MELROSE HIGH SCHOOL PERMANENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND ORGANIZATION

What MELROSE HIGH SCHOOL PERMANENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND ORGANIZATION does

The Melrose High School Permanent Scholarship Fund Organization is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID: 04-6116247) founded in 1960 by the Melrose High School PTO, with first scholarships awarded in June 1961 from an initial $200 contribution. Headquartered in Melrose, Massachusetts, the Fund's stated mission is to provide meaningful financial assistance to graduating seniors of Melrose High School for post-secondary education at universities, colleges, trade schools, and vocational institutions, awarding scholarships to students of all academic abilities and financial means who demonstrate desire to succeed. Awards are paid directly to educational institutions, never to students, and are valid for five years from issue. The Fund administers over 100 named scholarship funds across diverse categories including academic achievement, sports, career, personal traits, arts, METCO, and hardship-based criteria.

The organization's underlying infrastructure is a traditional community nonprofit operating model: a 7-person staff supported by a 15-member Board of Directors under Executive Director Ann Guanci. The technology stack is minimal — a WordPress-based website (mhsfund.org), online one-time and recurring donation processing, and a Scholarship Portal for award redemption. Fundraising channels include social media (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters, community events (Sips for Scholarships wine tasting, Melrose Luminary Event, Victorian Fair booth), direct mail campaigns, and planned giving services. The Fund is not directly affiliated with MHS administration, working independently while partnering with the school's Selection Committee on award determinations.

Financially, the Fund has grown an initial $200 in 1961 into a multi-million dollar endowment portfolio through community donations, mail-a-thons, phone-a-thons, toll booths, and memorial contributions. Donors can establish scholarships via three structures: One-Time Awards (funded before disbursement, no investment), Defined Annual Funds (2-3 year dispersion), or Permanently Endowed Named Funds ($10,000 minimum, invested within the portfolio for perpetual awards). In 2025, the Fund awarded its largest annual total in over six decades — more than $547,000 to 228 graduating seniors — with cumulative three-year disbursements exceeding $1.5M to nearly 650 students.

Name

MELROSE HIGH SCHOOL PERMANENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND ORGANIZATION

Legal name

Melrose High School Permanent Scholarship Fund Organization

Website

https://mhsfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Melrose High School Permanent Scholarship Fund Organization is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Melrose, Massachusetts that awards scholarships to graduating seniors of Melrose High School for post-secondary education, administering 100+ named funds through community donations and a multi-million dollar endowment portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Scholarship Administration

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

SECONDARYFSAKAEAM

Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent)

Financial & Insurance/Lending & Consumer Finance/Student Loans & Education Finance

SECONDARYBPAGADAE

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAKAK

Education Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Community scholarship fund
• Nonprofit scholarship administration
• Donation processing
• Planned giving services
• Endowed scholarship funds

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The organization administers and awards named scholarships to graduating seniors of Melrose High School to fund post-secondary education at universities, colleges, trade, and vocational schools. It raises funds primarily from Melrose citizens and businesses through one-time and recurring donations, planned giving, fund establishment (minimum $10,000 permanent endowments), and fundraising events. Scholarship checks are paid directly to the educational institution on behalf of recipients.

Product overview

The Melrose High School Permanent Scholarship Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering scholarship programs, donation processing, and fundraising events. The core offerings include named scholarship funds awarded to graduating seniors, one-time and monthly donation processing, a scholarship redemption portal, planned giving services, and fund establishment programs. Major annual events include Sips for Scholarships (wine/beer tasting) and the Melrose Luminary Event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholarship Programs Over 100 named scholarship funds awarded annually to graduating seniors of Melrose High School, covering diverse criteria categories including academic achievement, personal traits, sports, career-based, arts, METCO, and need-based/hardship scholarships for post-secondary education at universities, colleges, trade, and vocational schools.
• One-Time Donation Processing Online donation portal allowing donors to make single one-time tax-deductible contributions to the Melrose High School Permanent Scholarship Fund; donations may be eligible for employer matching-gift programs.
• Monthly Donation Processing Recurring monthly donation subscription service with auto-debit until cancellation, allowing donors to provide sustained contributions to the scholarship fund.
• Scholarship Portal Online portal for scholarship recipients to redeem awards by submitting enrollment verification and scholarship details; scholarship award checks are paid directly to the educational institution.
• Planned Giving Charitable gift planning services including bequests, beneficiary designations, and estate planning guidance for donors seeking to support scholarships through planned gifts.
• Establish a Fund Program allowing donors to create named scholarship funds with three options: One-Time Award (funded before award is made), Defined Annual Fund (2-3 year disbursement period), or Permanently Endowed Named Fund (minimum $10,000, with earnings supporting annual awards in perpetuity); minimum award amount is $500.
• Sips for Scholarships Annual wine, craft beer, and spirits tasting fundraiser event supporting scholarship funding for Melrose High School graduating seniors.
• Melrose Luminary Event Community celebration event honoring MHS graduating seniors with luminary kits and proceeds benefiting the scholarship fund.

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded more than $547,000 in scholarships in 2025, benefiting 228 graduating seniors
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Scholarship America: National nonprofit that administers and designs scholarship programs for employers, communities, and foundations. Comparable in mission (administering community-funded scholarships to students) but at massively greater scale.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Private foundation that provides multi-year scholarships to high-achieving, low-income students. Comparable in the endowment-funded, multi-year award structure and direct-to-school disbursement model.
• National Merit Scholarship Corporation: Operates a large-scale, nationally recognized scholarship program for high-achieving high school students. Overlap is in the merit-based scholarship funding mechanism and direct-to-school disbursement model that MHS Fund also uses.
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: National organization providing scholarships to Hispanic students pursuing higher education. Comparable in multi-channel fundraising (events, corporate, individual), multi-fund structure, and direct-to-institution disbursement.
• Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation: Corporate-sponsored scholarship program for high school seniors, funded by an endowment. Comparable structure: foundation-funded annual scholarships awarded to high school graduates based on criteria beyond academics.
• United Negro College Fund: National scholarship and grantmaking organization supporting students pursuing higher education. Comparable in administering multiple distinct scholarship funds under a single 501(c)(3) umbrella for diverse student populations.
• Horatio Alger Association: National nonprofit providing college scholarships to students who have overcome adversity. Comparable in mission-driven, need-and-character-based scholarship awards to high school seniors from established endowments.

Direct peers

• Dell Scholars Program: Michael & Susan Dell Foundation scholarship program targeting low-income, highly motivated high school students. Comparable in combining need-based criteria with perseverance/character and direct-to-school disbursement.

Regional players

• Winchester High School Scholarship Fund: MHS Fund's founders explicitly modeled themselves on this neighboring Massachusetts scholarship program during the 1961-1963 IRS exemption process. Same structure: independent 501(c)(3) administering scholarships to a single high school's graduates with a community-funded endowment.
• Melrose Community Fund (assuming existence): Other community grantmaking organizations in Melrose, MA that compete for the same donor base. Peer-type relevance is geographic; specific entity identification is uncertain, so this is a placeholder geographic competitor in the local nonprofit ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mhsfund
• Instagraminstagram.com/mhsfund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/melrose-high-school-permanent-scholarship-fund-organization

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about MELROSE HIGH SCHOOL PERMANENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND ORGANIZATION