Named Scholarship Funds » Named Scholarship Funds

Named Scholarship Funds

Bishop Feehan owes a great debt of gratitude to the thousands of donors over the years who have made scholarship giving a philanthropic priority of their families or their estates. Thousands of talented students are now Feehan graduates - serving the world with the values- and faith-based education they received at Feehan - only because of the generous support of Feehan’s alumni, parents and friends.
 
Feehan’s Advancement staff is willing to discuss options and arrange an appropriate gift format for all donors year-round.
 
If donors or friends have any questions or would like assistance in making a financial aid gift or setting up a scholarship fund of any kind, please contact Michael Dibbert, Director of Strategic Initiatives, at [email protected], at any time.

Financial Aid & Scholarship Giving at Bishop Feehan takes three forms:

1. The Mercy Fund (part of Feehan’s Shamrock Fund)

Annual giving at Bishop Feehan can be specifically directed to our Mercy Fund, which is dedicated to providing financial aid and financial support (books, technology and the like) to students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to take advantage of a Feehan education. Mercy Fund support is our largest source of annual financial aid.
 
Mercy Fund (Shamrock Fund) donations can be made directly online here.
 

2. Named Annual Scholarships

Annual scholarships are awards funded annually by donors and connected directly to an individual student of need. The amount of the financial aid award is equal to the amount contributed by the donor. These named scholarships continue as long as the donor maintains the contribution level required.
 
The minimum donation/pledge for a named annual scholarship is roughly 25% of one-year’s tuition at Bishop Feehan for a minimum of 4 years. Currently, that minimum is $2,500/year.
 

3. Named Endowed Scholarships

Endowed scholarships allow donors to create an impact in perpetuity, as earnings from the endowment will be used each year to support a scholarship or scholarships at Bishop Feehan. The advancement and finance offices will administer the awarding and reporting of scholarships.
 
The minimum donation necessary to establish an Endowed Scholarship is $50,000, which (at roughly a 4% estimated return) will yield $2,000 in named financial aid each year into the future. Donors can reach the $50,000 commitment level with a pledge over a four-year period of time. Annual financial aid awards may vary based on investment performance.
 
Donors often continue to add to Endowed Scholarships over time (even after a fund has reached the minimum level) to increase award levels in line with tuition/inflation increases.
 
 
Feehan is also immensely grateful for the many organizations that support our graduating students as they leave Feehan and head to college and beyond. These “Exit Scholarships” (awarded to students as they exit BFHS) are highly valued, but they are not managed by Bishop Feehan.
 
Exit Scholarships are typically managed wholly by outside organizations (examples: the Balfour Foundation or Attleboro Elks Club). Bishop Feehan’s guidance department is happy to help communicate these opportunities to Feehan students, and Feehan students who earn these awards are often honored at the BFHS Senior Awards Night (sometimes with the awarding organization participating). Feehan does not collect or manage funds for exit scholarships.
Bishop Feehan is often the grateful recipient of memorial gifts and “in lieu of flowers” donations at times of loved ones’ passings. 

Often at times of grieving, families choose Bishop Feehan High School as the recipient of  “in lieu of flowers” donations with the intentions of honoring a loved one, setting up a  scholarship, or making a purchase for the school in a loved one’s name. 

Bishop Feehan is both honored and grateful to be considered worthy of support at these  times. Our goal -- especially at the time of mourning -- is to be as helpful as possible to  families, while allowing those families not to worry about details that can be discussed  and handled later. 

For families interested in this type of giving, we recommend a three-step process that  has worked best for families that have come before: 

  1. Please let our Advancement Office know of your intentions to include Bishop Feehan in your memorial plans. We can provide memorial cards and  return envelopes for your services, and we will be sure to capture and report all gifts for acknowledgment and appreciation.  
  2. We recommend the following general language (or similar) for obituaries, funeral programs, and services or the like:  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in (the deceased’s) honor  to: 

Bishop Feehan High School 

(Deceased’s Name) Memorial 

70 Holcott Drive 

Attleboro, MA 02703 

Leaving the language deliberately general allows the most flexibility for  the family to consider favored options for memorials at a later time.  

  1. At a later date, family members will meet with Bishop Feehan staff to discern the best options for using the donated money to help the school or Bishop Feehan students (present or future) in the deceased's name. 

Most importantly, it is our most sincere hope that Bishop Feehan can be a source of  support and prayer at these difficult times. If you have questions about memorial giving to Bishop Feehan, please contact Michael Dibbert, Director of Strategic Initiatives at 508.226.7411, ext. 158 or [email protected].