West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship Fund
Funding Amount
Not stated
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grant Type
Foundation
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- Annual
- Tracked since
- April 2026
Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.
Can we apply?
Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.
Eligible organizations
- Bishop Shanahan High School seniors OR West Chester Area School District High School seniors
- Award Criteria: Scholarships awarded on a competitive basis to deserving students who best demonstrate financial need while exhibiting school and community involvement, as determined by the West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship Committee.
- Honors: The scholarship honors the following individuals killed in action:
- Contact: Chester County Community Foundation, 28 West Market Street, West Chester, PA 19382 | (610) 696-8211 | www.chescocf.org
Other requirements
- Must have a family member who is a veteran
- Minimum 3.0 GPA required
- Must demonstrate financial need
- Must exhibit school and community involvement
Overview
Geographic Scope: West Chester area, Pennsylvania
Purpose: Scholarships awarded annually in honor of eleven men from the West Chester area who died in the Vietnam War. Established by local Gold Star Families and Vietnam Veterans in memory of CPL Ernest E. Orendorff Jr. USMC and Specialist 5 Nathanial Matthews.
Eligibility:
- Bishop Shanahan High School seniors OR West Chester Area School District High School seniors
- Must have a family member who is a veteran
- Minimum 3.0 GPA required
- Must demonstrate financial need
- Must exhibit school and community involvement
- Must plan to attend college or trade school
Award Criteria: Scholarships awarded on a competitive basis to deserving students who best demonstrate financial need while exhibiting school and community involvement, as determined by the West Chester Vietnam Memorial Scholarship Committee.
Honors: The scholarship honors the following individuals killed in action:
- 2LT GENE SMEDLEY McMULLEN USMC (KIA July 16, 1966)
- CPL ERNEST E. ORENDORFF JR USMC (KIA August 3, 1966)
- LCPL BLAINE A. De BOARD JR USMC (KIA December 29, 1966)
- SPEC4 DAVID C. STANLEY USA (KIA September 14, 1967)
- MAJ LOUIS F. GUILLERMIN USAF (KIA April 30, 1968)
- LCPL DWIGHT DAWSON JOHNSON USMC (KIA May 4, 1968)
- SPEC5 PAUL L. COSGRIFF USA (KIA October 21, 1968)
- PFC THOMAS MICHAEL MARCHAND USA (KIA June 12, 1969)
- LCPL ELDIN G. BERGER JR USMC (KIA October 9, 1969)
- 2LT ROBERT W. DONAHUE JR USA (KIA November 28, 1969)
- SPEC5 NATHANIAL CARL MATTHEWS USA (KIA August 10, 1971)
How to Apply
How to Apply
- Contact your guidance counselor at Bishop Shanahan High School or West Chester Area School District for application information
- Submit essay describing your family member(s) who is/are a veteran and how their service impacted your life
- Describe future plans for how you plan to honor the service of the family veteran
- Meet eligibility requirements: minimum 3.0 GPA, demonstrated financial need, school and community involvement
Reference: Visit www.chescocf.org for more information
What Chester County Community Foundation Inc actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990, 2025
- Grants in 2025
- 170
- Total given
- $5.17M
- Median grant
- $13K
- Range
- $5,173–$1.01M
- By dollars: Pennsylvania 74%, Ohio 20%, New York 1%. Top recipient cities: West Chester, PA; Kennett Square, PA; Philadelphia, PA.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 28% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
American Endowment Foundation · Hudson, OH
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$1.01M
Arts Holding Hands & Hearts · Kennett Square, PA
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Community Volunteers in Medicine · West Chester, PA
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$156K
Wharton Esherick Museum · Paoli, PA
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$151K
Chester County Hospital Foundation · West Chester, PA
Health
$106K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Veterans
- Education
Categories
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