North Dakota’s Dollars for Scholars History

1958. Dr. Irving Fradkin begins DFS in Fall River, MA. Fradkin and friends go door to door for dollars and raise money for postsecondary scholarships.

1960. National office forms (CSFA - Citizen’s Scholarship Foundation of America), today known as Scholarship America.

1962. Grand Forks, ND Kiwanis Club learns of DFS and uses its format to develop a committee. Senior high students go raise scholarship money going door to door in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks.

1988. Bob Alin, Scheels manager/partner, learns about DFS from colleague from Moorhead. Alin, with friends, help his hometown of LaMoure start a chapter. Alin serves two years as chapter president.

1990. Alin retires from Scheels and begins a plan to start 50 DFS chapters, with national support. Long time friend and associate, Fred Scheel, offers $1,000 chapter start-up grants. Scheels’ Corporation offers to pay Alin’s out-of-pocket expenses.

1994. Alin’s 1990 chapter goal is met with 50 North Dakota communities with chartered chapters, half in western, ND and half in eastern, ND.

1999. October. National office approaches Bob Alin, Charles Stroup, and several other DFS advocates about starting a state office.

2000. North Dakota chapters’ “monies raised” totals reach approximately $7.3 million, and total scholarships distributed is more than 6,500.

May. NDDFS receives charter for state office from national organization, Scholarship America.

2001. June. NDDFS opens state office in Casselton, ND. Completes Charter Donation Fund Drive ($300,000) and receives national match ($100,000) to operate state office for next three years.

2003. June. Produce snapshot of positive accomplishments. Donors/local advocates plan to implement a new. Sustaining Donor and Endowment Campaign, along with idea for annual signature event - “Celebrate North Dakotans” to continue growth beyond the three-year funding.

2004. July. First “Celebrate North Dakotans” event takes place in Fargo.

2005. December. Structure changes and downsizing effort takes place. National grant-related support ends.

2006. “Celebrate North Dakotans” event takes place in Bismarck.

2007. NDDFS board explores new corporate partnership to renew the state program.

2008. Partnership with BND begins.