A juicy introduction is like the desert that whets your readers’ appetite for what comes next. It draws them in and holds their attention.
Inner-City Scholarship Fund ensures that the gift of an excellent Catholic school education remains a viable option for families with demonstrable financial needs in the Archdiocese of New York. 11,000 scholarships are awarded annually. 99% of students graduate and 98% pursue post-secondary education.
What is Inner-City Scholarship Fund?
The Inner City Scholarship Fund is dedicated to changing lives by providing families with demonstrable financial need the opportunity to give their children a quality, values-based Catholic school education within the Archdiocese of New York. Founded in 1971, ICSF ensures that the gift of an excellent Catholic school education remains a viable option for students of all faiths today and for generations to come.
Students receiving scholarships from Inner-City spend their days in extraordinary environments where they are welcomed, pushed to their full potential by excellent teachers, and taught core values that will follow them into adulthood. Despite these positive outcomes, the financial demands of a Catholic school can be an insurmountable barrier for many families.
Through generous donors, Inner-City raises funds that cover the difference between tuition charged by Catholic schools and the actual cost of educating a student. By addressing this need, Inner-City allows hardworking students to pursue their dreams of attending Catholic schools. Donor support also allows our schools to continue to invest in their students and faculty, improving the educational experience for all by offering cutting edge programs, investing in technology, and repairing aging facilities.
Throughout the year, Inner-City holds events to raise awareness and funds to support our mission. One of the most prestigious events is our annual FRIENDS Gala, held in May. This year, His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, was the keynote speaker and Fox News host Martha MacCallum served as emcee at this special evening.
At this event, dozens of high-achieving Catholic school students from across the Archdiocese take the stage to share their personal stories and what an Inner-City scholarship means to them. This event serves to both honor the accomplishments of past scholarship recipients and to inspire new supporters to join the cause. It is through the generosity of our donors that Inner-City can continue to provide students like Amanza with the life-changing scholarship that they need and deserve. To date, the FRIENDS Gala has raised nearly $1.4 million to support Inner-City’s mission.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Through Education
SFIC’s mission is to enable children with demonstrable financial needs to attend a quality Catholic school in the Archdiocese of New York. We provide partial-tuition assistance to economically disadvantaged children regardless of race, religion or ethnicity, allowing them to build a strong foundation for lifelong success through an academically competitive, values-oriented education in a safe and nurturing environment.
Unlike public schools, which often focus on test scores and curriculum, inner-city Catholic schools strive to create an educational environment that is both academically rigorous and spiritually centered. This unique combination allows children to develop the fullness of their intellectual potential and, in turn, become contributing members of society.
The incredible results of this philosophy are evident in the fact that 99% of students who graduate from inner-city Catholic schools go on to college and 98% of them pursue post-secondary education. These figures are remarkable considering that 72% of the 28,800 students enrolled in inner-city Catholic schools live at or below the poverty line and a majority are minorities raised by single parents. This achievement can be attributed to the remarkable fact that, thanks to donors who support Inner-City Scholarship Fund, it only costs $8,600 to educate an inner-city student.
As donors contribute to the fund, they enable schools to improve technology, repair aging facilities, increase their enrollment, and reduce the cost of tuition for students. Inner-City also hosts a number of fundraising events and auctions to raise money for students and their families. These efforts have enabled our schools to expand their programs and offer students a more diverse educational experience, while maintaining their commitment to keeping tuition as low as possible.
Our donors, who are among the most influential leaders in New York City’s business and civic community, are truly committed to helping families break the cycle of poverty through a quality Catholic school education. Their generous donations are the lifeblood of our organization and allow us to provide a critical opportunity for children with demonstrated financial need to achieve the academic and personal excellence that a Catholic school education provides. As a result, they are able to make a lasting impact on their communities and help transform lives for the better.
Transforming Lives Through Scholarships
Students enrolled in inner-city Catholic schools spend their days in extraordinary environments where they feel safe, where they are known and challenged by excellent teachers who know them as individuals, where core values that will carry them throughout life are taught. They are surrounded by support – scholarships that enable them to attend, learning resources that empower them to succeed, and mentorship programs that help them to navigate high school and college. It’s a transformative experience that is often made possible by generous donors like you.
Each year, hundreds of families across the Archdiocese of New York seek out a Catholic education for their children. However, tuition can be an insurmountable barrier for low-income families. Through scholarships and other forms of tuition assistance, Inner-City Scholarship Fund seeks to eliminate this barrier and give low-income children the opportunity to pursue a Catholic education. These children then graduate from Catholic high schools at very impressive rates – an incredible 99 percent of graduating seniors are accepted to college and nearly half of those who enroll in higher education continue on to graduate.
At the 47th Annual Friends of Inner-City Scholarship Fund Gala, formerly known as Galadana, we heard the heartwarming and inspiring stories of how scholarships from Inner-City Scholarship Fund opened doors to a better future for these children. It is a remarkable event that brings together a community of philanthropists, educators and leaders who support the mission of the organization.
While the primary focus of the gala is to raise funds that will cover tuition for needy students, it’s also about bringing a community together to commit to making a difference in the lives of these children. It’s about demonstrating that when people work together, they can make an enormous impact and change the world for good.
Inner-City Scholarship Fund’s commitment to students and their families continues well beyond the gala, with a range of programs that provide general tuition assistance to families transferring from public school to Catholic school, scholarships for students moving onto high school, and Emergency Tuition Assistance grants to families who have experienced unforeseen financial hardships. Your tax-deductible gift can help provide students like Amanza with access to a quality Catholic education, helping them thrive in school and fulfill their dreams.
How Can You Help?
Each year, hundreds of families in the Archdiocese of New York seek a Catholic school education for their children, but tuition fees are often an insurmountable barrier. Inner City Scholarship Fund works to make Catholic schools a viable option for low-income families through a variety of tuition assistance programs.
You can help by attending an event hosted by Inner-City Scholarship Fund. These events are an important way to raise awareness about the work of Inner-City and also to bring in the funds needed to continue offering scholarships to students.
Volunteering is another great way to get involved. You can do anything from working in a soup kitchen to stocking shelves at a thrift store. If you want to make your donation go even further, consider opening a Donor Advised Fund with Inner-City. These funds allow you to set aside money for charitable giving with the flexibility to give to any program of your choice over time. These donations are not subject to taxes, regulations, or paperwork and will maximize your philanthropic impact.
Another way to support Inner-City is by contributing to their annual campaign. This is an important way to raise money and ensure that students receive the life changing education that they deserve.
In addition to supporting the students, you can support the schools that Inner-City supports. Many of these schools offer amazing educational programs that are not available elsewhere. They may focus on teaching children how to observe and analyze art, for example, or teach them about the importance of respect and compassion in their daily lives.
For students like Amanza, this type of education can make all the difference in their futures. With the help of donors, these students are able to learn in an environment that is safe and welcoming, with teachers who know them and push them toward their potential. These students will then pass on the values learned at these schools to their own children and communities. Your gift can have a lasting impact on New York City’s most economically challenged students.