Beyond Money: Benefits of an Education Foundation.Fund raising is fine, but true value may be in bridge building Fact: The U.S. population is aging. Fact: Households with children attending public schools are becoming an ever-smaller percentage of the U.S. population. Fact: Most school districts still function as though parents are their largest constituency. Widening Gap While U.S. schools today enroll a record number of students, the number of households that do not have children in school outnumber out·num·ber tr.v. out·num·bered, out·num·ber·ing, out·num·bers To exceed the number of; be more numerous than. outnumber Verb to exceed in number: families with school children by more than 2 to 1. And this gap is widening. Should educators and school officials be concerned about this growing differential? You bet! Patrick Jackson Born September 10, 1991 in South Union area of Houston, TX Patrick was born to Native American mother, Dana Jackson and a Afro-Cuban father, Patrick Jackson Sr. , the late public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most adviser and practitioner, used to chide school officials by reminding them that the true customers of public schools are not the parents who send us their children or the businesses that employ our graduates. Rather, he would say, our key stakeholders Stakeholders All parties that have an interest, financial or otherwise, in a firm-stockholders, creditors, bondholders, employees, customers, management, the community, and the government. are the taxpayers who send us their money to operate our schools and who have the power to vote "yes" or "no" at the ballot box. They are the owners of our school systems. What are American schools doing to communicate to and build relation-ships with these owners, especially those who don't have school-age children? One of the most powerful and effective tools schools can use to build relationships with this group is the education foundation. While school foundations vary in their roles and activities, a school foundation is defined here as a private not-for-profit entity, usually incorporated under appropriate state laws or under the sponsorship of another private nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. , which is governed by a board of directors separate and distinct from the educational entity for which it was created to support. Many, if not most, school foundations were established as fund-raising arms of the school district. Indeed, many were set up in the wake of unsuccessful efforts to pass a bond or levy measure or after a particularly nasty round of budget cuts. However, when the vision of these foundations becomes too narrow and expectations are too high, their results are often disappointing. Successful school foundations realize that their most effective role and benefits derive from goals beyond mere fund raising. Growing Phenomenon Many private and parochial pa·ro·chi·al adj. 1. Of, relating to, supported by, or located in a parish. 2. Of or relating to parochial schools. 3. elementary and secondary schools have had school foundations for decades and often rely on their fund-raising prowess PROWESS Infectious disease A clinical trial–Recombinant Human Activated Protein C [Zovant™] Worldwide Evaluation in Severe Sepsis to generate a large percentage of their institutional budgets. In contrast, public school foundations generally are not held responsible for providing a substantial portion of their school district's budget. Public school foundations and local education funds had their genesis in large, urban school districts. The San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden Education Foundation, founded in 1979, was an early leader and model in this arena. In 1982, the Public Education Fund, now the Public Education Network, received a grant from the Ford Foundation to assist in the creation of nearly 50 local education funds in urban and impoverished im·pov·er·ished adj. 1. Reduced to poverty; poverty-stricken. See Synonyms at poor. 2. Deprived of natural richness or strength; limited or depleted: rural areas. PEN provided--and continues to provide--valuable support and guidance to its member institutions through networking, information and other resources. In other communities, school foundations grew from local efforts entirely separate from their school district. Founders included corporate leaders, chambers of commerce, colleges and universities, other local charities, parent groups, booster clubs A booster club is an organization that is formed to contribute money to an associated club, sports team, or organization. Booster clubs are popular in American schools at the high school and university level. and alumni groups. However, the impetus for creating most foundations has arisen from school boards and school districts themselves. No definitive count or central registry of public school foundations exists in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Best estimates now put the number at well over 3,000. They operate in school districts with hundreds of thousands of students as well as districts with just a few hundred pupils. Indeed, in a few states, including Florida and Oklahoma, nearly every school district has organized a foundation. In some locations, such as San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. , Calif., and Pocatello, Idaho Pocatello (IPA: [po kə tɛ lo]) is the county seat and largest city of Bannock CountyGR6 , individual schools have their own foundation, in addition to district-wide foundations. States such as West Virginia West Virginia, E central state of the United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania and Maryland (N), Virginia (E and S), and Kentucky and, across the Ohio R., Ohio (W). Facts and Figures Area, 24,181 sq mi (62,629 sq km). Pop. and Arizona have created statewide public school foundations to promote excellence in public schools. Beyond Funds School districts do not need foundations to raise money. American schools have been raising private funds for over a century through performances, product sales and other fund-raising activities. And now they also write and secure government and private grants that sometimes total millions of dollars. So why would a school district want or need a school foundation if it is perfectly capable of raising its own private funds? The purpose of a school foundation is no more to raise money than the purpose of a school district is to collect taxes. The most successful school foundations use fund raising simply as a means to an end. What that end is depends on the characteristics and needs of the school district and the community it serves. School foundations are not based on a single model. Although they share some features, each foundation is unique. Foundations derive their purposes and roles from the groups that create them. These purposes and roles vary widely, and once established, they dictate most aspects of the foundation's operations. It is against these purposes that the foundation's success will be judged, so they should be clearly defined. Some foundations define their role as an advocate for public education and school improvement. They use their resources and fund-raising abilities to be active partners in school reform campaigns, which they often initiate. They value their independence and freedom from education politics. The Public Education Network is a leader in this approach. Many school foundations find their mission in promoting positive public relations for their schools. Foundations can be a valuable tool in a school district's communication efforts. "A foundation is, in essence, an awareness campaign," says Connie Blaney, public relations director for the Norman, Okla., school district. "Our foundation serves as an advocate in the community and a partner with our schools. It is great public relations for the Norman public schools." Dean Thornton Dean Thornton is a footballer, who is currently playing for Banbury United, on loan from Wycombe Wanderers F.C. He is a trainee at Wycombe who plays in goal. He has been loaned to Banbury United due to their injury crisis. , a retired president of the Boeing Corp., co-founded the Seattle Alliance for Education. He echoes this sentiment from the point of view of a business leader. "Our foundation has helped improve the image of the Seattle public schools Seattle Public Schools refers to the school district of Seattle, Washington, USA. It is the largest public school district in Washington, and the 44th largest in the United States, with 47,449 students in 2002. . Foundations can help with this effort in areas where the state is delinquent in its support of public education. Foundations can build bridges between schools and the public, especially community sectors that have been previously overlooked. "Foundations bring in a whole different set of patrons with whom we get to work. They find out more about our school district," says Marsha Chappelow, assistant superintendent Assistant Superintendent, or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was a rank used by police forces in the British Empire. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank. of communication services for the Blue Valley School District in Overland Park Overland Park, city (1990 pop. 111,790), Johnson co., NE Kans., a residential suburb of Kansas City; inc. 1960. There is printing and publishing, and the manufacture of apparel, aircraft parts, cement, prepared foods, salt, chemicals, marine accessories, and signs. , Kan. "You are educating patrons as well as fund raising from them." Reaching Out Our communities are filled with people and organizations who don't have direct connections in our schools and yet whose support is indispensable if public schools are to be successful. As parents become an ever-smaller percentage of our population and nonstudent households increase in number and influence, school districts must modify their public relations efforts in conjunction with this shift. Chappelow cites senior citizens and empty nesters empty nester n. Informal A parent whose children have grown and left home. Noun 1. empty nester - a parent whose children have grown up and left home among the key groups that schools must reach out to. A school foundation can be a valuable player in building bridges to these targeted groups. Putting senior citizens on your foundation board is a first step in reaching out to this particular group. School foundations also have funded or operated senior volunteer programs in schools, while others have created or sponsored intergenerational in·ter·gen·er·a·tion·al adj. Being or occurring between generations: "These social-insurance programs are intergenerational and all programs such as "senior proms For the formal end-of-school-year dance, see . Senior Prom is a still-classified U.S. Air Force program to develop a stealth unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicle (and possibly as a cruise missile), designed to be launched from a DC-130, B-52, or B-1. ". My own school foundation in Lewiston, Idaho Lewiston is the county seat of and largest city in Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States. It is the second largest city in the Idaho Panhandle region behind Coeur d'Alene. , launched an intergenerational cookbook (programming) cookbook - (From amateur electronics and radio) A book of small code segments that the reader can use to do various magic things in programs. One current example is the "PostScript Language Tutorial and Cookbook" by Adobe Systems, Inc (Addison-Wesley, ISBN project that entailed junior high students interviewing senior citizens to collect old family recipes and the history behind them. The students compiled these stories and recipes into a book, and sales of the cookbook generated three times more revenue than what it cost the foundation to produce. But it was the relationships that were created through this project that mattered most. Other groups to target might include public officials, retired school employees, high school alumni, parents of preschoolers, spouses and families of school employees, single persons, clergy, real estate agents, local celebrities, small business owners, corporate officials, regional community leaders, economic development groups, civic organizations, philanthropists, foundations and higher education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. institutions. Few school districts by themselves have the resources to effectively and regularly reach out to all of these groups. And yet these groups constitute a majority of our patrons and have the potential to help or hinder hin·der 1 v. hin·dered, hin·der·ing, hin·ders v.tr. 1. To be or get in the way of. 2. To obstruct or delay the progress of. v.intr. the work of our schools. Forging Relations Relationships are the most important thing a school foundation can build, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Phyllis G. Kaplan, a professor in the educational psychology department at California State University Enrollment  at Hayward.
"Long after the computer you purchase is in a landfill or that book
you buy gathers dust on a shelf, the relationships your foundation
creates will leave a legacy that will forever affect the lives of
children," Kaplan says.
How do foundations lay the groundwork and then build these relationships? Foundations can create speakers bureaus that bring people of all walks of life into our schools to share their experiences with students. The school foundation in Lewiston, Idaho, sponsors an annual program called "A Taste of Teaching" during American Education Week. The foundation works with the schools to invite hundreds of local citizens into our classrooms to present a lesson and learn what a day is like in the life of a teacher. To develop relationships with local businesses, foundations can work with them to arrange field trips for students and teachers to places they might otherwise not have access to. They can create apprenticeship positions and job-shadowing programs. They can create business roundtable Business Roundtable (BRT), an association consisting of the chief executive officers of major U.S. corporations that was founded in 1972 through the merger of the three preexisting business organizations. groups to help advise the superintendent. Foundations can promote career and college planning and award scholarships to students interested in pursuing particular careers. The Metropolitan Nashville Public Education Foundation, for example, worked with 9th, and 10th, grade students, their parents and their teachers to promote conversations and activities that would increase the students' opportunities to attend college. School foundations can be the catalysts to create high school alumni associations An alumni association is an association of graduates (alumni) or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools (especially independent schools), fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni , retired employee organizations and preschool PTAs. They can open dialogue with local media outlets to ensure adequate and proper coverage of public education. The education foundation in Nashville, for example, researched and printed a guide to the school district budget that helps deepen deep·en tr. & intr.v. deep·ened, deep·en·ing, deep·ens To make or become deep or deeper. deepen Verb to make or become deeper or more intense Verb 1. the community's understanding of and involvement in setting budget priorities for schools. Foundations can help welcome new families to the community. They can convene CONVENE, civil law. This is a technical term, signifying to bring an action. town meetings and discussion groups to help plan for school district growth. The Lincoln, Neb., Public Schools Foundation partnered with the Gallup Organization to survey community members about what constitutes a quality education. Their report, "Lincoln Speaks," helps provide a blueprint to a public engagement program in which the foundation remains actively involved. Another role for school foundations is in the recruitment, retention and recognition of quality staff members. This role may include everything from sponsoring awards ceremonies for outstanding and retiring teachers to providing support for professional development programs. The Seattle Alliance was instrumental in helping recruit the late John Stanford, a retired Army general, to Seattle as superintendent. In fact, Dean Thornton, a founder of the Seattle Alliance, served as chairman of the recruitment committee. In its early years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time Foundation for Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Fla., deemed assisting with teacher recruitment to be one of its main goals. The foundation developed a program to grow its own teachers by awarding loans to promising students who go to college to become teachers. If the students returned to teach in the Orange County Public Schools, their loan was forgiven. The majority did return, according to Nancy Peed, executive director of the foundation. A Board Beginning The most important relationship a foundation helps foster is that between the school district and the members of the foundation board. Foundation board members typically are community leaders, activists and public education supporters. If the board is to truly reflect the community it serves, then it will have an adequate percentage of retired people, senior citizens and nonparents, in addition to parents and school staff members. About two-thirds of the membership should be persons who do not have children presently enrolled in school. Consequently, board members may come to their position without in-depth knowledge of the school system. "The relationship that is built between the school district and the foundation board members is very important," says Blaney, school public relations director in Norman, Okla. "These community members are demonstrating their support for students and teachers and are making a commitment to education." it is crucial that school officials build a relationship of trust and take time to educate them about the important issues facing public education, she adds. Foundation board members are willing to contribute their time and talent to help the foundation and the school district achieve their respective goals. So how can school districts actively support their foundation? "There needs to be a reciprocal relationship that provides support both ways," says Chappelow of the Blue Valley Schools in Kansas. "The foundation should support the goals of the district, and both entities must work cooperatively to start or sustain support of valuable educational programs." This mutual support was illustrated in Seattle, when the Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Alliance for Education worked together to establish The Principal Leadership Institute in 1996. The program helps provide Seattle principals with the skills necessary to serve as effective instructional leaders and CEOs of their schools. Blaney maintains that trust plays a big role in a school foundation's success. "You cannot have a successful foundation without strong support, trust and friendship between the foundation board, the school board and school administrators. You cannot have conflict. Each group must support and respect the work of the others." Can a school foundation achieve success without raising money? Certainly, as long as it defines its mission in terms of connections instead of cash. The work of a school foundation is as much friend raising as it is fund raising. Foundations will never supplant sup·plant tr.v. sup·plant·ed, sup·plant·ing, sup·plants 1. To usurp the place of, especially through intrigue or underhanded tactics. 2. large amounts of tax dollars. It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to redefine Verb 1. redefine - give a new or different definition to; "She redefined his duties" define, delimit, delimitate, delineate, specify - determine the essential quality of 2. the purpose of foundations to focus on community relationships instead of money. The benefits are immeasurable. Mark Havens is community relations 1. The relationship between military and civilian communities. 2. Those public affairs programs that address issues of interest to the general public, business, academia, veterans, Service organizations, military-related associations, and other non-news media entities. director for Independent School District 1, 3317 1 12th St., Lewiston, Idaho 83501 and the author of Dream Rig: Creating and Growing Your School Foundation. E-mail: mark@lewiston.k12.id.us The Role of the Superintendent Whether or not a school foundation is successful-or is even created-often depends on the attitude and role of the district superintendent District Superintendent may be:
"It's not going to succeed if the administrators are not on board," says Susan Sweeney, executive director of the California Consortium of Education Foundations. Most foundations do not envision their superintendent playing a role similar to that of a university president, many of whom count fund raising today as among their most important duties. Nonetheless, few major donors are likely to part with their money without a face-to-face meeting with the school system's CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . Superintendents are more commonly viewed as the chief bridge-builder between the school district and the foundation and the greater community. "Communication is critical," says Caroline O. Boitano, executive director of the Bank of America
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC TYO: 8648 ) is the largest commercial bank in the United States in terms of deposits, and the largest company of its kind in the world. Foundation and president of the California Consortium. "For a local education foundation to be successful, the superintendent as well as the school board must value the foundation as an educational partner, linking schools to the community and securing untapped resources. While separate entities, the school administration, school board and education foundation are most effective when they work collaboratively." The foundation board is usually among the most important groups of local citizens that a superintendent meets with regularly. This communication opportunity should never be squandered squan·der tr.v. squan·dered, squan·der·ing, squan·ders 1. To spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate. See Synonyms at waste. 2. . "If nothing else, the foundation is another group of informed parents and patrons for the superintendent to interact with," says Marsha Chappelow, an assistant superintendent in Overland Park, Kan. "It is crucial for the superintendent to keep foundation board members informed of current school issues." And not just issues either. In this time of rapid changes in our schools, it is critical for school officials to educate foundation members about the changing nature and mission of public education. "I am able to communicate with our foundation board about the goals and policies of our district, thereby assisting in the overall function and success of the foundation," says Joy C. Rapp, superintendent of Independent School District 1 in Lewiston, Idaho. "A foundation not only establishes an additional funding source for our district, it also serves as a wonderful community relations focus for the work of our public schools." Connie Blaney, past president of the National School Public Relations Association, agrees. A school district and its foundation "can't be going down different roads," she says. "The superintendent can help the foundation board with its vision of its future, its purpose, mission and the direction that both it and the school district need to be moving." Superintendents, she adds, must clearly articulate the needs of the school district, as well as the accountability pressures that all public schools now face. The superintendent's roles with respect to a school foundation are many and varied: bridge builder Bridge Builder is a series of computer games developed and published by Chronic Logic. Bridge Builder is the first in the series, followed by Pontifex, Pontifex 2 (later renamed to Bridge Construction Set[1]), and Bridge It. , convener con·vene v. con·vened, con·ven·ing, con·venes v.intr. To come together usually for an official or public purpose; assemble formally. v.tr. 1. , chief communicator, major fund raiser A Fund Raiser' is an organized event, attempting to collect money. The money to be collected is usually for a specific item or need. The event also can entail gimmicks or activities to promote donor interest. , visionary. But with focus and tact, a superintendent can find a school foundation to be among the most potent tools available to win the day in the court of public opinion. Resources for Education Foundations Few resources are specifically tailored for the needs of public school foundations, but many of those that target nonprofits in general can be of great assistance to school leaders. Below are several resources that may be useful. Books Achieving Excellence in Fund Raising by Henry A. Russo. Published by Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, Calif., 415-433-1740, www.josseybass.com. The ultimate book on fund raising. Dream Big: Creating and Growing Your School Foundation by Mark M. Havens. Published by the National School Public Relations Association, Rockville, Md., 301-519-0496, www.nspra.org Philanthropy philanthropy, the spirit of active goodwill toward others as demonstrated in efforts to promote their welfare. The term is often used interchangeably with charity. at Independent Schools by Helen A. Colson. Published by the National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools, governed by a board of trustees and staffed by approximately 40 individuals, is a U.S.-based membership organization and the national voice of independent education. , Washington, D.C. 202-973-9700, www.nais.org. Written for private schools but applicable to public schools, too. Web Sites About.com has compiled numerous references of interest to nonprofits. www.nonprofit.about.com The California Management Assistance Partnership, publisher of the free Board Cafe electronic newsletter. www.genie genie: see jinni. An online information and bulletin board service that closed its doors at the end of 1999, much to the dismay of its many users, some of whom were still chatting when the plug was pulled. .org Grant resources for school foundations. www.schoolgrants.org The Internet Nonprofit Center. www nonprofits.org The Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits, with a large library of resources of all kinds. www.mapnp.org Organizations Alliance for Education, 509 Olive Way, Suite 220, Seattle, Wash. 98101, 206-343-0449, www.alliance4ed.org California Consortium of Education Foundations, P.O. Box 19290, Stanford, Calif. 94309, 650-324-1653, www.cceflink.org. Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, 719 Torrey Pines Torrey Pines can refer to:
Lincoln Public Schools Lincoln Public Schools is the only public school district in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. It is the second largest of Nebraska's 596 school districts, surpassed only by Omaha Public Schools. LPS educates more than 32,100 students in 54 schools. The current superintendent is E. Foundation, 5901 O St., P.O. Box 82889, Lincoln, Neb. 68510, 402-436-1612, www.foundation.lps.org Lewiston Independent Foundation for Education, 3317 12th St., Lewiston, Idaho.83501, 208-748-3010, www.lewiston.kl2.id.us/comrel/LIFE.hrml. Metropolitan Nashville Public Education Foundation, P.O. Box 50640, Nashville, Tenn. 37205 615-383-6773, www.nashvillepef.org National School Public Relations Association, 15948 Derwood Road, Rockville, Md. 20855, 301-519-0496. www.nspra.org Public Education Network, 601 13th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, 202-628-7460, www.publiceducation.org. San Francisco Education Fund, 47 Kearny St., Suite 200, San Francisco, Calif. 94108, 415-912-2929, www.sfedfund.org |
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