It began as a mother’s tribute. Within a few short weeks, it had become the seed of inspiration that grew into a scholarship endowment for the Michigan Community Scholars Program (MCSP).
MCSP is a diverse, residential learning community that brings together students and faculty who have a commitment to community service, social justice and academic study. Through their studies and projects, MCSP students strive to model an ideal community in terms of friendship, responsibility, diversity, collaboration and caring.
“Before Thanksgiving, there was no needs-based scholarship for our program,” says David Schoem, MCSP director. “By the end of December, we had $100,000 to establish a scholarship endowment for MCSP, and it all started rather unexpectedly with Carol Milstein’s touching generosity.”
A senior development associate in Corporate & Foundation Relations, Milstein has worked for the University for 12 years. Aware of the President’s Donor Challenge Fund for The Michigan Difference campaign, she decided to make a gift that would honor her daughter, Naomi, a U-M graduate and community service professional. Although her daughter was not a student in MCSP, Milstein saw the program as a fitting outreach for the purpose of her gift.
“I love the idea that this program is helping young people understand the value of community and of service learning,” Milstein explained to The Michigan Difference, the University’s campaign newsletter.
It was just after Thanksgiving when Schoem and other faculty associated with MCSP became aware of Milstein’s $25,000 commitment.
“Up until this time, MCSP had received about $12,000 in gifts, total, over the years. We were inspired by Carol’s recognition of our program and what, with the president’s match, it could mean in sustaining the diversity of our community with a needs-based scholarship,” Schoem says. “It was then suggested that some of the program’s faculty and staff might be willing to show their commitment by redoubling this opportunity.”
The suggestion came from James Crowfoot, MCSP faculty associate and dean emeritus of the School of Natural Resources and Environment. With Schoem’s support, Crowfoot undertook the charge to raise another $25,000 to qualify for a match. But they would have to move quickly to leverage the President’s Donor Challenge before a Dec. 31 deadline.
“I’m a strong believer in the living-learning experience at Michigan, and I am always impressed by the number of students with financial need who want to become involved in community service, Crowfoot says. “I was hopeful when I sent out an e-mail to my colleagues and began making calls.”
In all, 10 contributors made an additional commitment of $25,000, by deadline, for the MCSP Faculty and Staff Community Service Fund that would complement the Milstein Family Fund. The president’s fund matched the second gift as well, to bring the MCSP endowment to $100,000.
