Area's school foundations make a big difference

As outlined in Sunday’s Daily Home, local school foundations are making up for lost state funding by providing the extras that are so often critical to the success of our children.
From Sylacauga’s $100,000 grant for technology last year to Pell City’s funding of a trip to Europe to Talladega’s musical education grants, the foundations are stepping in to help local school systems caught between reduced revenue at the state and local level.
Tough economic times make it tough on the foundations as well.
First, raising the money is more difficult.
Most foundations work from a base amount of money contributed by donors. That money is then invested, and the investment income is used to fund programs approved by the foundation’s board.
“The days of a $25,000 chair from (someone) down the street are not there anymore, so that’s something we are evaluating right now,” said Laura Strickland, who leads the Sylacauga Schools Foundation.
Without those larger gifts, foundations sometimes find themselves participating in fundraisers to build the principal balance available for investment.
And, as is the case across the country, the investment return is not as great as it was a few years ago, meaning the foundations face a double hit — not as much money to invest and a smaller return on their investments.
Jason Goodgame, who is president of the Pell City School Foundation, says his group has changed the way it awards grants to deal with the reality of less money to give away.
They have gone from awarding $18,000 to $20,000 in grants each year to awarding $12,000 to $13,000, in Pell City.
Talladega, which usually awards $9,000 to $10,000 in grants each year, sometimes goes outside the classroom, providing money for needed items in the band program or in the athletic program.
The success stories are plentiful. There is no doubt that students all across our area benefit from school foundations, set up to provide much-needed money for our schools.
“I’ve served on a lot of boards, but this is the only thing I’ve stuck with, because there is such a need to help,” said Goodgame.
To him, and Stewart and Scott Munroe of the Talladega Foundation, we say thanks for the good work you do.
We hope to see more and more donations coming into the foundations, as concerned citizens sticking together can make a real difference in the educational opportunities afforded our students.