Richard Bronson Scholarships
2024 Scholarship Winners
The 2024 NDGA Richard Bronson Scholarship winners were announced at the April 17, 2024 Board Meeting. NDGA raises scholarship funds by conducting the NDGA Golf Outing and Silent and Live auctions. Thanks to the generosity of many individuals and companies, cash donations far exceeded previous years. A special thank you to the Bronson and Kessler families for setting up a $6000 match program that was very successful. This year we were able to award 15 scholarships, which is the most we have ever been able to do. Thanks to all of you who helped make this happen!
2023 Scholarship Winners
The NDGA Richard Bronson Scholarship fund has awarded $34,000 worth of scholarships since 2017. These scholarships went to 34 students who worked for a NDGA member Retailer or Associate Vendor.
Funding for our scholarship program has come primarily from the annual golf outing and silent auction. Early this year the NDGA Board voted to establish the NDGA Richard Bronson Scholarship fund – a 501c3 tax exempt corporation. Any donations to this NDGA Scholarship fund are fully deductible to individuals and businesses. NDGA is looking to expand our scholarship outreach to include:
- Current high school seniors (Scholarship 1 – existing program)
- Current college students working in our industry (Scholarship 2)
- Post-high school graduate currently working in our industry (Scholarship 3)
Scholarship 1 has been used for the past five years and will continue, Scholarships 2 & 3 are new and can be used by retailers and Associate Vendors to reward and/or promote current employees by providing funds for furthering their education.
NDGA is also aware of the ongoing labor situation facing retailers and vendors alike. At a two-day board meeting fall of 2020, the board identified programs that could be used to attract and retain employees:
- Partnerships between NDGA and businesses to grow their workforce in high-need areas such as refrigeration, IT, and transportation to name a few.
- Retail Management Certificate program: employers can offer this online course to current employees to enhance their managerial skills.
The North Dakota Grocers Association Board of Directors are requesting that you consider making a tax-free donation to the NDGA Scholarship. We will use this money to expand our current program to the benefit of Retailers, Associate Vendors, and your employees. Please contact NDGA with any comments or questions you may have.