Staff Reports | Community Updates
Maricopa Community Colleges is announcing the 10-college system has received a $1 million grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust (Piper Trust).
“For more than 20 years, the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust has provided invaluable philanthropic support to our system, connecting students to affordable and accessible higher education,” said Dr. Steven R. Gonzales, Maricopa Community Colleges chancellor, in a press release. “Their continued generosity has transformed lives and made earning a postsecondary certificate or degree a reality for so many.”
According to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, in recent years, philanthropic support for U.S. colleges and universities grew by 3%, when adjusted for inflation. Today’s donors are contributing to areas that matter most to students, with nearly half of all endowed gifts directed to student financial aid. In recent years, Americans pledged $61.50 billion in charitable giving to higher education, MCC officials tell the Digital Free Press.
“Investing in the promise of people, discovery, and innovation was key to Virginia Piper’s philanthropy,” said Steve Zabilski, president and CEO of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. “She recognized the vital, long-game role that higher education institutions play, as Piper Trust does today.”
Piper Trust has a long history of supporting Maricopa Community Colleges and its students. In 2024, the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation received a $2.25 million grant to expand Licensed Practical Nursing program offerings at GateWay Community College, Glendale Community College, and Mesa Community College, according to a press release.
The three-year grant opportunity aims to serve 768 students by 2026. Funding has impacted more than 100 aspiring nurses, covering the cost of tuition, books, supplies, and living expenses. To date, MCCF has awarded $95,400 in scholarships across the three participating colleges, the release states.
