Scholarship programs can be one of the more rewarding and direct grantmaking approaches foundations take. What better combination than that of youth and education? But how do you know if your scholarship program is successful and what does success mean?Are the programs supporting the mission and goals of the foundation? Should a foundation expect more from a program rather than simply a student's acceptance of the scholarship and completion of the program? How do they justify the higher overhead costs and resources needed to run scholarship programs? When communicating the current and potential outcomes of scholarship programs, many foundations struggle, and thus miss great opportunities to show how their work in the scholarship arena enriches the foundation's mission.

Join us for a conversation with leaders of two different scholarship programs – Megan Mazzocchi, Associate Director of the Morehead-Cain Foundation, and Allen Chan, Director of the Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Foundation. They will discuss how they have implemented strategies to evaluate scholarship programs and how this approach directly supports their foundation's mission. There will also be time for funders to discuss other challenges and opportunities they have experienced in the world of foundation scholarship programs.

This event is free for members of the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers, and available at a cost of $25 for nonmembers.

Speaker Bios

Megan Mazzocchi

In more than 25 years with the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Megan Mazzocchi has been involved in just about every aspect of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Program. From producing publications using the earliest desktop publishing software to overseeing multimedia projects on the web, Megan has done it all, helping guide more than 1,500 Morehead-Cain Scholars along the way. Having overseen all facets of the program from the selection process through alumni relations, she is now happy to manage the Foundation's operations, staff development, and quality assurance. With both of her daughters currently enrolled at Carolina and her husband an editor with UNC Press, Megan is truly enjoying the ultimate life in Blue Heaven.

Allen Chan

Allen M. Chan serves as the Executive Director of the Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Program Foundation. In this role, Allen supports the program staff and helps define and develop the programmatic elements. He previously served as a consultant for the Robertson Foundation and the Robertson Scholars Program, leading the recruiting and selection effort, as well as directing the program's direction. Prior to the Robertson Foundation, Allen was the Founder/President/CEO of Resource Mosaic, a minority-owned firm that provides staff augmentation, direct hire services, and consulting services focused on finance and accounting professionals.

Allen earned a Bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. Allen's community service includes the National Advisory Board of the Salvation Army and the Boards of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, Families First, and Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta.