Folds of Honor
Educational scholarships for the families left behind.
When a service member or first responder dies in the line of duty, or comes home permanently disabled, the loss is not the end of what the family carries. A spouse who planned on two incomes now has one. A child who was going to college now has a question mark where the plan used to be.
Folds of Honor exists for that moment. Since 2007 they have awarded hundreds of thousands of educational scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members, and in recent years to the families of first responders as well. The name comes from the folds of the flag presented at a military funeral.
Neighbors in Service represents Folds of Honor in Manatee County.
WHY THIS PILLAR
Folds of Honor sits at the center of our Educate pillar, and it reaches into Honor as well. A scholarship is practical support: tuition covered, a degree finished, a career made possible. It is also an act of remembrance. It says that the sacrifice this family made is still being answered years after the funeral.
Our Educate pillar is built on the conviction that stability comes from tools people can use. For a surviving spouse or a service member’s child, education is the most durable tool there is.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
Folds of Honor scholarships support the spouses and dependent children of service members and first responders who were killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty. First responders include firefighters, law enforcement officers, paramedics, EMTs, and others whose duties routinely involve responding to emergencies, including recognized volunteer organizations.
The qualifying event is a death or a career-ending catastrophic injury. Absent that, a currently serving first responder’s family does not qualify.
Awards run up to $5,000 per academic year and apply to college, technical school, and private K-12 tuition and tutoring. Funds are paid directly to the school, not to the family.
Applications open February 1 and close March 31 each year. Recipients reapply in later years. Full eligibility requirements, required documentation, and the application are at foldsofhonor.org.
If you are a Manatee County family who might qualify, look now rather than in February. The application asks for documentation that takes time to gather, including proof of relationship and agency or medical records describing what happened.
HOW TO STAND WITH THEM
🔗 Click to Donate Online:
📱 Scan to Donate via Mobile: Scan the official NIS-partner QR code below with your smartphone camera to access the direct giving portal:
Tell a family. The families who need these scholarships often do not know they exist, and they are rarely in a position to look for them. If you know a surviving spouse or a disabled veteran’s family in this county, point them toward the application. That single conversation may be worth more than a donation.
Watch for local events. We are developing community events in Manatee County to support Folds of Honor scholarships. Nothing is scheduled yet. When something is, our subscribers hear about it first.
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES
Neighbors in Service accepts no donations for itself. Your gift goes directly to Folds of Honor through their own secure gateway. They process it, they receipt it, and they award it.
Stand With Us
If you are a military or first responder family in Manatee County who has lost someone or is living with a service-connected disability, there is a scholarship here for your spouse or your children. Start at foldsofhonor.org, and reach out to us if you want help thinking it through.
If you are a neighbor with the means to give, this is a direct line from your generosity to a specific child completing a specific degree. And if you would rather give your time than your money, watch this space. We will need hands when the first local event comes together.
Questions, or want to get involved? Contact Dr. Jack McGourty at drjack@neighborsinservice.org.
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