Students in 6-8th grade attending a partner site.
Yes. In the spring, 5th graders can apply for summer programs.
Whatever you’re excited about! Students can apply for scholarships to cover the cost of any program or activity that they would like to pursue. In the past, students have used the money for dance classes, music lessons, sports teams, creative arts courses, summer camps, and more.
Check out our resource lists for ideas. You can also apply for activities not included on the list.
No. Checks cannot be made out to individuals. They can only be issued to businesses or organizations. Please research the activity to ensure that the check can be made out to a business/organization.
There are two parts to the application: the application form and the personal essay. The application form is where the student lists information about themselves, the activity they want to do, and information about their adult contact. The adult contact can be anyone (parent/guardian, sibling, counselor, etc.) who is willing to ensure regular attendance and coordinate transportation to/from the activity for the student, but a parent/guardian signature is required on all applications.
The personal essay is the most important part of the application. Students must write or type an essay that addresses each of the questions listed on the application form. Students can also include video, artwork, photos, or other items to further illustrate their answers.
The deadline is determined by your site. Please ask the coordinator of the program where you heard about this opportunity.
Students are eligible to receive a scholarship of $250 which can be renewed once to continue the same activity (for a lifetime total of $500). The full $500 can be requested upfront for summer camps. If the activity costs more than the allotted amount, the student must explain how they plan to cover the balance in their personal essay.
No. Scholarship awards are only issued as checks.
No. Scholarships cannot be applied to activities that are ongoing or have already taken place; the goal is to help students try something that they would be unable to do otherwise.
No. The scholarship covers lessons, program fees, and registration. Sometimes an inexpensive item is covered in these fees (like a t-shirt) which is fine.
Applications cannot be accepted unless all the required information is provided. Make sure to contact the service provider to find out details about costs, start/end dates, and to ensure that space is available. The amount requested should match the actual cost of the program.
The adult contact must oversee that the scholarship is spent as described in the request. The adult must agree to ensure regular attendance by the student and outline the plan for transportation. This person can be a parent/guardian, sibling, teacher, counselor, or any other adult who is willing to support the student in pursuing the activity. No matter who the adult contact is, a parent/guardian signature is required on all applications.
Students must agree to regularly attend the activity for which the scholarship is awarded. Students must also report back about their experience and what they learned. Report forms will be included with award letters.
Students who submit a complete application will receive an award packet approximately 2 weeks after the scholarship deadline. Applications that are incomplete will not be considered. Unfortunately due to the volume of requests we receive, we cannot reply to those submitting incomplete requests.
Scholarship award packets will be sent to your site.
No, students who have previously received a scholarship cannot apply again.
No. Once a student has received a check, activities cannot be switched due to the extensive administrative time and cost required. We strongly encourage students to research activities before applying since switching activities isn’t possible. (Students can contact service providers to observe or try activities before applying.)
Please return the check to Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, 1222 Preservation Park Way, Oakland CA 94612 within 60 days. Any check that is not cashed in 60 days will expire and need to be cancelled. Bank charges for cancelled checks are expensive and take away valuable resources from other students.
