Academy Foundation Blog

Past Foundation Chair, Becky Dorner, Establishes a Groundbreaking Scholarship Fund with the Academy Foundation

By Foundation Admin posted 06-27-2022 12:31 PM

  

To honor her time as the Academy Foundation’s Past Chair (2021-2022), Becky Dorner, RDN, LD, FAND, has made a significant gift to the Foundation’s Make It a Million Scholarship Campaign that establishes a first of its kind Scholarship Fund with our Foundation.

Becky worked with Foundation staff to create the Dorner Family Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Scholarship Fund that gives preference to scholarship applicants that disclose one or more of the following; being of Asian, Native Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander racial descent; identifying their sexual orientation as homosexual, bisexual, asexual, or another sexuality other than heterosexual; or having a long-term physical or sensory impairment. This is the first Foundation scholarship whose criteria provides a preference for diversity in sexual orientation.

“During my tenure on the board, I developed a great appreciation for the impact our Foundation has on thousands of Academy members and students each year. My goal was to create a scholarship that will highlight a diverse group of people, reflecting on the diversity of our members and future members, while honoring the unique diversity of my loving family.”

Becky Dorner, RDN, LD, FAND

The Dorner Family Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Scholarship will be awarded for the first time to an Academy member student this Fall, with the amount to be determined based on the fund balance and market conditions.

Our Academy Foundation was established in 1966 with a single donation to provide a scholarship for a deserving student. Now, more than 50 years later, Foundation donors, including many Academy members, have helped the Foundation become the world’s largest provider of nutrition and dietetic scholarships for students at all levels of study.

Despite this impressive growth, the demand for scholarships continues to outnumber the scholarships we can award almost three to one. To keep pace with this growing demand, the Foundation has launched a new three-year campaign called the Make it a Million Scholarship Campaign. Our goal is to raise $1 million to build our financial reserves and allow the Foundation to award $1 million in scholarships annually starting in 2025.

Academy members can support this Campaign by making a gift online and contributing directly to the Foundation’s Make it a Million Scholarship Campaign Fund or to our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Fund which supports scholarships for students and dietetic interns of diverse backgrounds and cultures. A donation to either Fund will count toward our goal to award $1 million in scholarships annually. Once you have donated, visit our Make It a Million homepage and download social media graphics and messages to share and encourage other Academy members to give generously.

Our Foundation works with Academy members and organizations to develop funds that align with donor interests and the Foundation’s strategic priorities, helping them leave a legacy in their own unique way. If you are interested in learning more about establishing a Scholarship Fund with our Foundation, please contact us at foundation@eatright.org.


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