Eagan Foundation to Award 75 Scholarships, $10,000 in Community Grants

The Eagan Foundation, Inc. has been doing good work for years; now it wants to do more, said Eagan Foundation Chair Patti Engel.

The foundation currently administers a scholarship program, awards community grants and serves as a fiduciary agent for charitable groups in Eagan.

The scholarship program – which will award 75 scholarships to graduating high school students living in Eagan totaling $60,050 this year – has gotten the most attention in the past. While proud of their past efforts, foundation members are also looking at ways to expand the program in new directions, said Engel.

"One of the things we're looking at is the scholarships," Engel said. "It's existed to meet the needs of kids who go to school or live in Eagan. We are hoping to add other kinds of scholarships, for the arts, dance, technical. We want to be in a very proactive way looking for scholarship dollars and trying to broaden our reach."

Engel, owner, president and CEO of Engage Health and a 20-year Eagan resident, said she became interested in serving on the foundation after watching "how it supported the Eagan community."

"It was founded by the principal of Eagan High School and community leaders who felt it was important to support further education for kids in Eagan," Engel said. "The mission has broadened to really support not only kids but also the entire Eagan community."

"We're looking forward to another great year of growth under Patti's leadership," said foundation spokesperson Laurie Halverson.

Scholarship winners will be announced in mid April.

The foundation's primary activity each year is the scholarship program, in which the organization serves as a clearing house for some 38 Eagan-based businesses and organizations which award scholarships ranging from $250-$2,000.

The foundation program of 2009 awarded 68 scholarships totaling more than $57,000.

"The number of kids coming up has gone up a great deal, but so has the number of scholarships and we hope to see that continue," said Engel.

Scholarships are funded by Eagan companies and organizations each with its own set of selection criteria. Criteria can include grade point average, financial need, activity participation, or community service and career objectives.

The foundation scholarship committee will determine any and all scholarships for which the applicant is qualified and will award the largest amounts first.

"It's the keystone of our programming," said Halverson. "It's the legacy of the Eagan Foundation. These scholarships are well-known among businesses and among families in Eagan. The responses we get are how great it is to keep those scholarships here and help local students."

The foundation also awards community grants and serves as a fiduciary agent for charitable groups in Eagan. Community grant awards totaling $10,000 will be made to nonprofit organizations that serve the Eagan community this year, said Engel.

"This is our biggest year yet," Halverson said. "We're very excited about it."

Past Eagan Foundation grant recipients include Cheerful Givers, Caponi Art Park, Women of Note and the Eagan Resource Center.

This year's grant winners will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Eagan Foundation is also available to serve as the fiscal agent for charitable groups in Eagan who have not yet applied for their own IRS tax exempt status. Donors to the activities of those community groups may have the benefit of receiving a charitable deduction for their contributions and the Foundation assures that donations are accounted for and expended according to IRS guidelines.

"We can serve as a fiduciary when things need to happened quickly," Halverson said. "We can be the organization umbrella."

The foundation will also launch a strategic planning initiative "to get a better feel of what's happening in the community," Engel said. "Like all organizations, it's important to keep abreast of ... the needs of the community."

The Eagan Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community-building organization.

"It was founded by Eagan business and community members, and residents who want to make Eagan the best place to live, learn, work and play," said Halverson.

Since its founding, the foundation has raised and reinvested more than $750,000 in the community through scholarship, local initiatives and community grants programs.

The foundation is also seeking additional volunteers, Engel noted.

For additional information visit www.eaganfoundation.org or email admin@eaganfoundation.org.