Success!
Rogue Hero Campaign
The Rogue Hero 2015 internal fundraising campaign kicked off in October and ended successfully, with giving totals reaching $32,000 — a 53 percent increase over the 2014 campaign! The Foundation wishes to thank each and every RCC employee who contributed to this important campaign, which supports various scholarship funds and special projects throughout the year. Every dollar counts!
New Endowed Scholarship for Outgoing RCC President
Rogue Community College President Peter Angstadt has announced plans to retire on June 30. In his honor, a special scholarship was established by an anonymous donor. In lieu of personal gifts, we encourage the community to contribute to this fund as a way of expressing appreciation for Dr. Angstadt’s work as RCC’s chief officer for the past 12 years. AllCare recently added to the effort with a generous gift of $10,000 to the fund—a fitting tribute to a leader who has made numerous contributions to the Foundation throughout his tenure at RCC.
Dr. Angstadt has been an effective and tireless advocate for the RCC Foundation. He has developed and strengthened RCC’s unique relationships with local business and industry partners, other colleges and universities, and foundations such as the Morris Family Foundation, AllCare, Asante, Boise Cascade, and Southern Oregon University. He was also instrumental in helping RCC pass its first and only successful bond campaign in 2004.
Dr. Angstadt made a huge impact in Salem last year with his project titled “Oregon’s Best Investment: Community Colleges,” which produced data on the numbers of graduates who have secured employment in jobs around the state. The report included information about the millions of dollars these community college graduates contribute to the economy through taxes estimated by their average wages. To see a copy of the report, contact Denise Swafford in the President’s Office at 541-956-7087 or dswafford@roguecc.edu.
Dr. Angstadt plans to remain in Grants Pass with his family and will continue building resources and relationships as a Foundation volunteer.
Scholarship Application and Awards Process
Under Executive Director Judy Basker’s leadership, some important and necessary changes have been taking place in the RCC Foundation over the past year, especially in the scholarship awards process. Here is a summary of those updates:
Awards ceremony
Our annual awards ceremony will now highlight not only the scholarship recipients, but also the generous donors from both counties that make these scholarships possible. This special event will provide an opportunity for both groups to meet and mingle.
Fewer, bigger scholarships
Based on input from donors, the Foundation has merged several smaller scholarships into larger “umbrella funds,” such as the RCC Memorial Fund. This means more substantial and useful awards going out to qualified students.
Double the application opportunities
In the past, applications were available on an annual basis. Now we will offer two opportunities per year for students to apply for scholarships.
More efficient review process
We have optimized the application review process to make it more efficient, confidential and cost-effective. The Foundation is currently recruiting a team of 150 volunteers to read scholarship applications. Volunteers will be fully trained and able to screen applications from their personal computers. A schedule of training opportunities is available at
www.rccfoundation.org.
If you have questions about these changes, or you are interested in joining our team of volunteers, contact the RCC Foundation office at 541-956-7294.
Introducing the President’s Circle
The RCC Foundation is proud to announce our new President’s Circle—a group of individuals and organizations that contribute $1,000 or more to the Foundation over the span of a year. This is an opportunity to recognize the donors who invest above and beyond in local higher education. We welcome all friends of the Foundation to join this esteemed group! For more information, visit the President’s Circle page.