Petaluma Foundation Awards $248K to 315 Graduating Seniors

Three hundred fifteen graduating seniors in Petaluma, California walked into their local gymnasium this spring and walked out with scholarship checks that will change their futures.

The Petaluma Educational Foundation awarded more than 500 scholarships totaling over $248,000 to students from seven local high schools on March 15. Families, donors, and local leaders including Mayor Kevin McDonnell packed the Casa Grande High School gym to celebrate the achievement.

What makes this moment even more remarkable is how the money was raised. Every dollar came from neighbors, local businesses, other foundations, and proceeds from Alphabet Soup thrift stores in downtown Petaluma. No government grants. No big corporate sponsorships. Just a community investing in its own kids.

The scholarships are open to seniors from all seven Petaluma-area high schools, including traditional public schools, private schools, and alternative academies. Students can use the money for any type of post-graduation education, whether that's a four-year university, community college, or trade school.

"PEF helps these students by expanding their educational opportunities, resulting in innovative, creative minds who will lead our community as members of the future workforce," said Maureen Highland, the foundation's executive director.

The Ripple Effect

The Petaluma Educational Foundation started in 1982 with a simple idea: what if a community pooled its resources to help every student succeed? Four decades later, that vision has grown into $5.5 million in scholarships distributed to thousands of students.

The foundation doesn't just write checks to graduating seniors. It also provides classroom grants to teachers throughout the year, bringing its total community investment to $10.8 million. Last September, 450 supporters gathered at a local farm for the annual PEF Bash, raising $130,000 through tickets and auctions, plus $200,000 more specifically for classroom grants.

These investments ripple outward in ways that numbers can't capture. A scholarship opens a door. That door leads to a degree. That degree comes back to the community as a nurse, teacher, electrician, or entrepreneur who remembers where they came from.

Three hundred fifteen students just got their doors opened wide.