From the Foundation: Fall Newsletter

Fall Newsletter

2022 V3

QUICK LINKS

Foundation Website

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ACC Dean of Students Office

A Note From...

Hello Courtney,

I hope you have had a wonderful summer! As the current Treasurer of the ACC Foundation Board, I am grateful for all of the tremendous support you provide to our students, faculty, and staff at ACC.

Scholarships play a vital part in the lives of many of our students and it is through your donations that the ACC Foundation has been able to provide great impact to our students.

Did you know that during the last academic year over 1,000 students submitted applications for scholarships and that the ACC Foundation provides nearly $1 million in scholarships to students each year? I have read many scholarship applications myself and can tell you the impact these awards have on student’s financially and emotionally is immense. Students report that their biggest financial concerns besides tuition includes housing costs, childcare, paying for utilities and other bills. Recent inflationary pressures have put additional strain on the cost of such things as groceries and gas.

In addition to scholarships, the ACC Foundation also offers non-tuition based support through the Student Emergency Fund. This program offers one-time stipends, usually $300 to $500, to students who need emergency funds usually for housing or transportation costs, or for paying bills.

Your generous support enables many students to accomplish their educational and career goals. Students who receive scholarships have a higher persistency rate of continuing in school and also are more likely to complete their studies.

Thank you again for your support of the ACC Foundation. The great work that the Foundation is doing would not be possible without you. The Foundation staff has recently moved into new offices! If you are in the area please stop by and say Hello! I know they would love to see you.

Take care,

Randy Anderson

Treasurer, ACC Foundation Board

FEATURE

Helping Students Persist

Students who receive scholarships have a persistence rate (return the following semester) of over 80%!

The chart below compares scholarship recipients vs the general ACC student population. *Data based on Academic Year 2021/2022

But students need more than tuition help.

Through reading scholarship essays, students report that besides tuition, childcare, housing costs, and bills are their main financial stressors. The ACC Foundation does provide non-tuition based support through the Student Emergency Fund. This program offers an average of $300.00 one-time stipend which most recipients use to pay bills, utility bills, and/or housing costs.

Over 50% of these students persist through their studies!

Above Image: CSU Strum Collaboration Campus Graduates.

	ACCF Scholarship Awardees	ACC Students
Full time	13.2%	6.9%
Average Age	30.7	26.7
Degree seeking	97.7%	86.6%
First Generation	58.5%	41.6%
Non-traditional	66.2%	43.7%
Persistence	83.4%	70.5%

WHAT WE DO

HOW WE SUPPORT STUDENTS

IN THEIR TIME OF NEED

The Student Emergency Fund, a program that helps keep students in class when unexpected life emergencies arise, is funded through the ACC Foundation and operationalized by the Dean of Students' team of dedicated case workers who support at-risk students with check-ins and guidance to various resources: food, shelter, and other basic need support.

We are also excited to report that the Dean of Students Office was also one of the Foundation’s Mini-Grant for Innovation winners!

Below is a glimpse into the work of the Dean of Students Office: how they used Foundation funding to further their reach and how donations to the Student Emergency Fund have changed lives.

Our friends in the Dean of Students Office say it best:

Ashlie Cogburn, Case Manager for the Dean of Students Office has written the next four sections explaining the role of the student emergency fund, its services, and their mini-grant project Summit’s Supply Shelves.

The intention of the Student Emergency Fund is to assist students with emergencies – food, shelter, utilities, and other living expenses, emergency transportation, etc, and has evolved into one of the most vital emergency aid sources on campus since its creation.

Funds for this program are raised and managed by the ACC Foundation, and monitored by the Dean of Students Office. It is primarily funded through private fundraising and ACC employee payroll contributions. Student recipients are also able to pay back any amount they are able to as we do encourage them to pay it forward.

The Dean of Students Office receives an average of 10 applications per month, while in our higher months we can receive 20 or more applications. Our high-need months are typically September and February. Most expenses are for utilities and housing/shelter/rent-related expenses.

Feeding the Mind with Food

In March 2020 when the pandemic caused our physical food pantries to become inaccessible, we expanded funding to offer up to two $40.00 Grocery Gift Cards per student per year. (Since 2020 we have given an average of 100 grocery gift cards a year.)

Covid also changed the scope of our in-person food pantry. In addition to grocery gift cards, we moved to a grab-and-go model food shelf outside the Dean of Students Office. The food pantries continue to be utilized by students who are struggling with food insecurity or have unexpected situations arise that put them in a position of needing assistance.

We realized the grab-and go food pantries were really working - so I applied for a Foundation Mini-Grant to expand this concept. I am happy to report that last spring our team was awarded an ACC Foundation Mini-Grant of $4,500.00 to create Summit’s Supply Shelves; a food pantry revamp to continue our efforts to support students and add more grab-and-go food pantries across all our campuses. As of August 22^nd, you will see 10 different locations of Summit’s Supply Shelves between the Littleton and Sturm Collaboration Campus in Castle Rock. (Read more about Summit’s Supply Shelves in the article below!)

Above Image: One of the 10 Summit's Supply Shelf set-ups on the ACC Campus.

STUDENT STORY

Image: Morgan Fechter, 2022 ACC Progenitor Volume 57

Morgan Fechter is an ACC student who was navigating her way out of a domestic violence relationship and securing her independence for her and her daughter. She was barely able to find safe housing before a medical emergency came up for her daughter. She was at risk of setting her educational goals aside to meet her daughter’s medical needs and keep safe shelter.

Read Morgan’s generous and detailed thank you letter for her ability to receive $700.00 plus 2 grocery gift cards.

Read More: Morgan's Thank You Letter

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Foundation Board of Director John Libby tells us why he not only contributes his time and effort to the ACC Foundation but why monthly giving, in his case to the Student Emergency Fund, is an important way to support ACC.

“As a community member and an ACC Alumni, I feel my monthly donations are an important part of giving back.

My mother and I went to college together after she completed her GED. We came from modest means; my mom was a single mother. The education from ACC allowed me access to opportunities not available to many lower income households. Mom went on to get her masters, I became Ad Director for The Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post and was named Marine of the Year while in the military. We own several properties and provide clean affordable housing with our rentals…

Without the start we received at ACC we could not have been able to expand our net to contribute to all of those touched by our monetary and in person contributions. ACC was the foundation of our future; I benefited and feel a responsibility to contribute on a regular basis.”

John Libby

Monthly giving donor since 2019

Monthly giving is an easy way to support ACC Students!

Every dollar counts for us and knowing your monthly contribution is guaranteed can help ACC Students and the Foundation plan and strategize even better.

Our new Monthly Giving Program is an opportunity for you to make an ongoing monthly contribution to the Student Emergency Fund or any area of your choice.

By selecting the “recurring donation” button at www.arapahoe.edu/donate you can set it and forget it while you continue to make a regular meaningful impact. No matter the amount, monthly donations can make a huge lasting impact.

Become a Monthly Donnor Today!

#IT'S A PUMA THING

ACC FOUNDATION

Climb Together,

MOVE TOGETHER!

The ACC Foundation has moved - our social media channels and our offices!

As we are settling in you can now find all things ACC Foundation within the ACC social media channels, linked below.

Look out for our hastags!

#ACCFoundation

#ACCStrong

#Itsapumathing

#ACCAlumninetwork

Our new offices are located in the

ACC - J.F. Sato Building. Please keep in mind that our mailing address remains the same.

WHAT'S NEW ON CAMPUS

Summit’s Supply Shelves

ACC’s Food Pantry is here to lend a helping hand. Read more from Ashlie Cogburn, Case Manager, Dean of Students Office.

Ashlie was recently interviewed by the Littleton Independent for an article More money. Less food. Greater demand: Inflation hits metro-area food banks

to share how food insecurities are impacting ACC students. She shares current services through the Dean of Students Office and how her ACC Foundation Mini-Grant is going to help improve our campus food pantries in a time of such a dire need.

Please consider a gift for Arapahoe Community College in your will, living trust, or as a beneficiary of your IRA.

For more information on the Forever ACC Legacy Society please contact Courtney Loehfelm at Courtney.loehfelm@arapahoe.edu

or 720.440.4666