Ben Plucknett Charitable Trust Gives More Than $11,000

August 9, 2011

The American Indian College Fund (the Fund) received a gift in April 2011 of more than $11,000 from the Boise, Idaho-based Ben Plucknett Charitable Trust towards the matching grant challenge to support the Johnson Scholarship Foundation Endowed Entrepreneurship Scholarship Program.

Under the program challenge grant, the Johnson Scholarship Foundation will match up to $750,000 over the next three years to establish a scholarship endowment which will provide scholarships to American Indian students pursing business or entrepreneurship degrees at mainstream and tribal colleges and universities (TCUs).

The maximum scholarship amount will be $6,000 per academic year and will be renewable for up to three years. For sophomores, the scholarship will be no greater than $2,500. Because the program is a matching grant program, the first scholarships are estimated to be available at the earliest in fall 2013.

The Ben Plucknett Charitable Trust has been a partner with the American Indian College Fund in providing funding for American Indian scholarships since 2006 and was established by Mr. Plucknett’s mother to honor his lifelong interest in American Indian culture.

Jan DeRoin, Ben Plucknett’s sister, said, “The Trust was established by my mother to honor my brother, Ben, who was very interested in the Indian way of life. She requested that the Trustees of the Trust consider donations to benefit Indian education. The Trustees have been pleased to make gifts to the American Indian College Fund the past few years, and even more pleased to be able to contribute to matching programs like the one established this year, since it provides increased opportunities to students. In this difficult economy, the needs are great and the resources shrinking. We wish these scholars the best of luck with their endeavors!”

The American Indian College Fund supports qualified American Indian scholars by providing financial support to encourage them to remain in college and complete college degrees. “The Ben Plucknett Charitable Trust is providing hope for a better future to American Indians by helping them to achieve an education,” said Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the Fund. “By adding this gift to a challenge grant, they are doubling their impact in Indian Country.”