INTRODUCTION TO ASPSF

Introduction to the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund

• ASPSF Mission Statement
  


• Introduction to the Toolbox
  


• Welcome from the ASPSF Board President
  


• Our Philosophy
  


• The Delta Scholarship Project
  


• Field Staff Services
  

ASPSF Mission Statement:
It is the mission of the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund to enable single parents to attain self-sufficiency through post-secondary education.

Introduction to the Toolbox:
The ASPSF Toolbox was first developed in April 2000, as an aid to our affiliates in the operation of their Single Parent Scholarship Funds. Since it was delivered into the hands of affiliate representatives, we have received many positive comments on its usefulness and quite a few suggestions for improvement. This Third Edition of The Toolbox is presented to you with the hope that it will further enhance your daily efforts in helping single parents complete their post-secondary education.

In order for this guidebook to reach its full potential as a provider of information, it must be used. We urge our affiliates to keep it in a convenient location for board members, to make copies of it for members who request them, and to make it available whenever working committees need ideas, guidance, and the benefit of the experiences of others in order to complete their important tasks.

A full version of this guidebook as well as individual sections (chapters) may be downloaded and printed as needed by clicking any of the links in the side-bar to the right. This requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to be installed on your computer.

If you have ideas for future additions to the Toolbox or would like to make contributions of materials, please feel free to contact the ASPSF office at any time.

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Welcome:
How often have we heard the phrase, "tools for success?" Well, it is my pleasure to present you with a few resources (tools) to assist you in making your Single Parent Scholarship Affiliate a success.

The ASPSF Toolbox was created to provide local affiliates with a guide to assist in fundraising, providing media coverage for local events, recruiting volunteers and board members, mentoring students, and many other topics. The ASPSF Toolbox is user-friendly and is designed to provide on-site assistance with all phases of affiliate development, retention, and growth.

Please use this Toolbox! Share it with others and let us know what worked for your affiliate. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to helping single parents complete their post-secondary education in preparation for meeting their full potential in life. Remember, we not only touch people's lives, we affect generations for life.

Loretta Neal McGregor, Ph.D.
ASPSF Board President 2007

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Our Philosophy:
Our approach to accomplishing the ASPSF mission is to empower community leaders at the county level to establish and operate Single Parent Scholarship Funds. It is our expectation that such empowerment will attract volunteers and resources to the affiliate, all for the purpose of enabling local single parents to complete their post-secondary education and obtain professional, remunerative employment.

We expect affiliates to establish supportive relationships with their applicants and awardees for the purpose of empowering them to overcome barriers to self-sufficiency. Support in the form of referrals to other community resources, mentorship, and applicant interviews are encouraged. Any auxiliary programs should be strictly voluntary.

We encourage affiliates to share successful operational strategies with the ASPSF network in order that all within the network can benefit.

We will provide matching grants and developmental supportive services to affiliates with the expectation that they will provide scholarships in a consistent manner, comply with reporting requirements, honor the general eligibility requirements, treat all scholarship applicants and awardees with respect, and maintain a positive reputation in the community.

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Introduction:
The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) initiated a project several years ago focused on the Delta Region of East Arkansas. The purpose of the project is to harness strong leadership to the development of affiliates where additional support and training are needed. The result has been a significant increase in the number of scholarships awarded to the residents of the target area, enabling them to enroll in and complete career-directed courses of study leading to professional level employment and financial self-sufficiency.

Two field representatives work on-site in the Delta to achieve the goals and objectives of the project. They work to identify and contact existing nonprofit organizations to develop collaborations and partnerships around new Single Parent Scholarship Funds, and to offer support services to both new and existing funds. Field representatives work with emerging leaders and unaffiliated persons expressing an interest in forming new Funds. Through contact with existing organizations, established leaders, and emerging leaders, additional interest is generated in the concept of community-based incentive scholarship funds for single parents in the Delta region.

Project History:
The Delta Scholarship Project is a special effort to strengthen affiliates and increase the number and value of scholarships awarded in the Mississippi River Delta area of Arkansas. It originated from an idea generated by the ASPSF Board of Directors who recognized the need for enhanced scholarship availability within this economically depressed region. In January, 2001, the Project was launched with a promise of funding from several sources, including the Walton Family Foundation, the Arkansas Office of Community Services, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, and the Foundation for the Mid-South. The Project has operated with increasing effectiveness and success since its inception.

The initial goal of the Project was to award at least 680 scholarships worth $340,000 among 27 counties between 2001 and 2003. In its first year, the Project organized or re-organized six Delta affiliates and added three more in the first few months of 2002. The project has operated with increasing effectiveness and success since its inception.

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Field Staff Services:
Field representatives Kim Dollins and Beverly Chapple live and work in the Delta. They are responsible for harnessing leadership energy to develop affiliates where none have previously existed and to offer their assistance to the boards of affiliates that request training, advice, and other services. They are particularly geared to assist with strategic planning, board development, public relations, and fundraising. Each affiliate can receive such help, tailored to its unique characteristics and needs.

Because of the success of the Delta Scholarship Project, an additional field representative position was created in 2006 to serve the central/west central region of the state. Working out of her home in Conway, Svetla Dimitrova was hired in 2007 to provide support and training to affiliates from Grant County in the east to Franklin County in the west.

Single Parent Scholarship Funds in the Delta and Central Arkansas are encouraged to remain in regular contact with their field representatives and to fully utilize their skills and services. Below is a list of counties in the Arkansas Delta and Central Arkansas regions and the assigned field representative.

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