More of Cattaraugus County’s future leaders will have access to the training and experiential education program Leadership Cattaraugus thanks to a new scholarship fund established at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.
Pictured are (front) Keith Kranick, Leadership Cattaraugus board member; Wendy Brand, CRCF board president; Jodi Fuller, Leadership Cattaraugus board president; (back) Melanie Churakos and Jessica Weinman, Leadership Cattaraugus board members; Karen Niemic Buchheit, CRCF executive director; Tony Turano, Leadership Cattaraugus board vice chair.
The Leadership Cattaraugus board of directors established the Leadership Cattaraugus Scholarship Fund at CRCF to make participation in the program more affordable for worthy future leaders in the community.
Leadership Cattaraugus’s goal is to identify future leaders of the area and help them develop the skills they will need to work more effectively for the betterment of all the people in Cattaraugus County.
Leadership Cattaraugus offers annual collaborative learning opportunities to a cohort of 20-25 individuals who work or live in Cattaraugus County and are dedicated to strengthening the state of the community in business, volunteerism and service.
“The Leadership Cattaraugus board of directors wants to cast the broadest possible net in terms of participants. We recognize that the cost of tuition may be a barrier for smaller employers, and we hope that the possibility of a scholarship might encourage them to consider us for their leadership training needs,” said Jodi Fuller, board president.
“The board has been working on the scholarship fund for about a year, and we are thrilled that it is up and running in time for 2018 applicants to apply,” she said.
The fund will provide scholarships that will cover the lesser of 25% of the cost of tuition or $400. The number and amount of awards may vary based upon the strength of applicants and availability of funding.
Applicants must live in and/or work in Cattaraugus County and be employed by a small (fewer than 100 employees) government entity, nonprofit or small business independently owned and operated in Cattaraugus County.
Applicants will be judged by criteria including, but not limited to, the following:
- The individual is an existing or emerging leader as demonstrated by:
- Holds a leadership position in his/her organization or expects to move into a leadership position within his/her organization in the next six to 12 months.
- Serves as a formal or informal leader in his/her community. Examples include:
- Serving as an elected official.
- Leadership in a civic or faith-based activity outside of the workplace.
- Coaching a sport.
- Coordinating a community activity/fundraising effort, etc.
- Has a vested interest in creating sustainable vibrant Cattaraugus County communities as demonstrated by community volunteerism and other similar activities.
- Engages in or expresses willingness to engage in community service activities (volunteerism, community campaigns, service on a board, etc.)
The application is available at cattfoundation.org/scholarships. Applicants must email their completed application to foundation@cattfoundation.org by February 16 to be eligible. The CRCF Scholarship Committee will review the applications and recommend the awardees each year. Scholarship applicants must also apply for admission to the 2018 Leadership Cattaraugus class at www.leadershipcattaraugus.org. The 2018 program begins in March.
The public is invited to support the scholarship fund. Donations can be made to the Leadership Cattaraugus Scholarship Fund at CRCF, 301 North Union St., Suite 203, or online at cattfoundation.org.
Established in 1994, the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email foundation@cattfoundation.org, or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).