Director of Scholarships

Responsibilities:  This position is responsible for the leadership and overall management of the Foundation’s scholarship program. This involves extensive community engagement and representing the Foundation amongst a wide variety of constituencies including nonprofit organizations, government entities, faith networks, businesses, donors and the general public. The community engagement activities will largely consist of representing the Foundation and its scholarship program at various programs and events across the city of Chattanooga and Hamilton County region. The position includes process design, management and implementation responsibilities as well as administrative duties.

This position will work closely with the CFGC Community Impact Team to execute our various strategic priorities including responsive grant making, racial equity, economic mobility, impact investing, and other areas as identified.

Student and Family Support 

• Manage the aspects of the Foundation’s scholarship programs including: creating, revising and distributing scholarship materials to all Hamilton County high schools and various community organizations; promoting the scholarship program; processing completed applications and database management; coordinating scholar interviews; notifying all applicants of their status; and processing scholarship checks.
• Provide support to scholarship applicants including but not limited to: reviewing semester grades, assisting with the FAFSA process, providing guidance on institutional financial aid, and providing academic and career advisement.
• Meet with parents/guardians and students for an intake session which includes discussion of colleges that are within reach for each student based on their achievements as well as scholarship/ financial aid information.
• Identify scholarship recipient’s needs and oversee the disbursement of the Student Direct Assistance Fund.
• Manage the scholarship orientation process and recognition events.
• Provide leadership and creative input on opportunities to enhance the scholarship program and the student donor experience.

Community Outreach and Partnerships

• Promote the scholarship program through various channels including but not limited to: Community Foundation website, social media, personal contact, guidance counselor relationships, community partners, etc.
• Maintain strong partnerships with organizations to ensure that students are aware of local scholarships and are accessing and completing applications.
• Maintain strong partnerships with local high school guidance counselors, college advisors, and local educational organizations.
• Maintain strong relationships with scholarship alumni and develop a strategy to engage them with current scholars.
• Conduct public presentations regarding scholarships and financial aid.

Administrative

• Provide administrative staff support to scholarship committees including preparation of materials, meeting planning and correspondence.
• This position will be responsible for new program design and continuous improvement, including gathering and synthesizing program data and student feedback, researching best practices and developing strategies to improve student outcomes and experiences.  
• Work in partnership with the VP of Donor Services to establish new scholarship funds, annually review established scholarship funds, and approve awarded scholarships.
• Attend trainings, meetings and conferences for professional development and to identify leading trends and best practices in the scholarships services sector.