Valerie Gnesdiloff’s Bequest Makes College Dreams Come True

If a primary goal of charitable giving is to significantly improve the lives of a large number of people, then the 2018 bequest from alumna Valerie Gnesdiloff (Class of Spring 1955) has been and continues to be a resounding success. Ms. Gnesdiloff’s $1 million bequest, the largest single gift in Lowell Alumni Association history, was earmarked to provide college scholarships to Lowellites with the greatest financial need. More specifically, the Valerie Gnesdiloff Memorial Scholarship Fund is restricted to students from families with income below the federal poverty line.

When we first learned of this bequest, we were concerned about finding eligible recipients—given that the current federal poverty line (set at a uniform level across the 48 contiguous states) is just $30,000 per year for a family of four. However, the hard truth is more than 10% of San Franciscans are living in poverty, so the Gnesdiloff funds have been put to good use over the past five years with more than 60 students receiving a combined total of over $250,000 in college scholarships!

As a perpetual scholarship fund, invested and managed by our Finance Committee, the Gnesdiloff Fund will continue to make a very real difference in the lives of Lowell graduates for generations to come and will continue to honor the memory and generosity of this visionary alumna. Many thanks, Valerie Gnesdiloff!