Press Release from Marshall Scholarship Foundation 08/01/2022

Marshall Scholarship Foundation has had many successes since its founding in 2004. For nine of the eighteen years Marshall Scholarship Foundation has awarded scholarships to Marshall High School graduates, we have been able to increase the dollar amount of scholarship funds provided from our funds by $1,000 per year. For example, Marshall Scholarship Foundation was able to award $20,000 of their own scholarship funds to 2020 graduates, then $21,000 to 2021, and $22,000 to 2022 graduates.

In addition to increasing the dollar amount awarded, Marshall Scholarship Foundation had another goal to award at least one scholarship to each and every graduate who completed their scholarship application. We are proud to have awarded at least one scholarship to every Marshall High School graduate who completed the scholarship application for several years and hope to continue that trend.

We have come a long way since awarding the first three scholarships to 2005 graduates. In the eighteen years since then Marshall Scholarship awarded scholarships to over 300 graduates of Marshall High School for a total dollar amount of almost $211,000. Additionally, Marshall Scholarship Foundation selected recipients to receive named scholarships from funds we have received from various donors totaling another almost $112,000.

On top of that, Marshall Scholarship Foundation was named Trustee of the Mary W. Stremmer Education Trust Fund Scholarship in 2009. Since 2010, another almost $178,000 Stremmer scholarships were awarded to Marshall High School graduates. The cumulative grand total scholarships add up to over $500,000.

Some of the more recent successes were the result of decisions made many years ago. In addition to scholarship funds donated to Marshall Scholarship Foundation, over the years the Marshall School District accepted scholarship funds from many families and organizations. At the request of the donors and in cooperation with the Marshall School District, in 2017 many of those scholarships were transferred to Marshall Scholarship Foundation. Rather than continue to invest the funds in savings accounts or certificates of deposit, Marshall Scholarship Foundation was able to invest the funds and diversify into investments with higher growth potential.

Marshall Scholarship Foundation's Investment Committee and Board of Directors has used a longer time horizon and more disciplined process than a typically donor. Generally, keeping funds invested in the market can help generate higher returns. However, during times when the market goes down, it can sometimes be prudent to already have some funds out of the market and available for use.

For example, in the three years from 2017 through 2019, the market and mutual funds provided high returns. During that time, Marshall Scholarship Foundation made the decision to withdraw small amounts from mutual funds invested in the market to set aside funds for various scholarships through 2025 or beyond. That helped ensure funds would be available to Marshall High School graduates each of those years. Providing funds to Marshall High School graduates is the mission of Marshall Scholarship Foundation.

The approach used was similar to the approach that some people use during the years after retirement and before they are required to take required minimum distributions from their retirement funds. Some people withdraw some funds from mutual funds invested in the market during times that the market is up to accumulate funds out of the market to be used for living expenses over the next two or three years. That way, if mutual funds invested in the market take a down turn or correction, it gives the person flexibility to avoid withdrawing funds from a mutual fund in the market until returns have increased again.

Scholarships awarded and investment strategy are only two pieces that contributed to the success of Marshall Scholarship Foundation. More people have decided to fund scholarships either in remembrance of family members or to be able to award scholarships themselves during their lifetime. Additionally, many people have made donations to Marshall Scholarship Foundation, supported our recent online auctions, and numerous families have requested that people donate to Marshall Scholarship Foundation in lieu of flowers in the obituary of deceased family members.

Marshall High School graduates continue to benefit from the community's support of Marshall Scholarship Foundation and the mission to provide scholarship funds to graduates. People interested in discussing options for setting up a scholarship, donating to or volunteering with Marshall Scholarship Foundation are encouraged to contact any board member or Bonnie Ernst, President at 608-655-4628 or PresidentMarshallSF@gmail.com.