The Hope Chest Scholarship Foundation has its roots in Morristown, NJ where a visionary committee saw the need to provide greater assistance to minority youth seeking to obtain a college education. It is a story of grit, hard work, and proof that a small group of people committed to a cause, can make a difference. Organized in 1988 initially as a community outreach committee, The Hope Chest Scholarship Foundation, originally serviced the greater Morris County area providing financial support to high school seniors and contributing to service organizations benefiting youth.

In 2000, the Foundation broadened its scope beyond Morris County to encompass the entire state of New Jersey and shifted its focus to providing need-based scholarships to a more diverse group of minority students who are legal residents of New Jersey and matriculating full-time at a post-secondary educational institution. Students represent high schools throughout the state: urban to rural, first-generation college attendees, homes where English is the second language, and homes where a college education was an elusive dream. These students have not only realized the dream of attending college, but they have also graduated and now pursue a variety of careers. Many Hope Chest Scholars are now professionals with major employers.