Spencer Dinwiddie and the United Negro College Fund Partner to Establish Scholarship Program

Last October 2017, Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie and The Dinwiddie Family Foundation (DFF) announced a partnership with United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the nation’s largest minority education organization, to support the Dinwiddie Scholars program. Dinwiddie Scholars is a renewable, need- and merit-based scholarship program open to low-income, minority students from Brooklyn, NY and Los Angeles, CA. Students selected as Dinwiddie Scholars will receive up to $20,000 in scholarships per year. UNCF will work with The Dinwiddie Family Foundation to conduct outreach to eligible students, review applications, and administer funds.

Dinwiddie Scholars supports students deprived of the right to education due to their economic situations by eliminating financial barriers to higher education. This scholarship program is unique because it reduces the gaps in the financial aid process by allowing the monies received to go directly to pre-approved educational expenses, upfront costs, and enrollment fees, in addition to tuition.

To heighten awareness around Dinwiddie Scholars, Spencer announced at the Brooklyn Nets Media Day in September that he will work with his teammates and other National Basketball Association players to raise money for the program, with the bulk of the contributions coming directly from him. To give fans the opportunity to get involved, game-worn memorabilia will be auctioned off to raise additional funds for the scholarships after every Brooklyn Nets game starting with opening night on October 18, 2017.

“I am excited about the partnership with the United Negro College Fund because it is more than just another collaboration,” said Spencer Dinwiddie.  “UNCF seamlessly allows Dinwiddie Scholars a way to provide real impact in the communities that I hold dear to my heart. It also gives immediate access to infrastructure, processes and resources to manage the program, ultimately allowing quicker access to higher education for a group of young people that have been marginalized for far too long.”

Jennifer Childress, Area Development Director of UNCF Los Angeles, says “UNCF is proud to partner with The Dinwiddie Family Foundation as they invest in the lives and futures of minority scholars in Los Angeles and Brooklyn. It is especially meaningful that the foundation has committed to continuing to support students for the duration of their college years, making it possible for them to pursue the essential academic and extra–curricular opportunities that will position them for leadership and achievement in college and beyond.”

Additional details about Dinwiddie Scholars including the application requirements and how individuals and organizations looking be a part of the program can support, can be found at www.DinwiddieFamilyFoundation.org.

ABOUT THE DINWIDDIE FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Dinwiddie Family Foundation (DFF) mission is to empower at-risk and disadvantaged youth through fitness, literacy, and educational programming. DFF is a registered 501(c)3 public charity. For more information, please visit the foundation’s website at www.dinwiddiefamilyfoundation.org or email at info@dinwiddiefamilyfoundation.org.

ABOUT UNCF

UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 21 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Ashley Blackwood
Spencer Dinwiddie & The Dinwiddie Family Foundation
ablackwood@smithandcompany.com

Ralina Shaw
United Negro College Fund
ralina@ralinashawpr.com