Johnson Scholarship Foundation Challenge Update

In March 2008, the University of West Florida announced its partnership with the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, solidifying a commitment to support need-based and First Generation scholarships for UWF students. The Johnson Scholarship Foundation has pledged $700,000, over five years, as a two-part challenge gift to support need-based scholarships at the University of West Florida, supporting both endowment building and annual scholarships. The University of West Florida is off to a great start to meeting their challenge goals.

The first part of the challenge is for UWF to raise $1 million for need-based scholarship endowments over the next five years. The Johnson Scholarship Foundation will gift $600,000 to UWF which, with state match, would establish a $1.02 million Johnson Scholarship Foundation endowment within the UWF Foundation. When combined, the anticipated gifts and state match will provide approximately $2.5 million in new need-based endowed scholarships. As of Sept. 25, 2008, qualifying funds totaled $280,176.

In the second part of its challenge gift to UWF, the Johnson Scholarship Foundation has pledged $100,000 over five years to challenge others to support the First Generation Scholarship at UWF. Gifts to the First Generation Scholarship are currently matched 100 percent by the State of Florida First Generation Matching Grant program. As of Sept. 25, 2008, $322,662 has been raised, including matching funds from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation and the State of Florida.

"By helping UWF to raise money for permanent scholarship endowments, we are sowing seeds for the education of future generations of students in financial need," said Malcolm Macleod, President/Chief Executive Officer of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation. "This education will empower them to get better jobs, to become more independent and to enjoy a better quality of life. Education of future generations will also move us towards a more just and productive society."

The Johnson Scholarship Foundation is a private foundation based in West Palm Beach. The mission of the foundation is to assist disadvantaged people to obtain education, believing that education can empower disadvantaged people to improve their economic circumstances and quality of life. The foundation operates a number of core programs, which were established by its founder, and supports the education of disabled, economically disadvantaged and American Indian students.

For more information, contact Dean Van Galen, vice president for University Advancement, at (850) 474-3306.