Fund a Student
One of the most-needed gifts at Canisius is tuition support for students who have overcome challenging circumstances to attend Canisius. A key component of our Jesuit mission is to make a Jesuit education available to academically qualified students regardless of the family’s financial situation.
You can make gifts to the school that go directly towards paying the tuition of a qualified student who would not otherwise be able to afford a Jesuit education.
This can be done through gifts to the Jesuit Promise Fund (formerly the Magis Scholarship Fund) or through the Hardy Mendez Fund (for more information on the Hardy Mendez Fund please see the bottom of this page). These funds become part of Canisius’s annual giving campaign each year and are used during the academic year (July 1 through June 30) to cover the tuition of a deserving student selected by the school based on financial need.
You can fund a student for one year or for multiple years. To donate to the Jesuit Promise Fund or the Hardy Mendez Fund, enter the amount you wish to give below. Donors can also mail a check to the school made out to Canisius High School with “fund a student” in the memo line. All donations made to Fund a Student are tax deductible.
For more information on how to Fund a Student, please contact Vice President for Institutional Advancement Andrew Deyell ’91 at deyell@canisiushigh.org or call 716-200-0265.
(*Fund a Student is not meant to be a tuition paying mechanism for current parents or family members of current students who wish to pay the tuition bill for their student. It is to be used for charitable donations. Donations made on this page cannot be designated by the donor to a specific student. Canisius High School makes all decisions on how these funds are allocated and to whom.)
The inspiration behind the Hardy Mendez Fund
Michael Hardy, CFP ’96 (right) is the founder of Ocean Wealth Group. Dan Mendez ’90 (left) is the managing partner for Diverse Funding Associates, LLC.
They are two men from challenging upbringings who credit Canisius with changing the trajectory of their lives.
Mike Hardy '96 had a troubled past. His dad was a bowling alley mechanic and his mom wasn't in the picture. Mike ended up in foster care and eventually back with dad in Springville, where he lived in poverty. He enrolled at Canisius as a freshman, but it wasn't long before he was living on his own. He rented an apartment for $200 dollars a month and worked at Bob & John's Pizza to cover the cost. Mike's mom passed away from an overdose, then his dad died from cancer shortly thereafter. Mike was in no way prepared for the rigors of Canisius. He was one foot out the door.
One day a teacher said, "Hardy, you had better get your act together or you're going to have a long four years here at Canisius." Those words made Mike feel like he belonged. Fr. Ciancimino helped find tuition assistance so Mike could stay at Canisius. He found support, friendships and direction playing sports for school, but most importantly, he found a school that was tough, compassionate, and believed in him no matter what.
Dan Mendez '90 came from Bogota, Columbia to Cheektowaga with a single mom who was focused on starting the Food Bank of WNY while living on minimum wage. Dan desired structure and knowledge, but Canisius was only possible because of financial aid. Dan also saw Canisius as a life-changing experience which gave him a moral and educational foundation to grow as a person and to give back.
Mike and Dan have partnered to provide the opportunity for a Jesuit education to a young man with a difficult past or present circumstance and who may not be able to attend Canisius due to lack of financial means or extreme social/environmental dysfunction.
The fund has raised nearly $400,000 for students for whom a CHS education was thought to be beyond their reach.
They're just getting started.
Donate to the Hardy Mendez Fund today by going to the "Make Your Gift" page and selecting "Hardy Mendez Angel Fund" from the drop-down menu.