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Legislative Breakfast Outlines Aggressive Fundraising Endeavors For Scholarships

October 2017

On Friday, Oct. 27, QCC’s Board of Trustees Chair Susan Mailman and QCC Foundation Board President Maurice "Moe" Boisvert, along with President Luis G. Pedraja, hosted the college’s Legislative Breakfast. The breakfast was held to inform and incite local legislators to assist QCC in obtaining fiscal support from the state to invest in education on the community college level, specifically to help support its scholarship program.  According to Mr. Boisvert, the college has embarked on a plan to raise money to make sure every student who comes to QCC and needs a scholarship, is able to obtain one. The Board has made a commitment to work with all donors, especially alumni, to increase the number of Foundation scholarships each year by 20 percent.

“We are a long ways from this,” Mr. Boisvert said. “This fall we had 125 applicants and we gave out 25 from the Foundation. Our goal is to give out $350,000 privately and a total of almost a million dollars for the year, in addition to those funds. We want all students who need a scholarship to get one. Our hope is that this funding initiative will make this goal a reality."

He shared the ways in which funding will be raised and added that they would like to be able to use  include contributions from all Board members and Trustees, which is anticipated to bring in between $10,000-$15,000.  A robust alumni appeal is underway and was initially anticipated to bring in at least $20,000. A recent $80,000 gift from the Worcester City Hospital Nursing Association pushed that number much higher.

“They (the nurses) are closing their association and their generosity is helping us get to our goal sooner,” Mr. Boisvert said, adding that the college has such a strong nursing program there is a waiting list for nursing students.

Other ways of raising funds include donations from QCC employees and the soliciting of family foundations. Dr. Pedraja shared the news that Jim Harrington, of the Harrington Foundation has agreed to disperse all its foundation resources to just three institutions going forward in perpetuity: the Boys and Girls Club; Clark University and Quinsigamond Community College.

“This will double the amount we receive,” Dr. Pedraja added.

Other fundraising endeavors include: raising $100,000 through grants and $30,000-$50,000 in named scholarships.

While all these will get QCC closer to its goal, a state match that would incentivize the private sector (for every two dollars the private sector invested the state put in one dollar) would make QCC’s fundraising goal reality.

Mr. Boisvert appealed to the legislators in attendance to support the two current House and Senate bills that could make this match a reality.

“Help us send more people to Quinsigamond Community College to build their dream, their American dream can came true,” he said.

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