For more than two decades, Rugby Dollars for Scholars has helped local students take their next step after high school. Since 2002, the chapter has awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to more than 400 students from across the Rugby School District.

Traditionally, the chapter raises funds throughout the year and awards scholarships at the end of the school year. Most awards have been designed to help as many students as possible, often resulting in scholarship amounts around $500 per recipient.

While the program is best known for scholarships to graduating seniors, Rugby Dollars for Scholars also offers some scholarships for students already in college. In addition, the chapter manages “pass-through” scholarships for community members, families, organizations or businesses that provide scholarship dollars each year while having the chapter manage the application, selection and awarding process. During the selection process, board members do not see the names of the applicants to ensure a fair, unbiased awarding procedure.

Now, board members say the community has an opportunity to build something bigger and longer-lasting.

In 2025, Rugby Dollars for Scholars established an endowment fund designed to support scholarships year after year. The endowment currently holds approximately $175,000 from various endowed funds under management, and the organization’s long-term goal is to grow that fund to $3-$5 million — a level that could help the chapter move from modest awards to the ability to help cover a student’s first year of school or training.

“The vision is simple,” board member Jesse Rue said. “We want to grow from giving kids a nice scholarship to something life-changing.

“We also see this as workforce development and community development. When a student can afford training, they’re more likely to build a career, come back, and contribute to the community,” he said.

Chapter leaders emphasized every donation to the endowment is valued, at every dollar level. For some donors, simply contributing to the overall endowment, knowing it will support scholarships long into the future, is exactly the goal of their giving.

At the same time, some donors prefer a more tangible tie to their generosity. For those individuals, families and businesses, the chapter has created a named endowed scholarship option, allowing donors to attach a family name, loved one’s name or business name to a scholarship that will be awarded year after year, creating a lasting legacy and long-term impact. This option is known as a “Forever Scholarship,” to note that it yields benefits for students year after year — forever.

As the endowment grows, donors who establish named scholarships will also have opportunities for recognition and community visibility. The chapter hopes to invite donors to present awards during scholarship ceremonies in front of students and parents — an experience organizers say can be personally meaningful for families and a strong visibility opportunity for businesses.

The organization is a chapter of Scholarships America’s Dollars for Scholars network which supports local scholarship groups with administrative and paperwork resources. Board members emphasized that Rugby’s chapter remains community-led and locally focused and that the endowment is intended to remain a local, community-controlled fund dedicated to supporting Rugby-area students.

Rugby Dollars for Scholars is powered by a local volunteer board of community members who plan the scholarship program, review applications and raise funds. The chapter also recently recognized a major milestone: Paul Schaan, one of the original board members, recently retired after more than 20 years of service. Board members said Schaan’s decades of commitment helped build the foundation of the chapter and sustain it year after year.

Rugby Dollars for Scholars raises funds through community events and volunteer efforts, including concessions and 50/50 raffles at local ballgames. The chapter’s annual fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, April 17, and this year’s event will feature a piano entertainment show that organizers believe will be memorable and will help welcome new supporters into the cause.

Rugby Dollars for Scholars is encouraging community members to consider supporting the endowment in two ways: through gifts made today, which donors can see at work, and through planned giving options such as including the endowment in a will or estate plan.

The organization noted that Rugby has always stepped up for its children and this is a chance to take that spirit and turn it into something permanent.

“Everyone has causes they care about,” a board member said. “But education is one of the best investments you can make, because when you help a young person get trained, you’re strengthening a family, strengthening a workforce and strengthening the future of Rugby.”

The chapter said with an endowment, you’re not just helping one graduating class, you’re helping student after student, year after year. The impact compounds. It becomes a lasting legacy.