Fall 2009 Grants

114 grants have been funded by EEF.  This represents 89% of the all proposals schools sent us in October!

If you would like more information, please contact the EEF office at 541-343-6877 or eef@4j.lane.edu.  Thank You.

Despite recession, Eugene education grants on target

Donations are up from a year ago and the fund hands out $94,923

By Anne Williams, The Register-Guard, Monday, Nov 16, 2009

Even in an ailing economy, the Eugene Education Fund’s November grant-making tradition is alive and well — thriving, even — thanks to the reliable flow of community donations to local schools.

With its annual fundraising tally ahead of where it was at this point last year, the EEF last week announced 52 grants totaling $94,923 — one or more for every school — and three to fund district-wide programs.

The EEF has awarded grants to schools since 1994, the year after the nonprofit foundation was started. Schools can submit up to two proposals for up to $500 each and two for $2,000 each, EEF executive director David Meredith said, and every school sent in at least one. Nineteen schools sent the maximum of four. Another 11 proposals came from district departments, such as health services and instruction.

Grant-funded projects range from classroom technology to theatrical productions to old-fashioned field trips. At Cesar Chavez Elementary, the only school to have all four of its proposals funded, EEF grants totaling $5,000 will pay for four or five field trips, new math materials, outdoor school, and school supplies for every student.

“Our families — they all work very, very hard, but many of them can’t afford the school supplies,” Principal Denisa Taylor said, noting that nearly 8 in 10 Chavez students are enrolled in the federal free and reduced-price meals program. “Kids need the supplies, and this is the first year we’ve found even more parents could not afford them because of their own stretched budget.”

Taylor and her staff apply for the maximum number of grants every year, knowing the relatively small dollar amount makes a huge difference for students. While the school would cobble together the money regardless for some projects, including the school supplies, others simply wouldn’t happen without the grants, Taylor said.

“We would not have been able to do outdoor school — we really could not have this year,” she said of the overnight, nature-themed excursion for fourth- and fifth-graders. “There’s really no extra funds.”

Karen Olsen, a teacher at McCornack Elementary who leads an annual musical, said the $2,000 EEF grant will cover a majority of the elaborate production. This year, it will be “Willy Wonka.”

“I think what probably appeals to the EEF folks is the musical/theatrical aspect to the grant,” said Hansen. “There are so many really wonderful grants having to do with science and math and technology, but the arts is just such a dying breed, with so little support.”

A panel of EEF board members and community members read each of the 136 proposals, assigning a score between 5 and 1. They tallied the scores and met on Nov. 2 to vote on an initial slate of 47 grants.

Between now and Dec. 31, more grants will be funded as dollars trickle in. Five additional grants have already been funded since Nov. 2, bringing the total to 52. The board prioritized the proposals, favoring schools with higher percentages of low-income students. Already, Meredith said, almost half the grant dollars are earmarked for the third of schools with the highest need.

Meredith said the EEF so far has taken in $712,017 in donations, ahead of the same time last year by $68,049. An Oct. 15 back-to-school gala was the most successful ever, drawing more than 200 attendees and raising $52,360.