Morgan Scout Fund

We value experimentation.

Through Morgan Scout Fund, Burton D. Morgan Foundation engages in projects and initiatives that are experimental in nature and on the leading edge of entrepreneurship support and education.  Morgan Scout Fund recognizes the pioneering spirit of our founder, Burt Morgan, and his belief that free enterprise thrives in environments that encourage innovation, explore new ideas, and tolerate informed risk.  The Foundation translates that entrepreneurial spirit to support Scout Fund projects that are in an evolutionary state and require time and resources to experiment and pivot as the project develops and grows.  While there is no set formula for Scout Fund grants, programs usually deliver a unique solution to address a need or gap in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.   Morgan Scout Fund grants are typically initiated by Foundation staff.  New opportunities will be posted here.

Examples of recent Morgan Scout Fund initiatives: 

Youth Entrepreneurship: Created by the Six District Educational Compact, the EntrepreNEW program is a bold, new approach to entrepreneurial education designed to empower young people pursuing Career Technical Education with the skill set needed to meet the demands of success in today’s world.  Morgan Foundation provided a multi-year grant through the Morgan Scout Fund to advance the initiative through the creation of experiential entrepreneurship education guidebooks that can be integrated into a variety of CTE trades and programs seeking to develop student skills. 

Developed in partnership with Young Entrepreneur Institute, YIPPEE is a community of educators working together to bring the best entrepreneurial resources to their K-12 classrooms and after school programs.  Beyond exchanging product information, YIPPEE connects like minds to share experiences and ideas; to inspire one another on their journey; and nurture personal and professional growth.

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Collegiate Entrepreneurship:  The first project launched by the Morgan Scout Fund, the Changemaker Grant program was designed to identify and support programs, projects, and research efforts that address gaps in collegiate entrepreneurship in innovative ways.  Five Northeast Ohio universities were awarded grants in 2019 as part of this initiative. The Changemaker Grant program also honored the decade-long collaboration between the Foundation and JumpStart to connect campus entrepreneurship programs to the region’s ecosystem and its assets through the JumpStart Higher Education Collaboration Council.  

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Adult Entrepreneurship: University of Akron Research Foundation launched a new hard tech accelerator called STRIDE (Startup Teams Rising in the Development of Entrepreneurship). Hard tech is any physical product or component based on new technology. The STRIDE Accelerator provides commercialization training to startups with validated product-market fit and funding for technology demonstration so that startups can transition into being investment-ready with the skills required to go to market. 

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