NOVEMBER Member SPOTLIGHT

"I wanted to make Northshore Schools Foundation THRIVE within our district, community, board, staff, and volunteers. Connecting and partnering with other school Foundations is the best way I can elevate Northshore!"

"What I find special is how we’re so supportive of one another! We each have similar missions and goals. We want each other to succeed!"

"For the last five years we have hosted an annual Backpacks for Kids School Supply Drive. This program was started more than 20 years ago and run for a long time by the Northshore School District. Prior to the pandemic we were asked to take it over and have really been able to improve the quality of communication with families, ensure that those farthest from education and social justice are our primary recipients, and streamline the distribution to accommodate over 800+ annually. We’ve been running this event for the past 5 years. This past August, we had one of our most successful years due to the support of local businesses helping us as supply drive hosts.

We had a record breaking: 45+ private and public community hosts gathering donations which resulted in $7,000 in monetary donations and $22,000 worth of school supplies donated. This was matched by over 20 adult and student volunteers who came out to sort, pack, and deliver backpacks. This was not just a Foundation success story, but a community success story. The Northshore community came together to support students in need."

"The biggest challenge is reminding our community why they should donate their time or money to the Foundation. There are numerous nonprofits and charities in our county, all with exceptional service work. We know people have many choices when it comes to giving, and we strive to be one of their top choices.

To combat the donation fatigue experienced by parents, local businesses and school employees we are employing two things that we hope will help us stand out in a crowded field.

1. Having a presence at as many District functions as possible. We want students, parents, and community members to see us in our bright red shirts and know instantly who we are. We also bring free books with us to every event we attend and encourage children to come and take a book home. It is more useful than a pencil, but more memorable.
2. We are beginning to have small fundraisers, linked to our funding pillars, hosted inside school buildings and featuring students and teachers. It is important for constituents to see our funding in action and feel connected to where they give their money. We also are moving away from asking businesses to sponsor events and asking them instead to sponsor one of our pillars. That way they can also feel more connected to the work we are doing and get a year’s worth of exposure rather than one evening."

"I am motivated to be of service. My husband said to me several years ago that he recognized that I am not a person who can be happy working without a larger mission. He was right and has lived with me through a career that has mostly revolved around education but has always been about creating equity and access for families. I am proud that our son, now 11, says that this is something he sees and admires. I want him to know how fulfilling it is to feel that you are working hard to make a difference. I can’t ask for a better legacy!"