Scholarships
The Banks Foundation, Inc. is a federally recognized 501(c) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering community involvement and educational support. Established in 2017, we launched the National Day of Love® to promote acts of love. Since 2020, we have partnered with colleges and universities to provide scholarships in honor of this day. Through our scholarship program, our partner universities receive funds from The Banks Foundation, Inc. to select students who exemplify strong community engagement, sound leadership, and academic achievement. The scholarships are then awarded directly by the institutions to the chosen students.
Our scholarship program is dedicated to empowering students at colleges and universities in the United States to reach their full potential. By partnering with educational institutions, we build endowments that provide vital support to deserving students. These students consistently exhibit leadership, community involvement, and academic excellence. Together, we can help shape the future of aspiring scholars and make a lasting impact on their lives through love and education. Together we achieve more.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Grainger College of Engineering proudly hosts the National Day of Love® Endowment, founded in 2021 by Charles and Diedre Banks, the founders of The Banks Foundation, Inc. This endowment supports students in the Morrill Engineering Program by providing valuable scholarship opportunities to help further their education and community impact.
Our Scholarship History
Charles and Diedre Banks met at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Charles graduated with his B.S in Mechanical Engineering in 2004 and is an alumnus of the Morrill Engineering Program. Diedre graduated from the Gies College of Business in 2004 with her undergraduate degree in Accountancy and in 2005 with her Master's in Taxation. Charles and Diedre married in 2007 in Wheaton, Illinois.
Having both received scholarships during their time as students, Charles and Diedre have always believed in the importance of giving back and empowering the next generation of students to succeed. In 2017, Charles and Diedre started the National Day of Love® through The Banks Foundation, Inc., which supports educational organizations and other nonprofits to empower people to reach their full potential through love and education.
In 2020, Charles and Diedre awarded the first recipients of the National Day of Love® Community Scholarship in the Morrill Engineering Program at The Grainger College of Engineering. The Morrill Engineering Program (MEP) empowers African American, Hispanic, and Native American engineering students to be successful scholars. MEP joins staff, students, and alumni to help students achieve academic excellence in a rigorous engineering program.
In 2022, Charles and Diedre helped fully fund their endowment of $25,000 at The Grainger College of Engineering. Their long-term goal is to see the endowment reach $125,000 and help more students, while still providing significant support for current year students. Your donations to the University of Illinois towards the National Day of Love® Community Scholarship for Engineering help us do that.
Select the link below to visit the University of IL's Morrill Engineering Program site to learn more about the National Day of Love® endowment or to donate to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. You can view past scholarship recipients at the second link.
