Exciting things are happening at the Foundation when it comes to our College, Career and Life Success program.

We are very pleased to have been invited to write this article for Front Porch Republic on the origination, premise and theories of our Come Home Program. The program has received national attention and interest for its innovative approach. The Community Foundation of St. Clair County was the first community foundation in America to launch a “Reverse” Scholarship program and it is helping to change our region’s narrative around college graduates and talent attraction. 

At the same time, we are happy and enthusiastic that our good friend and partner Senator Gary Peters, along with Senator Shelley Moore Capito, is advancing legislation in support of programs like Come Home. They introduced Bill S.3697, that would exclude post-graduation scholarships from gross income, helping communities attract workers and alleviate student loan debt.

We are excited and hopeful about the impact that our programs are making on our local community as well as national conversations and policy making.

We plan to continue the excitement as we gather with community foundations from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan on April 11-12, 2019, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The two-day event will join catalysts for community investments that contribute to the economic health and vitality of their region.

This gathering is presented by Council of Michigan Foundations, Forefront, Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, Philanthropy Ohio , Barberton Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

The event is for foundations that are currently involved in or interested in being involved in collaboration, community growth, prosperity, and economic development. This includes interests in talent attraction and retention, a more strategic use of scholarship assets, and a focus on total career and college support for young adults and working class families.Registration for the event will begin in January via each state partner’s website.

We are proud to work with our colleagues in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois on addressing the many opportunities for a more strategic use of scholarship assets and breaking away from the traditional scholarship business model. We look forward to gathering with them at this collaborative event in April as we continue conversations around pushing the envelope, challenging norms, and using the power of philanthropy in shaping place and prosperity.