FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How Is The Foundation Organized?
The Foundation is governed by an independent Board of Directors of community leaders and educators. The Board determines policies, provides leadership in fund-raising and grant-making, and ensures that gifts to the foundation are used in accordance with the donor's wishes. The Foundation has its own professional staff independent of the MMSD administration. The foundation is independent from the MMSD Board of Education but is endorsed by it.

What Has The Foundation Accomplished?
• Established in September 2000, the Foundation raised more than $5.4 million and has given back more than $600,000 in grants to our schools. This is the largest pool of money available for grant application from teachers and students.

• Initiated endowment funds for each of the 48 schools in the district and all schools have opened an endowment fund of at least $10,000 each. 22 schools have endowment balance of $20,000 or more. This Individual School Endowment Initiative is the first of its kind in the country. Through the generosity of John and Leslie Taylor and the Clay-Price fund each school has received a challenge grant of $5,000 to meet the endowment threshold.  Our next goal is to have every school with an endowment of $50,000 and to be linked with a community partner.

• Developed Adopt a School program to build partnerships between the schools and community groups throughout Madison.

How Can You Make A Difference for Madison's Kids?
We in Madison are fortunate to have one of the best school districts in the country. It is as simple, and as complex, as that.

Generations of Madisonians have enjoyed a quality of education that is at the heart of this incredible community. Our schools touch not only our children but people of all ages. They have an enormous effect on Madison's economic viability - the ability of businesses to attract quality employees, on our neighborhoods and where people choose to live, and providing an educated workforce.

But anyone who reads the newspapers knows that this quality of education is threatened. From sports to drama to music, the enhancements that make our schools great may not be available for our children, or for their children. The impact on the future of Madison is unimaginable.

The Foundation for Madison's Public Schools was started in 2000 and has already benefited every school in some way. The Foundation has developed a Board of Directors of community leaders and educators that is completely independent from the Board of Education but endorsed by it; raised more than $5.4 million; returned $600,000 to our schools for creative and innovative projects that are outside the core school budget; and developed projects, such as Principal for a Day and the Individual School Endowment Initiative, that foster partnerships and bring resources to our schools.

"We sit in the shade of trees planted by someone long ago"

Please make a gift to the campaign that will "make a difference for Madison's kids" now and long into the future. The specific ways you can support the Foundation for Madison's Public Schools:

• Gifts and pledges to support the Unrestricted Fund that is used for the annual unrestricted grants program and the operations of the Foundation are most appreciated.

• The Foundation is building a General Endowment Fund that will provide funding for projects in our schools long into the future; all endowment funds are held at the Madison Community Foundation.

• Gift of any amount can be made to build the endowment funds that have been established for each of the 48 schools in the district and the field of interest funds.  A new field of interest fund can be established with a gift of $10,000.

• Gifts can also be made through a variety of planned giving vehicles, such as your will or listing the Foundation as the beneficiary of an insurance policy.