Scholarship Program History

In the mid 1970s, Keith and Elinor Shaffer contributed a large sum of money to our Club with the suggestion that the money be used to fund an endowment. A committee was formed, and through its efforts, the Santa Cruz Rotary Endowment was incorporated in 1979. For many years, our Club provided college scholarships to local students. But they were always based on available funds, and there were little, if any, increases from year to year. The Shaffer endowment provided a way to increase the number of scholarships awarded each year.

​Blessed with astute management and the continued support of Club membership and others, the endowment now provides approximately $50,000 annually for academic scholarships and $13,500 for vocational scholarships. Pictured are some of our Club's scholarship recipients.

Vocational Scholarship Program