The Richland Community College Foundation was created in February 1980 by the Richland Board of Trustees. They realized that private monies could do what public funds could not. They saw a need to receive and invest gifts that were designated for scholarships and other needs the College might have as it grew into a larger institution.
In 1986, the Richland Community College Foundation became a leader in the state when Foundation board members raised an initial $2 million through gifts and endowments. Currently, the Foundation manages $5,000,000.00 in assets.
Each year the Foundation awards over 500 scholarships to students attending Richland Community College. Two endowed scholarships also provide funds for transfer students to complete degrees at four-year state institutions. The Foundation expects to award over $300,000 in scholarships for the next school year.
The Foundation led a capital campaign that helped complete two recent additions on the College's campus: the Schrodt Health Education Center, a 25,000 square foot facility, and the Industrial Technology Center, an additional 25,000 square foot facility. Plans are underway for the capital campaign to assist with the 15,000 square foot addition of an Agriculture and Occupational Technology wing.
In addition to capital campaigns and scholarships, the Foundation has made financial awards for faculty and staff development, added to the art collection on campus, and purchased state-of-the-art equipment. Gifts made to the Foundation have built a greenhouse for the horticulture program, equipped the Learning Resource Center, and helped build the Shilling Community Education Center which contains classrooms, banquet facilities, a fitness center and an auditorium.
The Foundation played a major role in providing a Local Area Network for the College and purchasing new or updated computers for every faculty and administrative office and classroom. This gift has allowed Richland to remain technologically competitive. Most recently, the Foundation purchased the METI Child Patient Simulator for use in the Health Science programs, a highly sought piece of technology which provides medical scenarios for treating critically ill children.
