Foundation Presents Naming Rights Campaign for Newton Schools

The Newton Schools Foundation (NSF) last night outlined its plans for a naming rights campaign, one that would allow community members to purchase spaces at the district high schools in exchange for the ability to name the space after a donor or honoree.

The three-year, multi-million dollar campaign will raise "badly-needed revenue" for "21st Century Classroom" teaching and learning materials in the Newton Public Schools, NSF Co-President Liz Richardson explained last night.

"This isn’t really about just technology," Richardson said to the School Committee. "This is about literally teaching and learning for every single teacher, kid and subject in the schools."

The $3-$5 million campaign also hopes to raise enough money to support an endowment, Richardson said. 

Although the naming rights initiative is only part of the fundraising efforts of the NSF, it is something that gives donors an "incentive" for people looking to give money back to Newton schools, Richardson said. 

The campaign will focus on and , which have a combined total of about $6 million in available naming rights. Donors can name individual areas for a minimum donation of $10,000 and maximum of $500,000.

Madeline Bell, a fundraising expert working with NSF, explained that all corresponding spaces between the two schools (libraries, cafeterias etc.) will be available for the same donation price. Around 90 percent of the two schools' spaces, Bell said, will be named for the minimum $10,000 donation.

Other information about the campaign:

• Areas can be named for an individual, a graduating class or a local business

• NSF will reserve space in each building for memorials honoring students who pass away before graduation

• All donation money made to the campaign will go toward the fund for 21st Century learning; donors cannot specify what the money is spent on (if they want to do this, they must make a separate donation outside the campaign)

• The named space will stay for the life of the building

• All naming rights are subject to the approval of the School Committee

• After three years, if a space is not named, the space goes back to the School Committee for consideration

Bell emphasized the work the NSF did in making sure they respected the community and the current spaces that are already named in the two high school buildings. If someone purchases the naming rights for a space already memorialized, the facility will include the new donor/honoree name as well as the previous name.

Richardson explained that the campaign will involve reaching out to local businesses, members of the community and alumni. The NSF has already started to contact Newton North and Newton South graduates to compile a directory of alumni.

In addition, the NSF plans to "start a history of giving" with the new graduates by talking to them early on about giving back to their high school. 

"It's been such a pleasure working with school administrators...and realizing how important this is for the future of our schools," Richardson said. "We've become determined in our commitment to make this happen."

Editor's note: For more updates from last night's School Committee meeting, check Patch later this week.