The Thomas Munson Foundation Scholarship Fund, Inc. (“The Fund”) is a separate non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and is registered in New York State. It is governed by an elected Board of Directors and established bylaws. Members of the Thomas Munson Foundation are also members of “The Fund” organization. Voting privileges for members of “The Fund” are exactly the same as for the Thomas Munson Foundation.

“The Fund” has two purposes:

1. To establish, steward, and grow a scholarship endowment that funds educational monetary awards to eligible students who are citizens of the United States and who can trace their ancestry to the original settlors/signatories of the colony at New Haven, Connecticut, in 1639.
2. To perpetuate the memory and spirit of Thomas¹ Munson, who was one of the original signatories, by making these scholarship awards.

Funding to establish the initial scholarship endowment started in 1987 and included seed money donated by the Thomas Munson Foundation and its members. For the first 10 years from 1987 to 1997, one-time scholarships of less than $500 were awarded to one or two students per year. Annual donation drives, larger special named scholarship bequests and gifts, along with continued grants from the Thomas Munson Foundation helped to grow the endowment. From 1998 to 2018, one-time scholarships of up to $1,000 – $2,000 were awarded to two to five applicants per year. Between 2015 and 2019, several very large bequests were made to the Scholarship Fund. These allowed the Board of Directors to significantly expand the scholarship program. Starting in 2019 and continuing for the foreseeable future, we offer on an annual basis the following scholarships: four $5,000/yr 4-yr undergraduate renewable, two $2,500/yr 2-yr Community or Junior College renewable; one $5,000/yr 1-time payment for Graduate studies; variable number of $500 – $2000/yr 1-time payment for Honorable Mention; and three $2,000 1-time payment for employer internships. If the fund continues to grow, it is anticipated that the scholarship program will continue to expand in measured and fiscally responsible steps.

The Thomas Munson Foundation Scholarship Fund (TMFSF) Program currently offers four types of academic scholarships:

• $2,500/annual two-year U.S. Community or Junior College Renewable (This includes accredited U.S. Community and Junior colleges and accredited trade and vocational schools
• $5,000/annual four-year Undergraduate U.S. College or University Renewable
• $5,000/annual U.S. Graduate Program non-renewable
• $500 – $2,000/annual Honorable Mention non-renewable

Detailed descriptions, eligibility requirements, and performance metrics for each type of scholarship are given within the application forms.

There is no fee to apply for a TMFSF Scholarship.

To apply, you must be a citizen of the United States and must be able to trace your ancestry to Thomas¹ Munson or another original settler/signatory of the colony at New Haven, Connecticut, in 1639. Information about documenting your descent lineage is provided in the application form. A complete list of the settlers is provided.

As an applicant, you are solely responsible for ensuring all applications materials are complete and submitted through the online portal by the deadline of 11:59pm March 1. The application portal will be open from November 15 to end of day March 1. It will close at 12:00am March 2.

As an applicant, you must ensure that all required academic institution documents, transcripts, and recommendation letters are submitted online by the deadline 11:59pm March 1. Be vigilant and insistent, and make timely and courteous inquires with school(s) and individuals from whom you request documents and letters so that they send the materials by the deadline.

Decisions of the Scholarship Awards Committee are final.

Applicants may address questions about the application instructions to the Scholarship Awards Chairperson, Mr. David Weaver at tmfsfawards@thomasmunson.org

Decisions for Scholarship awardees are made during March to May. Notifications are made during June. If you are awarded a scholarship, our TMFSF Treasurer will send you a data document to complete and return. Data required include your contact information and that of your chosen academic institution. Upon receipt of the data document, the treasurer will verify your enrollment for the upcoming academic year, and then send the scholarship funds directly to the institution. The funds will be credited to your account there.

We welcome your application and will consider it carefully. Please click the link below to get started on your application now.

The Thomas Munson Foundation Scholarship Fund (TMFSF) Program currently offers funds for three short-term employment internship stipends. Each stipend is funded at $2,000, and funds are distributed directly to the awardee for discretionary use in defraying living costs during an internship.

Application for an internship stipend is open year-round. Applications are accepted throughout the calendar year because of variable timing of employment internships. Deadlines for online submittals are:

1. December 1 for 1st Quarter (January 1 to March 31) internships
2. March 1 for 2nd Quarter (April 1 to June 30) internships
3. May 1 for 3rd Quarter (July 1 to September 30) internships
4. September 1 for 4th Quarter (October 1 to December 31) internships

There is no fee to apply for a TMFSF internship stipend.

To apply, you must be a citizen of the United States and must be able to trace your ancestry to Thomas¹ Munson or another original settler/signatory of the colony at New Haven, Connecticut, in 1639. Information about documenting your descent lineage is provided in the application form. A complete list of the settlers is provided.

As an applicant, you are solely responsible for ensuring all application materials, including employer letter of internship offer, are complete and submitted through the online portal by the stated deadlines

Decisions of the Scholarship Awards Committee are final. Notifications will be made the month following the deadline. Funds will be distributed as a check from the TMFSF Treasurer directly to you in the month prior to start of your employment internship.

Applicants may address questions about the application instructions to the Scholarship Awards Chairperson, Mr. David Weaver at tmfsfawards@thomasmunson.org

We welcome your application and will consider it carefully. Please click the link below to get started on your application now.

Documenting Your Descent
From a Signer of the 1639 New Haven Compact

Descent from Thomas¹ Munson:

To document your descent from Thomas¹ Munson, begin your research well in advance of the application deadline.

If you are already registered in the database of Thomas¹ Munson descendants and/or The Munson Record, enter your RN number and clan name on page 4 of the application. No further documentation is needed. Do not enter the number from a Thomas Munson Foundation membership card. It is not an RN number and not a substitute for one.

If you are not already registered or do not know if you are registered, email Mr. Melvyn Douglass, President of the Thomas Munson Foundation, for assistance at President@thomasmunson.org. In the subject line of your email, write “Request for Genealogy Assistance.” You will receive a reply asking for information. Do not wait until the deadline is looming to request assistance.

If you elect to do your own genealogy research instead of requesting assistance, with your application send (1) a copy of your birth certificate and (2) unassailable documentation that establishes your descent from a clan on the Thomas¹ Munson family tree. To research your own genealogy, try Google searches or look for the information on a genealogy website. Some public libraries allow patrons to access genealogy sites at no charge. Submit complete documentation. We may ask you to provide additional information and birth certificates.

Descent from another signer of the 1639 New Haven compact:

If you are descended from a signer of the 1639 Fundamental Agreement for Governance of New Haven Colony other than Thomas¹ Munson, you are eligible to apply for a scholarship, provided you document your descent from your ancestor, send a copy of your birth certificate, and meet all the other application criteria. We may ask you to provide additional information and birth certificates. The following page lists all the signatories to the 1639 Fundamental Agreement document.

To date, the Thomas Munson Scholarship Fund has awarded scholarships to 112 selected students from the greater Thomas¹ Munson family. These students have attended 86 institutions across 32 states in the US, and one in British Columbia, Canada.

The Board of Directors consists of eight officers. Each officer is an elected member from the Thomas Munson Foundation membership.

The Board of Directors conduct the business of “The Fund”, and are governed by the established by-laws of “The Fund”. It is required that a meeting of the directors occur annually. Annual directors meetings are held in conjunction with and immediately following the annual meeting of the Thomas Munson Foundation Board of Directors annual meeting. During even-numbered years, annual meetings are held virtually via video conference. During odd-numbered years, annual meetings are held at an arranged city hotel location. Locations are rotated through the Thomas Munson Foundation US-defined geographic regions.

The Board of Directors is responsible for forming committees whenever needed to complete special projects approved by the board. The “Scholarship Awards Selection Committee” is the only permanent committee governed by the board.

Any and all members of “The Fund” who would like to participate in its activities are encouraged to contact any officer and express your desire to join us. We are looking for enthusiastic next generation of leaders to help us and to take over the business functions of the scholarship organization.