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Founder, Olenga Echewa Anabui’s volunteer work tutoring and teaching life skills to youth was the inspiration. Olenga noticed that some of those she encountered found it hard to dream about a life beyond the difficult living situations they faced. She knew that a college education could make a valuable difference with some of these young men and women. She saw the fruits of advanced education in her own life and through the example of her mother, Dr. Willie W. Echewa. Dr. Echewa grew up with economic and social hardships but later acquired a doctorate in education and taught for 30 years in the Philadelphia public school system.
Our scholarships serve as “last dollar” awards to fill or reduce a remaining financial shortfall a low-income, academically capable student may face. Funds are paid directly to the college the student attends.
To protect our donors’ investment in the mission of The Echewa Fund, scholarship awards are made exclusively to Philadelphia Futures participants. Philadelphia Futures is a non-profit organization that provides Philadelphia’s low-income, first-generation-to-college students with the tools, resources and opportunities necessary for admission to and success in college.
Entering and finishing college requires more than money for first-generation college students. A holistic approach is necessary to provide the emotional and practical resources necessary for aspiring college graduates to be successful. Philadelphia Futures offers such an approach using time-tested methods of academic counseling, mentoring and various forms of enrichment beginning in early high school years and continuing throughout college.
Your donation is 100% tax-deductible.
The founder covers overhead expenses to maximize investments in scholarship awards. The Philadelphia Foundation, manager of the scholarship fund endowment, charges a 2% administrative fee.
The Philadelphia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) a public charity established in 1918, is one of the oldest community foundations in the United States. Because it meets the nation’s highest philanthropic standards for operational quality, integrity and accountability, The Echewa Fund chose The Philadelphia Foundation to manage its financial resources.
