The Pastor Russell “Rusty” J. Perkins Memorial Scholarship Fund Grant

The Pastor Russell “Rusty” J. Perkins Memorial Scholarship Fund Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Last Updated: August 26, 2025

Summary

The Pastor Russell “Rusty” J. Perkins Memorial Scholarship Fund supports African American male students in Metro Nashville Public High Schools. Applicants must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, demonstrate financial need, and show involvement in sports. Preference is given to students from Whites Creek High School and those who participated in high school baseball. This fund honors Pastor Perkins, who valued education and community service, fostering a legacy of generosity and faith.

Overview

About Us For over 30 years, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT) has been driving meaningful, positive change in our community. We do this by bringing together those who want to help and those who need help. Through the power of collective philanthropy, our goal is to amplify donor intent while remaining flexible enough to ensure that resources are directed to where they can do the greatest good. We know the greater Nashville area. We understand its neighborhoods, its most pressing challenges, its unsung nonprofit heroes, and its emerging partnerships with the greatest potential. As our region continues to rapidly change, that knowledge gives us a unique vantage point to bring people and places together to do what none of us can do on our own—build a more thriving and inclusive community. Mission Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee strives to build a more thriving and inclusive community — today and for generations to come — by transforming thoughtful generosity into positive change. The Pastor Russell “Rusty” J. Perkins Memorial Scholarship Fund Spirituality, Generosity and Personality are characteristics of Pastor Russell “Rusty” J. Perkins, who entered into the joy of the Lord on December 27, 2021. Pastor Rusty was educated in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, and then completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from Tennessee State University. He valued education and the opportunities that it would afford him within his longstanding career in management positions at big-box retailers, and ultimately within sales and finance management in the Automotive Industry. He also loved sports and became an exceptional athlete in his own right as a member of the Parkwood Baseball Team. He acknowledged that sports taught him discipline, sportsmanship, and being team oriented, which served him well throughout his career. Pastor Rusty was a man of faith as Pastor of the Faith Apostolic Church in Charlotte, TN. His sermons focused on Love, Faith, and “Preferring our brothers and sisters above ourselves”. His legacy of these principles will be continued through the scholarship fund in his honor.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. This scholarship is for an African American male student. Students eligible to apply are students currently attending a Metro Nashville Public High School.Applicants must be enrolling in either a two-year or four-year university/college and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. The Fund is need-based; therefore, applicants must demonstrate a need for financial assistance to attend college. Applicants must also demonstrate an involvement in sports.