Given our Board Members and volunteers do not accept remuneration for their efforts, 100% of the monies raised by the Foundation support our Foundational benefits (college tuition, books, emergency grants, etc).
The Erin Tierney Kramp Encouragement Foundation ("Foundation") was established in 1997 by members of the Dallas/Fort Worth Private Equity Forum and named in honor of Erin Tierney Kramp, a Dallas private equity professional who passed away in 1998 after a five-year battle with breast cancer.
In February 1999, the Foundation established a permanent scholarship endowment with the Dallas County Community College District ("DCCCD") Foundation. The DCCCD is the largest community college system in Texas with over 100,000 students enrolled annually. Today, the ETK Foundation is one of the largest endowed scholarship programs within the Dallas College system.
The Erin Tierney Kramp (ETK) Encouragement Scholarship provides full tuition scholarships to any of the Dallas College campuses for up to six semesters to individuals who have demonstrated "courage and perseverance in the face of adversity" as well as moral character and leadership qualities. Applicants are required to submit a completed application form, a 500 word essay supporting why they believe they are deserving of the award, letters of recommendation and an academic transcript. After the application package is received, a selection committee reviews the materials and recommends approximately 10 applicants to be personally interviewed by a committee of the Board of the Foundation. The Board then makes the final selections. Since inception, the Foundation has awarded scholarships and encouragement awards to approximately 62 individuals whom have shown incredible courage and perseverance in the face of their adversity. Scholarship recipients also receive mentoring, etiquette training, accesss to emergency grants and continuing education grants, access to psychological counseling (if needed) among other important life skills assistance. If recipients meet the eligibility requirements, after completing their degree at Dallas College, recipients may apply for ETK Upper Level Transfer Scholarships at SMU (two/year) and Austin College (one/year).
Organization name
The Erin Tierney Kramp Encouragement Foundation
Causes
Employment & Workforce Development, Economic/Financial Security/Poverty
Operating Budget
Less than $100,000
Address
ETK Foundation i/c/o Dallas College Foundation Office 1601 S. Lamar Street