The Palm Springs Woman's Club is on an ongoing mission to help students receive the best four-year education they can. A recent Youth Grantmakers Committee Fund grant via the Inland Empire Community Foundation will add to the pool of PSWC's upcoming scholarships.
"Our mission has long been about intellectual improvement," said Linda Struhar, president of PSWC. "We like to create social enjoyment and helpfulness in the community. And the recent grant will help our annual scholarship philanthropy event on March 18, 2027.
"We've been providing scholarships for Palm Springs high school students, and this grant will greatly help with that," she said.
PSWC has been distributing grants since 1938, in fact, thanks to Pearl McCallum McManus, daughter of
early pioneer J.G. McCallum. It was Pearl McManus's sharp insights as a land trader that led to the rise of PSWC — the change agent made the deeds of properties she sold reversible for various architectural reasons.
However, there were no restrictions in her gift deed of the land on which PSWC's clubhouse sits. McManus, who is one of 65 charter members, was key in helping the club create these scholarships. Key figures of the time noted that McManus said: "Select one boy and send him to college through the club, and I will take the other one and send him to college myself."
That set the course of philanthropy in the decades that followed.
Today, there are more than 150 members in the organization. The opening tea for each PSWC season is known as Pearl McManus Day, where members pay tribute to the woman for her contributions to the community and the ways she helped shape the club.
"Back in 1938, there were really extraordinary, foresighted ladies who got together and created something special," Struhar said. "We've been carrying it forward for Pearl ever since."
The number of annual scholarships varies in any given year.
"This past year, we were very fortunate," Struhar said. "We had the best year ever. We raised close to $84,000 after expenses."
The club works closely with a guidance counselor at Palm Springs High School. The collaboration helps determine, based on the amount of money the club has to offer, how many scholarships can be awarded.
Reflecting on the impact of the scholarships is illuminating. Struhar says that many students come from financially strapped households.
"The parents are in a situation where they may not make a lot of money, and without the scholarship, their child might not be going to college and into a four-year program — we give scholarships to students that go to four-year programs.
"Without resources, those kids may not choose to do a four-year program because of the lack of money available to them," she said.
The organization's new season begins Oct. 18 with an opening party. In November, the club will begin hosting luncheons and teas twice a month. Various programs and speakers will filter into the mix.
"We create programs that would be of interest to our members," Struhar said. "A few years back, we had J.R. Roberts from the Plaza Theatre. There was also an event that offered information about the airport expansion and another presentation on AI."
Creating programming that helps improve knowledge and helps the community is key.
"We're one of the very few programs that support our scholarship recipients for all four years of their education," Struhar said. "We follow them for four years, and I think that's very important. We pay the money directly to the college each semester and include verification of the enrollment, their full course schedules and require a minimum of 3.0 GPA."
There are currently 16 students receiving scholarships.
One unique standout: Since 2009, the club has provided more than $400,000 in college scholarships to Palm Springs high school students.
"And all that started with Pearl McNanus," Struhar said. "She truly is our role model."
Learn more at pswomansclub.com.
The Inland Empire Community Foundation works to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy. Visit iegives.org.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Grant helps Palm Springs Woman's Club boost scholarship efforts
