SKYCTC Receives Historic $4.2 Million Gift for Student Scholarships
Tincher Foundation award is the largest gift from a single family in SKYCTC history
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The Robert and Mary Tincher Charitable Foundation is preparing to dissolve after distributing nearly $19 million in final gifts to five Bowling Green and Warren County organizations, including a major investment in scholarships at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College.
The foundation distributed $18,805,375.32 on Aug. 28 before its planned dissolution at the end of September. The SKYCTC Foundation received more than $4.2 million, which will be placed in an endowment to provide scholarships for students from Bowling Green and Warren County high schools, pursuing technical education and other post-secondary opportunities.
This donation brings the total giving from the Tincher family and foundation to the SKYCTC Foundation to $7,553,343, with nearly 1000 students receiving scholarships to date from their generosity.
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College Chancellor, Michelle Trawick,, said the gift will create expanded opportunities for students and strengthen the region’s workforce.
“SKYCTC is working hard to make higher education accessible to learners of all backgrounds in our community. This gift means even more students from Bowling Green and Warren County will be able to pursue their education without taking on debt, setting themselves and our region up for greater success,” Trawick said.
Heather Rogers, Executive Director of the SKYCTC Foundation, said the gift will support students for generations.
“There are not enough words to express how appreciative and grateful we are,” Rogers said. “This will benefit so many students through scholarships and help them reach their dreams.”
Because the money will be invested in an endowment, the scholarship support is expected to continue indefinitely. The funds will assist students seeking technical degrees as well as those who plan to continue their education at Western Kentucky University after attending SKYCTC.
“An endowment is really transformational because it allows us to provide scholarships in perpetuity,” Rogers said.
Final gifts support five local organizations
In addition to SKYCTC, the Tincher Foundation’s final distribution supported:
- The College Heights Foundation at Western Kentucky University
- The Bowling Green Boys & Girls Club
- The Salvation Army
- The Med Center Health Foundation
The gifts bring the Tinchers’ total charitable giving to more than $31 million during the foundation’s existence.
A legacy built on local philanthropy
The foundation was created with wealth accumulated by Robert Tincher, who founded and operated Monarch Environmental, a Bowling Green solid-waste franchise, from 1976 to 1996. Following his death, his wife Mary Tincher established the foundation in 2009.
“We knew the Tinchers. We knew what they wanted to do with their wealth that they accumulated,” said Joe Bill Campbell, secretary, director and general counsel for the foundation. “They had no children, and so we wanted to make sure that we were carrying out their wishes.”
Lawrence White, chairman of the foundation, said Robert Tincher served as a mentor to him and that the couple were like family.
“I feel good today because I know that they would be very happy to see what this foundation has been able to achieve with the gifts that we’ve been able to give in their names,” White said.
The foundation has filed articles of dissolution, and the process is expected to become effective Sept. 30 under applicable state and federal regulations. Its final board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 23.
Although the foundation will no longer exist, the organizations receiving its final gifts will continue the Tinchers’ legacy using the funds to support students, families and other residents throughout Bowling Green and Warren County.
