Scholarships for the Determined

✅ Recognize and reward perseverance in students, focusing on those who overcome personal and financial challenges to achieve their academic goals.

✅ Utilize creative fundraising strategies like company matching programs to maximize contributions for scholarships without relying solely on traditional donation methods.

✅ Establish strong community connections and partnerships to build sustainable scholarship programs that can continuously serve underrepresented groups.

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Explain Yourself podcast, Andres Vargas, CEO and founder of the SI SE PUEDE! Scholarship, shares his journey of starting a foundation that helps students who demonstrate perseverance in overcoming personal and financial challenges. Drawing from his experiences at Disney and a passion for community engagement, Andres discusses the importance of recognizing and supporting students who may not meet traditional academic criteria but are working hard to achieve their dreams. The episode delves into the innovative fundraising strategies his foundation employs, including company matching programs, and the challenges and rewards of running a nonprofit organization. Andres also highlights the impact of personal connections and the importance of making scholarship recipients feel truly valued.

Notable Questions We Asked

Q: What inspired you to start the SI SE PUEDE! Scholarship, and what makes it different from other scholarships?

A: The scholarship was inspired by the desire to recognize and support students who show perseverance in overcoming personal and financial challenges, offering opportunities to those who may not meet traditional academic criteria but are working hard to achieve their goals.

Q: What are some creative fundraising strategies you’ve used to support your scholarship programs?

A: One successful strategy is leveraging company matching programs, where employees log volunteer hours that their companies convert into donations for the scholarship. This approach has helped fund multiple scholarships without relying solely on traditional donation methods.

Q: What advice would you give to someone considering starting a nonprofit organization?

A: It’s essential to clearly understand your mission and what you aim to achieve. Starting a nonprofit can be daunting, but with proper organization, understanding of your goals, and creative approaches to fundraising, it can be a fulfilling way to make a significant impact.

Q: How do you ensure that scholarship recipients feel truly valued and recognized for their efforts?

A: Instead of sending generic emails, I personally call each scholarship recipient to congratulate them, ensuring they feel recognized and valued for their hard work. This personal connection helps them feel more confident and motivated in their academic journey.

Q: What are your long-term goals for the SI SE PUEDE! Scholarship, and how do you plan to expand its impact?

A: The long-term goal is to expand the scholarship’s reach to more underrepresented groups, such as students with disabilities, and to continue exploring creative fundraising methods. The focus is on making a difference in as many lives as possible without being constrained by specific targets or numbers.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:12 Meet Andres Vargas: CEO and Founder

01:02 The Birth of SI SE PUEDE! Scholarship

02:05 Challenges and Successes in Scholarship Fundraising

03:57 Navigating the Nonprofit World

08:56 Innovative Fundraising Strategies

17:24 Connect With SI SE PUEDE! Scholarship Foundation

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