The Campaign endeavors to raise $3 million in long-term investments to provide ongoing funding for annual scholarships and student programs, as well as maintain and operate a quality facility for the next 35+ years.

The mission of the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County is to enable single parents to attain self-sufficiency through post-secondary education. In the 1980s, Majorie Marugg-Wolfe was working at Northwest Technical Institute where she found unexpected expenses could deter single parents from pursuing the education needed to move them and their children out of poverty. Marjorie started a grassroots effort which is known today as Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County (SPSFBC). Since 1984, SPSFBC has provided over 8,500 scholarships totaling over $8 million.

With the rising cost of living and increased tuition, single parents face an extremely difficult challenge in achieving their educational goals, becoming self-sufficient and moving out of poverty. In just the last five years, SPSFBC scholarship recipients have realized over 200 percent increases in starting salaries post-graduation and contributed over $2,880,000 annually back into our communities through economic impact, breaking the cycle of poverty.

Recognizing the shift in philanthropy and fundraising strategies, SPSFBC is focused on vital long-term sustainability to support single parent families. The campaign kicked off publicly on Oct. 29, 2019, having reached $2.5 million in early support from generous donors including The Soderquist Family and Denton & Cathy Cole Seilhan.

“The generosity of our community is unmatched; we are so grateful for the individual donors, organizations and foundations that help our families succeed,” added Jack Eaton, executive director. “We are blessed by the early momentum and look forward to this community helping us reach our goal.”

For more information about this project or if you wish to donate, visit www.spsfbc.org.