Our History

From Chairman Espinoza,

The Esperanza Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars® is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and an affiliate of Scholarship America, the nation's largest recognized scholarship and educational support organization. The Esperanza Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars® board is made up of dedicated volunteers from local communities in the West End region.     

"Esperanza" in Spanish means, "hope," which fittingly describes the dreams of students and the purpose of the organization. Esperanza was named to honor of one of our founder's mother, who attributes his success to her strong backing and parental guidance in his early educational development.   

The mission of the Foundation is to assist students in achieving their educational needs by providing financial aid and academic support, and to close the educational achievement gap for all students, as measured by graduation from high school and enrollment in college. Further, the Foundation advocates that upon completion of their studies, students return to their respective communities to lend their success and leadership--in essence to "pay it forward."    

2020 marks 20 years of service by Esperanza to its community. During this 20-year period, the Foundation awarded almost $1.4 million to over 1,000 students in the Inland Empire and portions of Los Angeles County, an average of 50-70 students per year. In 2020 ESFDFS expects to award between 50-60 scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year.  This amount may be reduced to 30 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting financial crisis.    

In addition, outside the traditional role of providing scholarships to college-bound students, the Foundation strives to provide additional opportunities to middle school students, teachers, local fundraising and other efforts which in the past have included:   

  • Promise Scholars
  • Chaffey High School Theater Company
  • Chaffey College Foundation Telethon    
  • College Student Professional Enrichment / Networking Seminars    
  • Community College Transfer Student College Partnership    
  • Online to College    
  • Foundation Endowment Scholarships: Herbert & Cheryl Fisher/France Cordova, and others
  • Stellar Teacher Classroom Grants    
  • Summer Academy for Middle School Students    
  • Verizon Community Workforce Development    

The Esperanza Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars® wishes to acknowledge and thank the collaborators, contributors, volunteers, and overall support provided by the business, educational and community-at-large partners.    

These successful outcomes would not have been possible during this 20-year period without your commitment to afford higher education opportunities and to help improve the quality of life in this region. As such, the Foundation offers our sincere congratulations for your generosity in giving of your time, talent and financial resources. We look forward to many more decades of collaboration and meaningful outcomes.

With kindest regards,

Alex Espinoza, Chairman

Esperanza Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars®