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INDIVIDUAL
SCHOOL ENDOWMENT INITIATIVE
The Foundation for Madison's Public Schools developed the Individual
School Endowment Initiative, which is unique in the country. This
initiative was designed to build an endowment fund for each of the 48
schools in the district. Through the generosity of John Taylor and the
Clay-Price Fund, each school was offered a challenge grant of $5,000.
Schools needed to raise $5,000 toward the establishment of an
endowment fund in order to earn the $5,000 match and establish their
$10,000 Individual School Endowment Fund. We are thrilled to announce
that as of June, 2007, all 48 schools had met the match and
established endowment funds. 32 schools have endowment fund
balances greater than $20,000 and 6 schools have over $50,000 in
their endowments. This initiative has raised over $1.45 million and
endowment balances continue to grow. Our long-term goal is to see
every school have a $50,000 endowment as well as a mutually beneficial
relationship with a community partner. To that end, we have
established our Adopt-A-School Program.
Annual income from the Individual School Endowment Funds is used to
support creative and innovative initiatives and special projects that
are not supported through the core school budget. A grants committee
at each school consisting of staff, teachers and parents supervises
disbursement of the funds which are available through an annual grant
process. Grants committees look at their schools in a longer-term,
more strategic way when deciding which grants to award.
All 48 schools have reached their initial endowment goal. These schools
begin the process of making grants to their schools for creative and
innovative projects that are outside the core school budget, in addition
to continuing their fund-raising efforts so that their Individual School
Endowment Funds will continue to grow.
If you are interested in learning more about the Individual School
Endowment Initiative, please contact Mary Bartzen at the Foundation for
Madison's Public Schools at 232-7820 or
mbartzen@fmps.org
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