The Evans Family Charitable Foundation, with long ties to Des Moines and Iowa, has established a scholarship fund at Drake University for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa with an initial gift of $100,000. The Evans Family Charitable Foundation’s annual gifts to Drake University will be utilized to award scholarships to Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa graduates attending Drake—including John Dee Bright College—beginning in the 2021–2022 academic year.

“We are thrilled to launch a program with Drake that will benefit the higher education of members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa. The scholarship program we are launching will help BGCCI members achieve advanced learning and all the commensurate opportunities they so deserve,” said Julie Evans, a BGCCI trustee and board member of the Evans Family Charitable Foundation that was created by John and Jane Evans. “Drake University and its Bright College deliver an excellent education and value and will deliver the skills and knowledge needed to succeed.”

The Evans Family Scholarship will receive annual funding from the Evans Family Charitable Foundation to maximize opportunities for students from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa who have graduated high school and qualify academically to attend Drake University. The scholarship is positioned to help expand access to higher education to Central Iowa students who may not have previously pursued a college degree without the additional assistance. This scholarship, along with other funding available to Drake students, makes a Drake degree more attainable.

“This generous gift from the Evans Family Charitable Foundation will make a significant impact in the lives of our members,” said Tony Timm, CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa CEO. “Access to higher education is a key factor in ensuring our members have a chance to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.”

Scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to pursue studies in any of the University’s more than 70 majors, minors, and concentrations through seven colleges and schools, including the newly created John Dee Bright College. Starting this fall, John Dee Bright College will offer central Iowa high school graduates the opportunity to earn two-year associate’s degrees from Drake in the integrated arts, sciences, and humanities, as well as in business, organization, and professional studies.

“Drake University and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa both aspire to transform lives and strengthen communities,” said Drake University President Marty Martin. “Our faculty and students love having the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Boys & Girls Club on campus and this thoughtful gift from the Evans Family Charitable Foundation will create an even closer bond between Drake and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa. We look forward to welcoming Evans scholars to campus and providing them a world-class liberal arts education.”

In 2019, Drake University welcomed the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Boys & Girls Club to its campus. The 21,000-square-foot facility on the southwest corner of 25th St. and Forest Avenue is only the second Boys and Girls Club in the nation to be located on a private college or university campus and serves K-12 students.

The Evans Family, through the Evans Family Charitable Foundation and individual members, has supported Drake University over many years in a number of areas, most notably language acquisition through the World Languages Program. The Evans Family Charitable Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of children through education that broadens their perspective and delivers value in learning and development through enhanced reading, STEM, arts, and business. The Evans Family Charitable Foundation supports opportunities for children and their families throughout Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, and California.