About the Peter R. Marsh Foundation

The Peter R. Marsh Foundation, established in 2004, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit headquartered in Camas, Washington. Each year, the Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships to high school students and grants to middle school teachers across the country.

OUR PHILANTHROPIC MISSION

We know from the science of childhood development that empathy and compassion are not so much characterological traits as learned behaviors. They must be taught while children are still young and gently reinforced over time. The benefits of empathy and compassion begin with the grace and peace of mind they offer to anyone who embodies them, but they extend far beyond that, to the broader community. Supporting empathy and compassion among students is the foundation of a safe school environment. Only when students feel secure can they take the risks that learning requires. The core of our mission is to support public school administrators in fostering empathy and compassion among their students.

HIGH SCHOOL SILENT SERVANT SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Each year, the Foundation awards scholarships to public high school students for engaging in selfless, voluntary service to their communities. The students are nominated by school staff members and recognized in a public award ceremony. Unlike scholarships that recognize athletic or academic achievements, the Silent Servant Scholarship Award rewards students for benevolence, a behavior and set of values that will sustain their families and communities for decades to come. The presentation of the award, combined with testimony by the recipient, offers a teachable-moment for their peers to be inspired by their empathetic and compassionate example. Please read "Reviews" from educators, counselors and students.

HIGH SCHOOL PATHWAYS CLUB GRANT

The annual High School Pathways Club Grant is available to eligible high schools, nationwide. This Grant compensates a member of a school’s education staff chosen as the Pathways Club leader. Through community service activities, public recognition and service awards, a student Pathways Club nurtures empathy, compassion and mannerly citizenship in the students with unrecognized potential.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSIC GRANT

The Foundation offers hundreds of grants each year to music teachers in public middle schools across the US. Teachers propose how the grant funds will be used for music education in their classrooms to benefit current and future students. The Music Grant also familiarizes students with the rewards of service by supporting them in organizing performances for senior citizens in their communities. Please read "Reviews" from educators.

FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors which includes: Peter R. Marsh, Barbara Marsh; Jack B. Schwartz, Esq.; Cindy Robert, Rainmakers Government Strategies; John Upton, Retirement Consulting Group; Patrick Fuchs; and Matt Wetzel, AltruVentures, LLC.

FOUNDATION LOGO

The PRMF logo is an earlobe pierced by an awl. In ancient times, a commitment to a life of service began with the ceremonial insertion of an awl through one’s earlobe and into the doorpost of the home where one would serve. The Foundation logo symbolizes a lifetime commitment of service to others.