The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation announces the expansion of the geographic area for the Small Business Education Scholarship. The scholarship, which was established to assist business entrepreneurs to get the skills they need to grow and prosper their new or expanding business – is now available to all business people within the geographic service area of the Community Foundation.

The fund was initially set-up in 1987 to benefit business people within the cities of Duluth and Superior. Since then, the fund has seen considerable growth, thus allowing an expansion in the geographic range of the program to include all of Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake and St. Louis counties in Minnesota and Bayfield and Douglas counties in Wisconsin.

Small Business Education Scholarship Committee chair Bob Mars Jr. says of the change, “we’ve always known that there are budding entrepreneurs outside the cities’ borders and now, thanks to the growth of the fund over many years, we are able to offer them assistance to make their business goals a reality.”

The Small Business Education Scholarship provides ‘tuition assistance to strengthen the management skills of those in small business.’ Eligible candidates are small business entrepreneurs, family members and key employees of businesses who have been in business for six months and who may potentially employ at least three full-time-equivalent employees. Financial need is not a factor in the selection and awards can cover up to 80% of the tuition costs up to a maximum of $1000.

Previous recipients have used their scholarships to enroll in classes at local schools and business development centers such as the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund, UWS’s Small Business Development Center, UMD’s Center for Economic Development, Lake Superior College or WITC. Typical classes have included, for example “How to Start a Business, “Recordkeeping for Small Business” or “Covey’s Seven Habits for Small Business Managers”, but the selection committee urged people to explore and apply for assistance for a wide range of business related classes.

Applications for the Small Business Education Scholarship can be found in the grants and scholarships portion of the website of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation website: www.dsacommunityfoundation.com. Applications must be submitted at least one month before the first day of the class.

Questions regarding this scholarship can be directed to David Hammer, Chief Administrative and Scholarship Officer at the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. He can be contacted at dhammer@dsacommunityfoundation.com or by phone at 218.726.0232.

The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation encourages private giving for the public good. The Community Foundation is a permanent community endowment, built by gifts from hundreds of individuals and organizations. Guided by a 13-member Board of volunteer civic leaders, the Community Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations and to individuals for scholarships and provides leadership on important community initiatives in our area. Since our inception in 1983, we have distributed over $32 million and currently hold over 280 different funds, each with its own charitable purpose. Visit us online at www.dsacommunityfoundation.com.

Regional affiliates of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation include the Two Harbors Area Fund (created in 1998), the Apostle Islands Area Community Fund (created in 2000), the Cook County Community Fund (created in 2003), the Hermantown Community Fund (created in 2005) and the Eveleth Area Community Foundation (created in 2008).

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