Kids’ Chance of California Announces Scholarship Awards for the 2024/2025 Academic Year

AUGUST 27, 2024

Soquel, CA – Kids’ Chance of California (KCOCA), a non-profit educational scholarship provider to the children of California workers who have been fatally or seriously injured on the job, announces that it has awarded $225,115.05 for the 2024/2025 Academic Year. This amount represents 35% of the current financial need for students seeking KCOCA scholarships, with an $8,000 cap for undergraduate students and a $5,000 cap for graduate-level students. 

The Board of Directors at KCOCA has worked tirelessly to meet student needs through some of the most challenging shifting changes to our economy over the last several years. We are happy to announce that for the 2024/2025 academic year, KCOCA has awarded 42 college scholarships to recipients totaling just over $225,115, comprising 41 undergraduate and one graduate student. This represents an increase from 37 students last year.

Under Kristen Chavez’s leadership as President, KCOCA continues to grow. “We are excited to award 35% of the financial need for our students. However, to showcase the tremendous need in our state, our target goal, the “ask,” was $927,910. While we are so grateful and appreciate all our current corporate sponsors and donors giving, we need more support to make it possible to meet all students’ financial needs,” Kristen Chavez said.  

Chavez continued, “Our Board of Directors has done an outstanding job filling the pipeline with eligible students, so the financial need far outweighs the dollars raised. College tuition continues to increase, yet KCOCA cannot raise its prices to our sponsors. We simply need to find more sponsors.”

The board works hard to engage with donors and sponsors in many new and innovative ways to raise funds to keep the organization on track to meet its awarding goal for 2025. This includes seeking “Charity of Choice” assignments for sponsored golf tournaments, walk/run wellness events, and industry conferences. Avenues for fundraising include a TopGolf event, an annual restaurant day, holiday popcorn and brownie sales, and trivia night, with a portion of proceeds from these events going to KCOCA.

Over the past year, KCOCA facilitated outreach to over 6,000 high school counselors throughout California to bring awareness of this scholarship opportunity to children of injured workers. This resulted in 18 new students being awarded scholarships for the 2024/2025 academic year. We are pleased to report that 24 awardees this year are re-applicants from last year, continuing their education with the help and assistance of KCOCA.

Chavez notes that the loyalty of KCOCA’s corporate giving partners and the individual industry professionals volunteering their time and resources to raise funds keeps KCOCA on track toward its annual giving goals. Chavez and the KCOCA Board of Directors issue this call to action: we ask all workers’ compensation professionals to get involved in KCOCA’s fundraising and student outreach efforts over the next year. If you, or someone you know, is interested in applying for a Kids’ Chance of California scholarship, visit www.kidschanceca.org or contact us at info@kidschanceca.org. Scholarship opportunities are available to new and existing students each year.

Please donate today to Kids’ Chance of California by visiting www.kidschanceca.org/donate.Source: KCOCA
Media Contact:
Amy Hanson, Immediate Past President and Public Relations Chair
ahanson@keenan.com

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