What Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation does

The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (MCSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1962 by Brigadier General Martin F. Rockmore USMC (Ret) at the first Leatherneck Ball, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. It is the nation's oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to military children, having awarded over 55,000 scholarships valued at more than $260 million since inception. The foundation serves children of Active Duty Marines, Veteran Marines, Marines killed in action (Children of the Fallen), wounded Marines (Children of the Wounded), and Navy Corpsmen, Chaplains, and Religious Program Specialists attached to Marine units. Scholarship recipients are distributed across all 50 states and 27 overseas territories.

MCSF's product portfolio includes two core scholarship programs and two specialized Heroes Tribute programs. The Undergraduate & Associate Degree Scholarship ($2,500-$10,000 per year) operates on an annual application window from January 1 to March 1. The Career & Technical Education (CTE) Scholarship offers year-round processing for non-degree certificate and vocational training programs. The Heroes Tribute Scholarship for Children of the Fallen guarantees $30,000 over four years, while the Heroes Tribute for Children of the Wounded provides up to $40,000 over four years. Underlying technology consists of standard web infrastructure including the MyMCSF online application portal (mcsf.scholarshipapps.org) and donor management systems; no proprietary technology platform is disclosed.

The foundation operates a diversified donation-based revenue model across seven streams: individual donations, corporate partnerships, event fundraising, planned giving, donor-advised funds, stock donations, and cryptocurrency donations. Corporate Champions include American Airlines, Toyota, FedEx, Lockheed Martin, Google, PNC, and AAR Corp. Fundraising events include golf tournaments (Patriots at Pebble, Toyota Commandant's Cup, Wickenburg Ranch), galas (Philadelphia Gala, Chicago Dinner), and memorial shoots held across multiple US cities. Notable outcome metrics include a 95% award rate for eligible applicants, 92% graduation rate among recipients (vs. 54% nationally), and 92% graduating with little to no debt (vs. 32% nationally). Accreditation includes BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator 4/4 stars, and Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Name

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation

Legal name

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation

Website

https://mcsf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1962, providing need-based undergraduate and CTE scholarships to children of Marines and attached Navy personnel, having awarded over 55,000 scholarships valued at more than $260 million nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Military Family Educational Scholarship Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Need-Based Grants & Bursaries (EDAIAOAB), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Military family scholarships
• Need-based scholarships
• Veteran family education
• Scholarship foundation
• Heroes Tribute scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting military families. Donors can make one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, or contribute to specific funds like the Fidelis Fund.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporate champions including American Airlines, Toyota, FedEx, and numerous other companies through sponsorships, matching gift programs, and direct contributions.
3. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from fundraising events including golf tournaments, galas, awards dinners, memorial shoots, and other gatherings across the country.
4. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts including bequests, charitable annuities, beneficiary designations of retirement accounts or life insurance policies.
5. Donor Advised Funds: Contributions received through donor-advised funds from financial institutions and community foundations.
6. Stock Donations: Donations of appreciated securities providing tax benefits to donors while supporting the foundation's mission.
7. Cryptocurrency Donations: Acceptance of cryptocurrency donations including Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation awards need-based scholarships to children of U.S. Marines and attached Navy Corpsmen, Chaplains, and Religious Program Specialists to cover tuition, fees, room and board, and books for undergraduate, associate degree, and career and technical education programs. Its flagship programs include the Undergraduate & Associate Degree Scholarship ($2,500–$10,000 per year), the year-round Career & Technical Education Scholarship, and the Heroes Tribute Scholarship Programs providing guaranteed awards of up to $30,000 over four years for Children of the Fallen and up to $40,000 over four years for Children of the Wounded.

Product overview

The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation operates a single unified scholarship platform with multiple distinct programs. The core offerings include the Undergraduate & Associate Degree Scholarship (annual application window January 1 - March 1) and the Career & Technical Education (CTE) Scholarship (year-round processing). Specialized programs include the Heroes Tribute Scholarship for Children of the Wounded (up to $40,000 over four years) and Heroes Tribute Scholarship for Children of the Fallen ($30,000 guaranteed over four years). Supporting giving programs include the Fidelis Fund (unrestricted giving at $1,000+), Planned Giving, Donor Advised Funds, and Corporate Matching Gifts. The Foundation also organizes fundraising events including golf tournaments and galas nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fidelis Fund: Unrestricted giving program where gifts of $1,000 or more help ensure no Marine family is left behind. Provides essential resources to sustain MCSF's scholarship program.
• Heroes Tribute Scholarship Program for Children of the Fallen
• Heroes Tribute Scholarship Program for Children of the Wounded
• MyMCSF
• Career & Technical Education (CTE) Scholarship
• Undergraduate & Associate Degree Scholarship

Products and services

• Undergraduate & Associate Degree Scholarship Need-based scholarship for undergraduate students pursuing Associate or Bachelor's degrees; applications accepted January 1 through March 1 annually, with award amounts ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 per academic year based on financial need, GPA, and available funding. Eligible to children of active duty, reserve, and veteran Marines as well as attached Navy Corpsmen, Chaplains, and Religious Program Specialists.
• Career & Technical Education (CTE) Scholarship Need-based scholarship for students planning to attend non-degree certificate programs or vocational training at eligible institutions; applications accepted year-round and processed monthly, with awards from $2,500 to $10,000 per academic year, renewable for up to four paid awards.
• Heroes Tribute Scholarship Program for Children of the Wounded Guaranteed scholarship support of up to $40,000 over four years ($2,500–$10,000 per year) for eligible children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen wounded in action, permanently retired due to service-related injury, or currently serving with a Wounded Warrior Regiment/Battalion.
• Heroes Tribute Scholarship Program for Children of the Fallen Guaranteed scholarships of $30,000 over four years ($7,500 per year) for eligible children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, in combat operations or DoD operations, in training exercises, in domestic terrorist incidents on or after September 11, 2001, or who died by suicide as a result of combat-related PTSD. Income eligibility is waived for this program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of eligible applicants are awarded scholarship support
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brown Hudner Navy Scholarship FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership with the Brown Hudner Navy Scholarship Foundation to provide scholarships to children of Navy Sailors. Proceeds from the film Devotion support both organizations.
• American AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion supporter of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, providing support for families of those who have served the nation.
• ToyotaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion supporter of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
• FedExminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion supporter of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
• AAR CorpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion listed as supporter of MCSF.
• Lockheed MartinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion supporter of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
• PNCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion supporter of MCSF.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion supporter of MCSF.
• Baltimore RavensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-year partnership with the Baltimore Ravens NFL team, including Nick Moore's My Cause My Cleats initiative supporting MCSF.
• Van Tuyl CompaniesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost partner for the Wickenburg Ranch Golf Tournament and Cowboy Cookout events.
• ToyotaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of the Toyota Commandant's Cup Golf Tournament at Pebble Beach Patriots at Pebble event.
• Boulos Asset ManagementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of the Corpsmen Classic during the Patriots at Pebble event.
• 1/5 Vietnam Veterans AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host partner for the Sergeants Davis & Dougherty USMC Memorial Shoot, supporting scholarship needs of children of U.S. Marines and Sailors.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• USO (United Service Organizations): The largest military-support nonprofit in the U.S., providing programming, transition support, and family services. Competes for corporate-champion partnerships and individual donations within the same patriotic-donor segment.
• National Military Family Association: Established advocacy and service organization for military families that runs scholarship and spouse-career programs. Operates across all service branches with a broader advocacy mission but competes with MCSF for educational-support funding and donor mindshare.
• Fisher House Foundation: Large, established military-family charity that operates a broad portfolio of housing, hospitality, and scholarship programs. Competes with MCSF for patriotic donor dollars and corporate sponsorship, and has significantly larger scale and brand recognition.
• Tunnels to Towers Foundation: Large military and first-responder charity providing mortgage-free homes, scholarships, and disaster relief. Operates a scholarship program that overlaps with MCSF's Heroes Tribute concept while also competing for patriotic donor dollars.

Direct peers

• Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation: Direct peer that provides college scholarships and educational support specifically to children of military service members killed in the line of duty. Closely comparable to MCSF's Heroes Tribute program for Children of the Fallen and competes for the same donor demographic of patriotic givers.
• Coast Guard Mutual Assistance: Direct peer that provides financial aid, including educational grants, to Coast Guard personnel and their families. Operates a similar need-based aid and scholarship model across a smaller service branch community.
• Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS): Direct peer that provides financial assistance and interest-free loans, including education aid, to active-duty and retired Sailors, Marines, and their families. Overlaps with MCSF on scholarship delivery and shares the Navy-Marine Corps beneficiary base.
• Army Emergency Relief (AER): Direct peer that provides emergency financial assistance, scholarships, and grants to Army soldiers, veterans, and their families. Operates the same need-based model applied to the Army community, making it a natural peer across military-family scholarship delivery.
• Air & Space Forces Aid Society: Direct peer that provides emergency financial assistance, education support, and community programs to Air Force and Space Force families. Closely parallels MCSF's scholarship mission within a different service branch beneficiary pool.

Emerging players

• Travis Manion Foundation: Veteran-service organization that provides scholarships to spouses and children of fallen and wounded service members. Targets a similar memorial-scholarship niche to MCSF's Heroes Tribute programs but operates with narrower scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/marinescholars
• Facebookfacebook.com/marinescholars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marine-corps-scholarship-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation