JessIe Parks | USC’s Price School of Public Policy | 2025 Brothers of the Desert Scholarship Recipient
As we enter our 85th year of supporting local students, scholarship season is officially underway at IECF! Through a single Common Scholarship Application, students can be considered for more than 30 scholarship funds. Awards support students attending community colleges, four-year universities, and career or technical programs. Many are open to first-generation college students, returning students, and those pursuing nontraditional paths.
Scholarship award amounts vary across funds. In recent scholarship seasons, individual awards have ranged from around $1,000 to more than $5,000, and some scholarships are renewable over multiple years.
“IECF is excited to open the 2026 scholarship season,” said Denisha Shackelford, Senior Scholarship Manager at Inland Empire Community Foundation. “Our donors care deeply about the future of this region, and they invest in that future by supporting students through scholarships. With our Common Application, students can be matched to multiple opportunities. Last year, one student qualified for four scholarships and was selected for three, receiving $6,000 total. So, to students across the Inland Empire, we encourage you to apply!”
The application deadline for the 2026 cycle is April 15 at 5:00 pm PT. View the Common Application and additional scholarship opportunities by clicking the button below.
LEARN MOREA Scholarship Rooted in Legacy
One of the many funds available through IECF is the Dr. Horace Jackson Legacy Scholarship, established to honor a JW North High School principal whose influence shaped generations of students in Riverside. Now entering its fifth year, the scholarship has supported local students pursuing fields ranging from nursing and science to creative publishing and language services.
Dr. Horace Jackson
The fund has already awarded more than $16,000 in scholarships and continues to grow toward its long-term goal of full endowment. Alumni giving, reunion fundraising, matching gifts, and partnerships with local education leaders have all played a role in building the fund and staying connected to students as they move through college.
Take a few minutes to read the fund’s latest newsletter and meet the students whose paths are being shaped by this scholarship. You’ll be inspired by their stories … and by the alumni who have stayed committed to their own success.
How Endowed Scholarships Work
Many IECF scholarships are built with longevity in mind. The Dr. Horace Jackson Legacy Scholarship is growing toward endowment, with the goal of reaching a point where annual investment earnings can fund scholarships each year. When a scholarship becomes endowed, the fund’s balance is invested and managed so it can generate support on an ongoing basis, rather than being spent down in a single year.
Every contribution helps strengthen the fund and brings it closer to that long-term goal, creating a reliable source of scholarship support for students year after year while honoring the values that inspired the fund’s creation.
Our Donors Make Dreams Come True
Behind every scholarship is a donor who chose to invest locally. Some funds honor loved ones, like the Charles “Chuck” Brinker Scholarship Fund and the Robert B. Taylor Foundation Scholarship. Others reflect personal experiences and values, like the Brothers of the Desert Scholarship Fund. Together, these funds and their donors form a network of support for students across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Robert B. Taylor on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage
If you’re interested in establishing a scholarship or charitable fund of your own, IECF can help you shape it to reflect your values and the community you want to support. Our Charitable Giving Team is here to help. Contact us at giving@iegives.org.
Ready to Apply?
IECF’s Common Scholarship Application simplifies the process for students. Applicants complete one online form and are automatically considered for every scholarship they qualify for. This saves time and increases the chances of receiving multiple awards.
Students can get started by visiting the Students section at iegives.org and selecting the Common Scholarship Application. High school counselors and college advising offices can also help answer questions about the process. On the same page, be sure to check out several additional scholarships not listed in the Common Application Portal.
Scholarship season only comes once a year. For students across the Inland Empire, this is your window of opportunity!
Learn more about the good work we’re doing at IECF through the power of philanthropy. Subscribe to our free monthly eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters.