Frequently Asked Questions
With answers by Stamford Dollars for Scholars
founder Tony D'Amelio and Past President Jim McClafferty
What prompted the formation of SD4S?
Aren't there other organizations in the city that provide scholarships?
Isn't it hard to raise funds in this economy?
How is SD4S different from other scholarships in Stamford?
So Dollars for Scholars is a national organization?
Tell me about the scholarships you're giving?
I understand you're supporting vocational training, too?
Do you have a vision for Stamford Dollars for Scholars?
Why did you feel Tom Brokaw was the perfect person to appear at your first fundraiser?
How does the application process work?
How do you guard the privacy of the applicants?
What is your biggest challenge?
You two are Co-Presidents. What kind of people have joined you on the board and as volunteers?
Who is eligible for an SD4S award?
How can people get involved with Stamford Dollars for Scholars?
What prompted the formation of SD4S?
Tony D'Amelio (TD)- I have always been a big supporter of scholarship efforts. If it wasn't for the scholarship I received when I graduated high school, I would never have been able to afford college. My parents told me in my junior year that there was no money to send me to school, so I would have to pay for it on my own. Fortunately I was able to get half-tuition covered by a local company. I was grateful to the point of sending the company who gave me the award my grades at the end of the first semester. I never forgot what that meant to me and the path that my life has taken as a result. When I moved to Stamford in 2005, my wife and I gave scholarships for three years. We were surprised at the lack of follow through - no one approached us the next year and asked if we wanted to give again. And one time, in trying to write a check in December for a June scholarship, I was told that payment couldn't be made until the scholarship was awarded, which was after the close of the tax year, so it wasn't a big help to me. It struck us that it was a bad strategy to turn money away when it was being offered. I wound up committing to the scholarship anyway and when it came time to pay, I found that the check needed to go to the student's college and as a result, the amount was not tax deductible. We thought there had to be a better way to do this. We were surprised too that there was no organization in town that was dedicated solely to the issue of raising money for local scholarships. We have supported a volunteer scholarship organization in my hometown of Wethersfield, CT for almost 15 years and have seen firsthand the impact of a focused scholarship effort. Wethersfield does a great job providing scholarships for students in town. They are a local chapter of the national Dollars for Scholars organization. I contacted the national office and learned how to create a chapter in Stamford. Wethersfield is 1/5 the size of Stamford -- I just imagined the possibilities. Stamford Dollars for Scholars was born.
Aren't there other organizations in the city that provide scholarships?
TD- There are, yes. There are lots of great organizations in the city that provide scholarships but it's not their primary work. As a result, there's no appeal made to the community at large about this very important issue. Stamford Dollars for Scholars wants to be the organization that stands for scholarships in Stamford.
Isn't it hard to raise funds in this economy?
TD- Fundraising is always a challenge. But let me answer that question with a story. I returned from a weeklong vacation last summer and faced the usual pile of mail that came while we were gone. As I was going through it, there were many appeals from lots of worthy causes. What struck me like a thunderbolt - in a week's worth of mail - probably 200 pieces - there were lots of requests for donations but it made me realize: in all the years I have lived in Stamford no one has ever asked me to give to help local students afford post-high school education. I can't believe I'm the only one with that experience. We want SD4S to reach out to local people who always have generous hearts when it comes to lending a hand to neighbors. We want to harness that generosity for the benefit of the students. Yes, it's always a challenge raising money in this economy but having a cause like scholarships that is so easily understandable really helps. People know how important a good education is to creating a competitive workforce and a lifetime of possibility. They also know how costly it is, especially in these tough times.
How is SD4S different from other scholarships in Stamford?
Jim McClafferty (JM)-There are nearly 500 colleges and universities who are partners with Dollars for Scholars. Those schools have agreed to not reduce the financial assistance to students who also happen to receive a Stamford Dollars for Scholars award. Often if a student receives $10,000 from the college that accepted him/her, and also $2,000 from another organization, the college will reduce its support to $8,000. That doesn't happen with a Dollars for Scholars award and these partner schools. As an added bonus, over 100 of our colleges/university partners will actually match a Dollars for Scholars award - doubling the impact of our scholarships. The partnership is particularly beneficial to Stamford because seven of the top ten schools that Stamford students apply to are Dollars for Scholars Collegiate Partners.
So Dollars for Scholars is a national organization?
JM- Yes. Dollars for Scholars was founded in Fall River, MA in 1958 by optometrist Dr. Irving Fradkin
Who had a simple but profound idea-if everyone in his community gave just a dollar to an educational fund, it would be enough to help nearly every student in the community attend college. Dr. Irving Fradkin called his plan "Dollars for Scholars," and it has expanded into what today is the nation's largest non-profit, private-sector scholarship and educational support organization-Scholarship America. Stamford Dollars for Scholars is one of over 1,100 chapters throughout the United States that have distributed more than $2.5 billion to more than 1.7 million students.
Tell me about the scholarships you're giving?
JM- There are two broad categories of scholarships we will offer: Named Scholarships, and General Scholarships. Named scholarships are defined and funded by a person, or organization in the name of a friend, loved one, company or cause. They are most often one-year awards, and have a minimum value of $1,000. The donor determines the award criteria and Stamford Dollars for Scholars administers the process and selects the award recipient according to that criteria. One example of a Named Scholarship might be a family foundation that wants to give an award to a Westhill High School student who is planning to study music and has a GPA of 3.0 or higher. General Scholarships on the other hand are defined and administered entirely by Stamford Dollars for Scholars. We raise funds for these scholarships via our fund-raisers and community outreach. Criteria for choosing award recipients will include academic achievement, service, and financial need. Our awards are multi-year awards at amounts that provide meaningful impact on the students' college costs. The amount and the number of awards we provide is directly related to the money that we raise. The more financial resources we have, the more students we can help. There is one criterion that all of our General Scholarships share, and that is the requirement that applicants either live in Stamford or attend one of the six High Schools in Stamford.
I understand you're supporting vocational training, too?
TD- Yes. If a student wants to pursue education in engine repair, landscape design, hairdressing, or other vocational training at a certified school, we want to be there to help them as well.
Do you have a vision for Stamford Dollars for Scholars?
JM- Our vision is simple, but broad. We want Stamford Dollars for Scholars to be an integral part of the college application process for students in Stamford and the link between the community and college bound students. We want to be an item on every high school student's checklist and the first place that donors turn to when they think of giving. We want to mobilize and energize the community around helping these students beyond High School, just like Dr. Irving Fradkin did in Fall River, MA in 1958.
Why did you feel Tom Brokaw was the perfect person to appear at your first fundraiser?
TD- Tom Brokaw is someone I've known for quite some time. When I called and told him what we were up to and asked if he would be willing to speak he said, "Count me in." He was perfect because of the message in his new book, The Time of Our Lives. In it he talks about how we can reclaim the American Dream in an age of diminished expectations. At the heart of that is the spirit of The Greatest Generation which he's written so much about. That spirit these days is in the form of people in communities who look around and see an opportunity to make things better by putting their shoulder to a particular problem or community challenge. That's the embodiment of what happened with SD4S. I had a story to tell about my experience and a group of people joined in and said, "We think we can help with this." We have a fantastic board and volunteers - everyone's energized by what's possible. So Tom's message is the perfect launch into the community for us.
How does the application process work?
JM- My oldest son graduated from High School in 2011 so I can speak first hand about the college application process. It is a very stressful and confusing time for students and their families. Two of the biggest obstacles in the traditional scholarship process are finding the scholarships, and completing the applications since each award usually has its own application. It can literally be a full time job to find and apply for all of the scholarships that a student might be eligible for. And many of these scholarships are for $250 or less and non-renewable after the first year. It's no wonder that many scholarships actually go un-awarded due to lack of applicants. Stamford Dollars for Scholars takes a different approach. We have a single, online application that a student completes. Based on the student's responses, the system will automatically highlight any of the Named or General scholarships that he or she is eligible for. Some scholarships may require additional information, while others will require nothing more than the online application. And here's where the National organization provides a significant additional benefit - that same application is used to determine if the student is eligible for any scholarships offered by the national Scholarship America organization, or any of the 1,100 plus local chapters.
How do you guard the privacy of the applicants?
JM- The online application system is built and managed by the national Scholarship America organization. All financial information is reviewed and scored by the system without any data being visible to Stamford Dollars for Scholars volunteers. The final, confidential review of applications (excluding financial data) will be conducted by the Stamford Dollars for Scholars Awards committee and no information will be shared outside of that group.
What is your biggest challenge?
TD- Being brand new, awareness is our biggest challenge. When we tell people what we are doing, they are on board with the effort right away. Parents, educators, and business people - everyone gets it. But the process of making the community aware of what we are doing - to engage them to give and to engage parents and students to apply for our scholarships, that takes time. More volunteers in that effort are always welcome. We are working closely with the Stamford Public Schools, the parents' organizations at each school, and the local media to spread the word. We've established a facebook page (www.Facebook.com/StamfordD4S) and are encouraging people to become fans and tell their friends. We also have established an email list of 600+ people who receive periodic updates on our progress. We are counting on them to forward these messages and have others sign up for our emails by clicking on the envelope icon on our webpage at http://www.sd4s.org.
You two are Co-Presidents. What kind of people have joined you on the board and as volunteers?
TD- Today our board consists of nine people with varying backgrounds and experience including parents, a former dean of students at a local college, guidance professionals, marketing, communications and technology professionals. We also have a great group of volunteers including business people, parents and educators. In all it's a great mix of committed people who have a passionate belief that education is the key to a better life.
Who is eligible for an SD4S award?
JM- Full time High School students who live in Stamford or go to school at one of Stamford's six high schools and are graduating and planning to attend a certified college or vocational institution on a full-time basis, are eligible to apply for Stamford Dollars for Scholars General Scholarships.
How can people get involved with Stamford Dollars for Scholars?
JM- We are always looking for people who want to help us make a difference in the lives on local students. Anyone who is interested in donating their time, making a financial contribution or sponsoring a scholarship can contact us at contact@sd4s.orgor by phone at 203-885-SD4S. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, details can also be found on our website at www.StamfordDollarsForScholars.org.
