Great Dames Names Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation 2025 Remarkable Ideas Grant Recipient

Delaware nonprofit awarded $25,000 package to empower women through education, mentorship, and storytelling

Wilmington, DE and Philadelphia, PA – Nov 19, 2025 — Great Dames announced today that Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation (FSSF) has been selected as the 2025 Remarkable Ideas Grant Recipient. FSSF was chosen from a field of five women-led nonprofit finalists for its powerful vision to use education, mentorship, and storytelling to transform the lives of Delaware women.

The award package, funded by the Great Dames Giving Circle, includes $10,000 in cash and more than $15,000 in business services, along with access to a seasoned business mentor and a strategic partnership with Great Dames to help amplify FSSF’s impact.

Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation’s mission is to empower Delaware women through education and mentorship, providing scholarships and one-on-one support to women returning to school to complete their degrees and build more secure futures for themselves and their families.

“Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation opens doors that many women once thought were closed,” said Sharon Kelly Hake, founder and president of Great Dames Inc. “When we invest in a woman’s education and support network, the impact reaches her children, her family, her workplace, and her community. I know I speak for the entire Great Dames community when I say we’re incredibly proud to stand with Fresh Start as it continues to help more Delaware women move forward with confidence and opportunity.”

The 2025 Remarkable Ideas Grant Program highlighted the power of storytelling to spark change, amplify unheard voices, and unite communities. During the Remarkable Ideas Live Pitch Night on October 20, finalists presented their bold ideas to a live virtual audience, culminating in the November 18 Celebration where the Great Dames Giving Circle announced Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation as this year’s recipient.

In addition to Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation, the 2025 finalists included:

  • Byrd Cancer Education and Advocacy Foundation – Nia Imani Bailey, founder

  • Global Interactions/World Academy for the Future of Women – Jerrie Ueberle, founder

  • The Wardrobe – Sheri Cole, executive director

  • One Village Alliance/Girls Can Do Anything – Chandra Pitts, founder

“We are grateful to every finalist for the courageous, innovative work they are doing for women and girls,” added Kelly Hake. “They each represent a remarkable idea worth investing in, and we look forward to continuing to support and amplify their work.”

About Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation

Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation empowers Delaware women through education and mentorship. The organization provides scholarships and one-on-one mentoring to women who are returning to college later in life, helping them overcome financial and personal barriers to earning their degrees and achieving long-term economic stability.

About Great Dames Inc.

Great Dames Inc. is a women’s leadership and social impact organization dedicated to helping women discover their voice, elevate their leadership, and drive meaningful change in their communities. Through conversations, peer mastermind groups, storytelling platforms, and philanthropic initiatives like the Great Dames Giving Circle and Remarkable Ideas Grant Program, Great Dames invests in women leaders and women-led nonprofits creating a better world for women and girls.

For interviews, images, or more information about the 2025 Remarkable Ideas Grant Program, contact Sharon Kelly Hake at SharonHake@Great-Dames.com.

Great Dames