all the 2023 Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship Award recipients and the scholarship donors who make these scholarships possible. All scholarship recipients from the Catholic elementary and high schools received formal recognition for their accomplishments and awards. Special thanks to all our generous benefactors who through memorial or living gifts, make all the 2023 Catholic Community Foundation Scholarships a reality.

The Catholic Community Foundation has seen substantial growth over the past 40 years of their scholarship program. This year, 16 students received a Christian Service Award Scholarship and 15 students received a Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship, and 5 high school students received a scholarship for vocation, trade, or college. A tremendous debt of gratitude is owed to our donors whose unwavering generosity has made all these scholarships possible!

"The Foundation is honored to provide scholarship opportunities at a critical time in a student’s spiritual and educational development. It is such a blessing to do the work of strengthening the faith through the youth in our community.”
— Deacon James Carabajal, Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Community Foundation

Cathy Bergmann, Catholic Community Foundation Committee Chair member and CSA Committee Member, held the honor of awarding the Catholic Community Foundation (need based) Scholarship students. Mike Geddes, Lifetime Catholic Community Foundation Board Member held the honor of awarding the Christian Service Award Scholarship students.

A total of $396,000 in scholarships was awarded at this year’s Scholarship Award Ceremony:
$128,000 total was awarded in 2023 Christian Service Award Scholarships and $255,000 total was awarded for the 2023 Catholic Community Foundation (needs based) Scholarships and $13,000 total was awarded for 2023 Vocational, Trade, and Post Secondary School Scholarships.

Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship Program History:
Since 1998, the Catholic Community Foundation has provided scholarships to students needing financial assistance for their Catholic Education. Over the last 5 years, the Catholic Community Foundation has granted over $2.2 Million in scholarship dollars granted and has awarded over 1,400 scholarships.

The Scholarship Award Program was established in 1998 through a perpetual Memorial Fund by Reverend Philip J. Poirier with the Catholic Community Foundation. The goal of this fund is to honor Catholic 8th grade students for their Christ-centered behavior, as evidenced through their volunteer service to parish, school, and community. Today, this fund along with other funds make up the Christian Service Award Scholarship. The scholarship program has grown to include the Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship for needs-based students and 4 unique high school scholarships for vocational, trade, and post-secondary schools.

Interested In Donating To The Scholarship Program?
Help make Catholic education more affordable and accessible to deserving and faith-filled students! The Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship, Christian Service Award Scholarships, and our post-secondary school scholarships would not be possible without the generosity and financial contributions from our donors and from Education Forever Fund donors. To learn more about donating to a scholarship fund or to donate to the Education Forever Fund, visit: ccfphx.org/educationforever.

Interested In Applying For A Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship?
Applications for 2024 Catholic Community Foundation Scholarships will open on December 1, 2023. To learn more about the variety of scholarships offered by the Catholic Community Foundation, how to apply, eligibility, and more, visit: ccfphx.org/scholarships.

About the Catholic Community Foundation:
The Catholic Community Foundation is a non-profit, independent charitable foundation that supports the religious, educational, and charitable objectives of the Diocese of Phoenix. Founded in 1983, the Foundation provides a source through which donors can make living and testamentary gifts to benefit their charitable objectives and sustain the works of parishes, schools, agencies, and outreach programs of the diocese. For 40 years the Catholic Community Foundation specializes in endowment and grant fund management, as well as estate planning. Learn more at ccfphx.org.