Scholarships Make the Difference
Financial aid is the critical bridge that connects the hard work of students to their future success. Even with all the determination in the world, with two or more jobs, and with our relatively low fees, the basic needs of transportation, rent, groceries and childcare cannot be ignored to buy books. Scholarships make the difference.

The San José/Evergreen District is home to large number of first generation immigrants who are just beginning their climb up the ladder to financial stability for their families. Parents place high value and strong emphasis on getting a good education all through the K-12 years, but don’t have the resources to help their children financially when it’s time for college. Again, scholarships make the difference.

Our student body includes a significant number of disabled individuals, former foster youth, undocumented immigrants, single parents and others whose personal circumstances make it especially difficult to find suitable employment to pay for school. Scholarships make the difference.

The Basic Facts:

• You can donate funds for a scholarship each year or endow a fund that will provide a scholarship forever.
  
• You can honor a parent or child or perhaps a teacher who made a difference for you.
  
• You can specify an award for in a field of study—perhaps one that reflects your own career.
  
• We suggest a gift of $500 to fund one-year scholarships.
  
• We require a gift of $10,000 to establish an endowment, but that level can be reached over a period of years through multiple gifts.
  
• There is a special, time-limited opportunity to receive matching funds for endowed scholarship donations through the Bernard Osher Foundation. Please call for details.
  
• Call Carole Cassidy at the Foundation at 408-223-6766 with questions or suggestions. We want to help you develop a scholarship that meets your goals.

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Chancellor’s Circle
Unexpected opportunities and unbudgeted expenditures are a fact of life on college campuses just as they are in our homes and businesses. The Chancellor’s Circle is a new and growing group of donors who recognize the need for a flexible, unrestricted pool of gifts that enable the Chancellor to meet emergency needs or to take advantage of special opportunities. Annual membership in the Circle is $1000 per year: individuals, businesses and organizations are all eligible. Circle members will be invited to attend intimate gatherings with the Chancellor to learn more about her goals for the colleges and about her vision for our students.

Planned Gifts
Bequests and other testamentary gifts
We welcome your bequest and hope you will let us know that we are included in your will or estate plan so that we can acknowledge your generosity now. We would also be honored to be named as a beneficiary of an insurance policy, a trust or annuity. See below for sample language for different types of bequests you may wish to have placed in your will.

General bequest language
“I give, devise, and bequeath to the San José/Evergreen Community College District Foundation, 4750 San Felipe Road, San José CA 95135, the sum of $________ (OR ______% of my estate) (OR the residual value of my estate after other bequests are accounted for) for the benefit of (San José City College AND/OR Evergreen Valley College) and its general purposes.”
Specific Bequests are made when stock or cash or other property is bequeathed for a designated purpose such as to establish a scholarship. Specific bequest language:

“I give, devise, and bequeath to The San José/Evergreen Community College District Foundation, 4750 San Felipe Road, San José CA 95135 the sum of $_______ (or a description of a specific asset), for the benefit of San José City College (and/or) Evergreen Valley College to be used to establish a scholarship (or other purpose) to be called the _________________scholarship. If at any time it becomes impossible or impractical to carry out the designated purpose of my gift, I authorize the board of directors of The San José/Evergreen Community College District Foundation to determine an alternative purpose that reflects as nearly as possible my original intent.”

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Major Gifts
Major gifts of real estate, stocks, cash or valuable personal property are most welcome and are accepted on a case by case basis. San José City College and Evergreen Valley College have numerous opportunities available for naming classrooms, sports facilities, outdoor areas, and campus buildings. Significant gifts may be made in a lump sum or paid over a period of years. The SJECCD Foundation pledges to work with donors and their legal and financial advisors to develop a memorandum of understanding that clarifies donor intent and expectations.

Please call Carole Cassidy at 408-223-6766 to discuss your goals and how we can help you achieve them.

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The San José/ Evergreen Foundation
4750 San Felipe Road, San José CA 95135
408-223-6789