End of Year Giving and Our Grant Program

Last month, we conducted a survey of Corvallis School District employees. One of the questions we asked was whether the survey respondent had ever applied for a Mini-Grant for Educational Excellence and whether they were aware of how these grants are funded. More than 70% of respondents had applied for a grant, but fewer than 50% knew where the money comes from.

In short, it comes from donors like you.

CPSF receives a limited number of donations that are directed specifically to grants. Some donors provide gifts for particular programs so that we can offer music or art grants. Others donate specifically for the grant program and allow our grant committee to decide what kind of grants are most needed.

CPSF has a few endowments that also help fund our grant program. The James Muldoon Endowment, the Zel Brook Art Endowment, and the Doris Myers Endowment are three examples. When investments are doing well, we are able to supplement our grant program with these.

Our fall grant cycle is funded primarily by proceeds from the Woodstock's Spring for Kids Run held each March. Last year, the run provided us with nearly $10,000. This year, those proceeds allowed us to offer grants in the fall despite a decrease in undesignated giving.

But by and large, the majority of our grant program is funded with undesignated gifts. 509J employees have shown a tremendous appreciation for our grant program, but this year, we've had to cut back on the amount of funding we can offer. As you consider your end of year giving, please think about the Mini-Grants for Educational Excellence Program. Consider what it means for a teacher to have the opportunity to provide students with a unique learning experience like the hands-on CHS Bioswale activity or Hoover's Dixon Creek Water Study or Cheldelin's Mock Congress event.

These are the learning experiences that students cherish and remember. With significant budget cuts throughout the school district and more looming for next year, your undesignated donation is even more important.

Thank you for supporting our schools, our students, our community.