Potlatch Corp. ending six-state scholarship program
Company has been handing out funds to college-bound students for 56 years
LEWISTON – Potlatch Corp. has announced that it’s ending its 56-year-old college scholarship program that distributed more than $11 million to about 3,300 high school graduates in six states.
“We believe this is the right time to discontinue this program, which targets individuals, and focus our philanthropy efforts in the future on organizations that affect greater numbers of people,” said Mark Benson, vice president of public affairs for the Spokane-based forest products company.
The scholarships were awarded to students who lived within 30 miles of a Potlatch operation in Idaho, Washington, Minnesota, Arkansas, Nevada and Illinois. The company is Idaho’s largest private landowner.
Students could receive $1,400 a year that could be renewed for three years as long as students met required academic criteria.
Benson said the program tried to identify students, most of whom were not the children of Potlatch employees, who had great potential but were considering not going to college.
Georgia Lenzmeier, a counselor at Clarkston High School in Clarkston, said the end of the program is a loss for the community, especially in the current economy, where some families are concerned about their ability to afford college for their children.
“It really helped kids say ‘I can probably go,’ ” Lenzmeier told the Lewiston Tribune.
She said typical scholarship winners were well-rounded students who performed well in class, sports, clubs and jobs.
Benson said the company will meet its commitments to students who are already attending college with the help of scholarships supplied by the company.
The company is in the process of separating most of its manufacturing operations in Lewiston into a new company called Clearwater Paper.
Matt Van Vleet, Potlatch’s spokesman in Lewiston, said Clearwater Paper will continue to provide a 50 percent match to its employees’ donations to United Way.
Angie Titus, executive director of the United Way in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, said Potlatch is usually among the two largest corporate donors.
“Right now they have said they see that in the future,” Titus said.
Benson said Potlatch, which will be smaller once Clearwater Paper splits off, is retaining its land holdings in areas around Moscow, Deary and Orofino.
“Although our philanthropic budgets will be less, commensurate with the size of the company, we will continue to support our communities where we operate,” said Benson.