Two large stewards of scholarship programs for youth – the Dayton-Montgomery County Scholarship Program (DMCSP) and The Dayton Foundation – have formed a new partnership that will better serve Montgomery County students seeking college scholarships. The $14 million DMCSP now is the Foundation’s single largest fund.

“This partnership is a perfect example of two large funders coming together for the good of the community,” said Mike Parks, president of The Dayton Foundation. “Both organizations will benefit from synergies that will come from two scholarship-awarding institutions operating side by side.”

Since its inception in 1981, DMCSP has awarded almost $10.5 million to more than 10,300 graduating seniors with at least a 2.5 GPA and with financial need from Montgomery County’s 16 school districts and private school systems, as well as to students who have received their GED equivalent. For the 2006-2007 school year, DMCSP has committed $629,800 in 525 scholarships.

In the last six years, The Dayton Foundation has awarded more than $9.2 million from more than 120 scholarship funds, $1.2 million this past year alone, to help thousands of students advance their education.

The Dayton Foundation provides accounting, auditing, technology services and fund administration functions for DMCSP and will offer them access to legal and other Foundation services, Parks said. Although it now is considered a fund of The Dayton Foundation, the scholarship program will continue to function as before.

“We will continue to operate with the same brand, identity, board members and grantmaking procedures,” said Tom Duncan, chairman of the DMCSP Board. “This partnership allows us to focus on awarding grants and growing the fund. It will enable us to be more strategic with our scholarship dollars.”

Dr. Donald R. Thompson, executive director of DMCSP, said he is proud that DMCSP now is affiliated with The Dayton Foundation. “The cost savings is important, but the Foundation has a trusted name. We believe we do, too. Now that we are under one roof, we want to put our heads together, seek better ways of doing business and determine how to become an even greater asset to Montgomery County students seeking scholarship dollars.”

“Clearly we will be stronger together,” Parks said. “And we are delighted to be working with Dr. Thompson, a premier educational leader and resource not only in our region but also in Ohio.”

More information about the Foundation’s scholarships, including the DMCSP, is available through ScholarshipCONNECT, the Foundation’s searchable, online scholarship directory. ScholarshipCONNECT makes it easier for students to match their educational interests with available Foundation scholarships.