Donor Spotlight: Joyce & Jerry Klein

Joyce and Jerry Klein married September 6, 1974. After a few work trips to Alaska, Jerry brought Joyce up and she too fell in love with our state. The two bought a house on the hillside in Anchorage and began their great Alaskan adventure. Forty years later, Joyce established the JJ Klein Scholarship while still living in their first home.

Preceded in death by her husband, Joyce knew exactly how she and Jerry planned to leave their mark on Alaska. The JJ Klein Scholarship supports Alaskan high school graduates pursuing post-secondary education; however, with a unique caveat. Applicants must have a grade point average ranging between 3.2 and 2.0. That is a “B” or “C” average. Another qualifying requirement, applicants must demonstrate the motivation to succeed.

Joyce wanted to establish something that would ‘give a leg up’ to talented students with potential. Through ACF, she was able to set up a scholarship that honored her and her late husband. That’s what ACF is here to for – to help everyday Alaskans support the people and programs that make a difference in our state.

Ethan Tyler, The Alaska Community Foundation Major Gifts Officer

Joyce passed away in June. This August, the JJ Klein Scholarship will award its first $10,000 scholarship.