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For Chris Beagle, philanthropy has always been personal. Growing up in South Kingstown, he was shaped by a father who spent more than three decades in university advancement and by a community that left a lasting mark on who he became. "I love Rhode Island to my soul," Chris shares.

After graduating from South Kingstown High School in 1998, Chris spent two decades on the West Coast, building a career in operations and logistics, earning a political science degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and starting a family. Along the way, he discovered a talent for inspiring others to give. As part of a leadership program at the university, he created a student philanthropy initiative called "Slug to Slug," rallying classmates to donate back to their university and exceeding every giving goal set before him. The experience stuck.

When Chris and his wife, Marisa, decided to return east and raise their three boys in Wakefield, he knew he wanted to invest in the community that had meant so much to him growing up. The result is the Beagle Family Rebel Community Scholarship Fund — named for the South Kingstown High School Rebels — a permanently endowed fund established through the Rhode Island Foundation to support scholarships for Rebel students pursuing post-secondary education, whether that's a four-year university, a community college, or a trade program.

"Sometimes we think too big," explains Chris. "We're so concerned with what's happening on the other side of the planet, and that's important, but I fear we've veered away from what we can impact the most: our neighbors, the people close to us." The fund is designed to help students from families with fewer financial advantages, covering costs like tuition, books, laptops, or tools — whatever a young person needs to move forward.

Chris turned to the Rhode Island Foundation after speaking with South Kingstown High School’s guidance counselors and found an immediate connection. "It was clear that the Foundation and I share the same values," he says. "How do we help Rhode Islanders? How do we help the local community?" Chris had a clear vision and a desire to help, but not necessarily a roadmap. That’s where the Foundation partnership proved invaluable, offering the structure, experience, and shared commitment to local giving that turned his idea into something real and lasting.

Looking ahead, Chris hopes the fund will inspire fellow South Kingstown alumni to contribute and grow what he's started, helping the next class of Rebels access education and opportunities that will benefit them and the community they call home. He also hopes his sons will one day carry it forward. "I love that this is going to last long after I do," reflects Chris. "Learning to give back young is a big piece of why I'm doing this."