John and Marcia Watt believe that a path to higher education should be accessible to anyone who has the desire and the will to continue their education. They believe that individuals who obtain a college degree are much less likely to live in poverty than those who have not, and wanted to make sure all have a chance at a better life.
That is why they support On Point for College, a valuable resource for college-eligible young adults in the community. The couple explained that many low-income youth in Syracuse and Utica feel college is out of reach due to economic, academic or other barriers. On Point makes their dreams seem possible by providing career and guidance counseling, mentorship, transportation, school supplies and financial aid consultation. This array of supports that are offered before, during and after college helps students get into college, stay there, and succeed afterwards.
When John completed his term as president of On Point’s board of directors, he and Marcia decided to seed an endowment fund with us that is designated to support On Point into perpetuity. They encouraged their friends and colleagues to also make contributions to the On Point for College Endowment Fund. The pair expressed that they are grateful to those who have contributed so far. Because the fund is flexible, they expect that the endowment will continue to grow thanks to future gifts from community members who want to support the organization through the generations.
John and Marcia say that making the choice to establish their fund with us was an easy one. They believed that a small organization such as On Point was likely to be most successful when it focuses on delivering the best programs and services possible.
“Generally speaking, administering a large endowment is not a core competency for an organization like On Point,” said John. “We wanted to ensure that there was continuity in the management of these financial assets and the Community Foundation was the ideal resource to provide that. Combining our fund with the Community Foundation’s endowment gives On Point the benefit of economies of scale and access to a deep asset management skill set.”
John and Marcia explained that they feel we excel at acting as a good and prudent steward of the charitable dollars of our donors.
“We want every donor who contributes to this fund to feel comfortable that many years from now their gift will still be helping students just as it was originally intended,” said John.
