Southeast Community Foundation

h school through scholarships, grants, direct services, creation and dissemination of knowledge and opportunities, including; internships, apprenticeships, co-op education, job shadowing, and other entry-level career experiences. By offering scholarships, in-depth academic counseling and other direct services, the Foundation seeks to help low-income students develop their talents and excel educationally beyond a high school education. In addition to providing students both counseling and financial support, the Foundation provides significant grants for noteworthy initiatives and programs, which support skilled development for low-income students. Scholars are selected from a pool using multiple factors, including academic achievement, financial need, determination and commitment. ABOUT THE SOUTHEAST LOS ANGELES REGION

Far too often, students like those we serve in the greater southeast Los Angeles region have been barred from America’s elite colleges and universities – not because they lack the academic ability, but because their families lack the money to give them the many advantages that other students enjoy. This shouldn’t be the way things work in a nation dedicated to being the “Land of Opportunity.”

A Scholar receives not just the chance to go to an outstanding college or university, but educational benefits such as academic counseling, enrichment classes, empowerment workshops, and the ability to take internships instead of working in low-level jobs just to make ends meet. In the stiff competition for college admissions today, students of modest means struggle because they are not given challenging coursework in many public schools, because the college counseling they receive in high school is almost always inadequate, and because the college admissions process itself is stacked against them. They are not told, for example, that for applicants who are both very smart and lack financial resources, an elite college is often dramatically less expensive than their local state university or community college. The young people in this region face numerous obstacles as they work to assimilate and create a life in our society. Such a life requires a skill set, to which these children receive little or no exposure. School supplies, such as books, backpacks, computers are seldom accessible; even at their school. Maybe more important is the lack of support personnel in this region in the school system for counseling, especially college and vocational. This limitation leaves students in this region excluded from many of our country’s colleges and universities; not necessarily due to academic capability, more often due to one or more of the following factors:

• Poor or no preparation for SAT and ACT.
• Low academic ranking of high schools.
• Lack of social exposure contributing to poor application essays.
• Poor or no counseling resulting in limited access to funding.
• Classes taken are generally not comparable to those of other higher ranked schools.
• Lack of family finances and social support to obtain a higher education. The Southeast Community Foundation will challenge the obstacles facing the young people in this region. These young people will be offered proven programs to improve the skills they need to take the paths they choose to assimilate and prepare to enter today’s work force, enter colleges and universities becoming productive members of our society. SCF is dedicated to seeing that college admissions are based on talent, hard work and true merit rather than wealth, station and privilege. Thanks to our Founder’s vision and generosity, many more will benefit far into the future. WHO WE SERVE (STATISTICS)

Southeast Los Angeles is a region of Los Angeles County containing 26 neighborhoods. Population

• 1,190,425 population in 2000, according to the U.S. Census
• 134.99 square miles, divided into 26 neighborhoods
• 8,819 people per square mile. Ethnicity

Black 7.2%
Asian 7.4%
White 14.3%
Latino 69.3%
Other 1.9%

Education

11.4% of residents 25 and older have a four-year degree. HOW YOU CAN HELP

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, the Southeast Community Foundation (SCF) has been able to provide its education, scholarships, programs, youth empowerment and parent engagement workshops to low-income and at-risk communities in the greater Southeast Los Angeles area. Ways to Donate:

By Mail

Mail your tax-deductible check to:

5211 East Washington Blvd., Suite 2-170
Commerce, CA 90040

Please make checks payable to: Southeast Community Foundation

Online

Make a world of a difference! Make an online DONATION TODAY to the Foundation via PayPal at www.paypal.me/secf

Our website is almost complete and you'll be able to donate directly from it in a secure fashion.