626-396-3625
pef@pasedfoundation.org

Our Stories

Back to School Fundraising Kicks Off with Annual Fund Breakfasts

Having a robust annual fund means having Mrs. Pitts, our amazing choral music teacher and Miss Shurney, our extraordinary librarian. It means lending a helping hand to our Don Benito community so children can access educational resources in the school library and hone their musical talent.Katie Conner, Don Benito Annual Fund Co-Chair

The Pasadena Educational Foundation holds 27 annual fund accounts for Pasadena Unified School District schools, which allows parents and principals to raise money for their school’s greatest needs and highest priorities.  During the 2018-2019 school year, our local community raised a total of $1.8 million for school annual funds, helping to enhance and support our classrooms.

For the past two weeks, PEF hosted gatherings of small groups of peer-to-peer exchanges of information and resources for all Annual Fund Chairs and principals of PUSD. Marleni Jimenez, PEF Senior Development Associate, and Frances Dayman, PEF Board Member and Chair of the Annual Fund Committee, facilitated the discussions and spoke about the ways PEF can support PUSD schools in their fundraising. Ideas included displaying the annual fund donation page more prominently on the school website, creating a separate webpage for the annual fund and forming partnerships with the school PTA. Annual Fund Chairs described how they revamped their outreach and incentives to make it easier for families at all income levels to give towards their schools.

At the breakfasts, and throughout the year, PEF helps guide schools on how to structure an annual fund, shares examples of what other schools are doing, helps make connections with community members when possible, offers trainings as needed, and brings school needs to our grant writers to find other potential funding.

School Annual Funds enhance the classrooms and provide enrichment opportunities by providing the crucial funds needed for resources such as librarians, arts specialists, professional development, foreign language aides, classroom aides, computer instruction, athletics, and supplies.

We at PEF, are encouraged by the momentum of schools Annual Funds and project further growth for the 2018-2019 school year.

To learn more information about school annual funds or to support a school, click here: https://pasedfoundation.org/support/annual-funds/

Our Annual Fund is essential to maintaining many of the valued programs at Jackson. While our original magnet grant got things rolling, sustaining things like our garden, music for all grades, and other enrichment opportunities has now transitioned to the annual fund. We wouldn’t be the same school without it! Janelle McGlothin, Jackson Elementary Annual Fund Co-chair