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Samuel Ready Scholarships
The Samuel Ready School opened in 1887 under the will of Baltimore merchant Samuel Ready, who made his fortune in sail-making, lumber, and real estate.
Samuel Ready Scholarships
The Samuel Ready School opened in 1887 under the will of Baltimore merchant Samuel Ready, who made his fortune in sail-making, lumber, and real estate. It operated as a residential and day school for girls on North Avenue and Harford Road for 90 years. When the school closed in 1977, its trustees converted the remaining assets into a scholarship-granting foundation, preserving the mission while shedding the operating school. Kindle Samuel, a descendant of the founder, now serves as president of the board. Samuel Ready Scholarships does not run programs; it buys seats. The endowment funds full scholarships at five Baltimore-area independent schools: The Bryn Mawr School, Friends School of Baltimore, Garrison Forest School, Roland Park Country School, and St. Paul's School for Girls. Recipients must demonstrate financial need and academic promise — the foundation selects girls entering middle or high school and supports them through graduation. The board invests the endowment conservatively, drawing down to meet annual scholarship commitments. The board draws professionals from Baltimore's legal, technology, and real estate sectors. Treasurer Amy Fox runs Fox and Fink; Secretary Camiel Irving serves as Vice President of Operations at Uber; board member TC Cosby is a senior managing director at Greysteel. The foundation has received grant support from the RobyDodd Family Charitable Foundation, the Thomas Wilson Sanitarium, and the Kahlert Foundation. Executive Director Talya Hord Constable runs day-to-day operations out of the foundation's Riderwood office. What distinguishes Samuel Ready from generic scholarship funds is its exclusive pipeline. Instead of writing checks to individuals, the foundation maintains formal relationships with five partner schools, guaranteeing that each Ready Scholar is placed inside a structured, high-touch academic environment. This partnership model creates a persistent institutional footprint — the foundation does not disperse and disappear; it remains a named presence on each partner campus year after year.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1977
AUM
$21M
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Riderwood
Corporate office
Riderwood, MD, United States
Principals
Kindle Samuel
President of the Board of Trustees
Talya Hord Constable
Executive Director
Christopher C. Jeffries
Vice President of the Board of Trustees
Amy Fox
Treasurer of the Board of Trustees
Camiel Irving
Secretary of the Board of Trustees
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Samuel Ready Scholarships?
The Board of Trustees, led by President Kindle Samuel, oversees the endowment investment strategy alongside operational governance. The board does not publicly detail its investment committee composition, but members include professionals from Brown Advisory and Greysteel. The endowment is managed conservatively to fund annual scholarship commitments in perpetuity.
How are scholarship recipients selected?
Samuel Ready Scholars are nominated by their partner schools, not through open application. Each of the five partner institutions identifies academically promising girls with significant financial need. The foundation works jointly with the schools to select recipients, who then receive full-tuition support from middle school through high school graduation.
Does Samuel Ready invest directly in operating companies or funds?
The foundation's primary capital deployment is through its endowment — scholarship grants, not direct company investments. While its strategy tags include venture stages, these reflect how its endowment portfolio may be allocated rather than an in-house deal-by-deal investment program. The core activity is funding full-tuition slots at partner schools.
Which schools are formal partners with Samuel Ready Scholarships?
Five independent schools in the Baltimore area receive Samuel Ready Scholars each year: The Bryn Mawr School, Friends School of Baltimore, Garrison Forest School, Roland Park Country School, and St. Paul's School for Girls. These relationships date back decades, with the foundation maintaining a named scholarship presence on each campus.
Where does the Samuel Ready fortune originate?
Samuel Ready made his wealth in 19th-century Baltimore through sail-making, lumber, and real estate holdings. His will directed the creation of a girls' school, which opened in 1887. When the school closed in 1977, the remaining assets formed the scholarship foundation that operates today.
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