Scholarship Coordinator

Summary

Description

WHO ARE WE?

Denver Public Schools Foundation believes our city is strengthened by every student who graduates ready to lead a successful life. As the strategic fundraising partner to DPS, we work alongside district leaders and educators to advocate for the highest impact investments and galvanize the philanthropic and community support necessary to ensure Every Child Succeeds. We strive to live by our Core Values and see them as a commitment to ourselves, to DPS, and to the students and families we have promised to serve. For additional information about our organization, please visit www.dpsfoundation.org.

WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?

The Scholarship Coordinator is a full-time, in-person position and will launch and run the scholarship program of the Denver Public Schools Foundation Opportunity Fund, a new Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) and 501(c)(3) affiliate of DPS Foundation. You will be an employee of DPS Foundation, but running scholarships for the DPS Foundation Opportunity Fund. Beginning in 2027, donors can receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit (the Education Freedom Tax Credit, up to $1,700 per taxpayer) for gifts to the Opportunity Fund, and those gifts become scholarships that open doors for Denver students, from tutoring and academic supports to enrichment and other qualified education expenses. As the program's first coordinator, you will build and run approximately four award cycles a year, each with its own timeline and mix of applicants (individual students and families, schools, departments, and community programs). You will make sure eligible students can find and use the fund, every award is compliant and well documented, and every dollar is put to work for students. This role reports to the Director of Student Investments & Evaluation and sits in the Scholarships & Grantmaking Department.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Scholarship Administration & Opportunity Fund Management

• Plan and run approximately four scholarship cycles each year, each with its own cadence: build the annual cycle calendar, open and close applications, and manage each cycle from application through review, award, disbursement, and follow-up. 

• Act as the primary point of contact for families, students, educators, and partner schools seeking information about scholarship eligibility, deadlines, and requirements.

• Review and verify application materials and financial documentation to ensure compliance with SGO guidelines and state regulations. Verify eligibility for every award, including household income at or below 300% of area median income (through documentation or approved categorical eligibility, such as participation in SNAP or TANF) and eligibility to enroll in a public school, in line with federal Section 25F rules and Colorado requirements.

• Staff the Opportunity Fund Review Committee: recruit and train volunteer reviewers, prepare application materials for each cycle, and facilitate equitable, transparent decisions; prepare recommended awards for approval by the Opportunity Fund Board of Directors.

• Maintain complete and accurate records of all scholarship awards, distributions, and student files on the provided platform

• Ensure every award funds a qualified elementary or secondary education expense and honors donor designations (such as Open Doors Scholarships and New Opportunities for Denver Kids, or other restricted fund), while never allowing donors to direct awards to specific students.

• Coordinate disbursement of awards to schools, programs, and approved providers, and collect the documentation needed to confirm funds were used as intended.

• Create and maintain a vetting process for providers and vendors that receive scholarship funds.

Systems, Data, & Administration

• Manage scholarship applications, eligibility verification, and award allocations in the Opportunity Fund's platform, with line of sight into donor designations and available fund balances so each cycle awards what has been raised.

• Track SGO program metrics and generate regular reports on scholarship distribution, applicant demographics, fund balance, and student outcomes, in partnership with the Scholarship & Grantmaking team’s evaluation work. 

• Prepare acknowledgment letters, award notifications, and compliance reporting in coordination with other DPS Foundation Teams

• In partnership with the Finance Department, maintain audit-ready records that support the Opportunity Fund's 90/10 commitment (at least 90% of contributions go to scholarships), keep scholarship funds separate from operating funds, and support required annual reporting to the State of Colorado and the IRS. 

• Support the Scholarship & Grantmaking team's school visits and program evaluation between scholarship cycles. 

School and Community Outreach

• Build and cultivate collaborative relationships with DPS school leaders, counselors, educators, and community-based organizations to drive awareness of the Opportunity Fund SGO.

• Design and deliver engaging information sessions, workshops, and application assistance events for students, families, and school staff across the district.

• Time outreach to each cycle so families, schools, and community partners know what is open, who is eligible, and how to apply, including eligible Denver students who are not enrolled in DPS.

• Work with the Marketing & Communications team to tailor outreach materials, toolkits, and communications to ensure marginalized and underrepresented student populations are informed and supported throughout the application process.

• Serve as an accessible liaison in the community, answering inquiries and proactively troubleshooting barriers that families or school staff encounter during application submission.

• Coordinate on-site visits and outreach initiatives to deepen community engagement and capture student impact stories.

• Serve as a community ambassador for the Opportunity Fund, speaking to school staff, parent and family groups, community organizations, and other audiences so more Denver families know these scholarships exist and how to use them. 

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

• Eagerness to build a brand-new scholarship program from the ground up while gaining experience in non-profit administration and development.

• Detail-oriented, intuitive, and persistent mindset with excellent project management skills and strong follow-through.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks, manage timelines, and juggle multiple operational components simultaneously.

• Comfort with cycle-based work, including peak periods around application deadlines and award decisions.Student- and family-centered approach with experience building authentic relationships with diverse stakeholders, including families, educators, and donors.

• Clear, empathetic, and effective communication skills across written and verbal platforms.

• Experience using Google Workspace and comfort learning online grants or scholarship management platforms

• A high level of professionalism, integrity/ethics, confidentiality, and discretion when handling sensitive personal and financial student data.

• Comfort reviewing income and financial documentation and applying eligibility rules consistently, with the judgment to know when to escalate a question.Deep passion for breaking patterns of historic inequalities in education by creating opportunities through philanthropy and scholarships for vulnerable students.

• Ability to work flexibly whether in office or another location

• Post-secondary education and/or relevant professional workplace experience preferred; experience in scholarship administration, student services, non-profit operations, or fundraising is a plus.

• Confident presenting to groups of all sizes, in English and, ideally, Spanish 

• Bilingual (Spanish) writing and speaking preferred

WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE US? 

This position is an opportunity to join an exceptional team working toward equity in education. You will join a team of experienced professionals raising $7 million annually in support of Denver Public Schools. As the Opportunity Fund's first Scholarship Coordinator, you will shape a new program that brings new resources directly to Denver students.

We have a flexible, supportive work environment and strive to work with our Core Values at the forefront of  what we do. We value each team member and are excited to hear different perspectives and ideas. We offer a  competitive salary range of $55,000 to $65,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications. We offer a generous benefits package including paid time off (PTO), 100% paid health, dental, vision, life, and short-term disability insurances, parking, and a fully-vested matching contribution to a 401(k) retirement plan after meeting eligibility requirements.

HOW TO APPLY TO JOIN THE TEAM

Please send a resume and cover letter telling us about you, why this job would be a good fit for you to jobs@dpsfoundation.org. To ensure your submission is considered, please include Scholarship Coordinator in the subject line. No telephone inquiries, please. The position is open for immediate hire and will be open until filled. DPS Foundation encourages all qualified candidates to apply.

At the Denver Public Schools Foundation, we recognize that systemic barriers often deter qualified candidates, particularly women and BIPOC individuals, from applying if they don't meet every listed qualification. We want to assure all potential applicants that we value diverse perspectives and experiences, and we actively encourage candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. Your unique skills, perspectives, and lived experiences are assets that enrich our organization and contribute to our mission of equity in education. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you don't meet every requirement listed. Your application will be considered with care and attention to the value you bring to our team. 

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING

In alignment with our Core Values, DPS Foundation is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self- expression, unique capabilities, and talent our team members invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and organization’s achievement as well. We embrace and encourage differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make individuals unique. DPS Foundation encourages all qualified candidates to apply. All employment is decided on the basis of job related factors such as qualifications, merit, and business need.