Surprise Sundancers Scholarship

Surprise Sundancers Scholarship

Funder: Surprise Sundancers (AZ, US)

Geographic Scope: Surprise, El Mirage, Youngtown, Waddell, or Wickenburg, Arizona

Overview:
The Surprise Sundancers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides scholarships to deserving youth in the Northwest Valley. Since 2006, they have awarded over $1.794 million in scholarships. The 2026 season marks the organization's milestone of giving out more than $2.389 million in total donations to the youth of the Northwest Valley.

Award Amounts:

Historical awards (2024): $163,500 to 94 scholars; (2022): $94,500 to 49 scholars

Eligibility Requirements:

Application Process:
The scholarship application process is managed by the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF), which manages more than 120 scholarship funds for organizations throughout Arizona. Eligibility for awards is determined based on answers to questions and essays on the General Application and review and scoring by Surprise Sundancers evaluators and independent outside evaluators using blind ranking criteria.

Funding Sources:

The Mark Coronado Scholarship:
In 2018, the Surprise Sundancers endowed high-value scholarships in honor of Mark Coronado, a respected community leader who served as Director of Community & Recreation Services for the City of Surprise and was instrumental in bringing the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals to Spring Training in Surprise. Mark was committed to making recreational programs accessible and affordable to all youth. The top-rated first-year scholarship recipients are designated as Mark Coronado Scholars, continuing into the future.

Contact: