Local Foundation Launches Fundraiser For Great Valley Schools

The Foundation at Great Valley launched its Annual Campaign on Sept. 1. The goal of the campaign is to raise $150,000 in private donations by October 30. Funds will be used to support programs and technologies in all grade levels and across a wide range of curricular areas in the Great Valley School District (GVSD).

Since it was established in 2006, The Foundation has raised and donated nearly $500,000 to GVSD through special events and major giving campaigns. The Annual Campaign, now in its third consecutive year, has been the most successful of The Foundation’s fundraising efforts.

“The excellent education offered by our public schools makes Great Valley a desirable place for both families and businesses,” said Foundation President Elizabeth McGarrigle. “Our community has always expressed a desire to maintain strong schools and a quality educational program, and has backed that interest by consistently supporting The Foundation. The generosity of our donors allows us to help our schools implement innovative programs that inspire students at all levels.”

Funds raised through the Annual Campaign go directly toward The Foundation’s allocation to the school district, made annually in June. Funding is dispersed in two ways: teacher-initiated Venture Grants; and key initiative funding, which is tied directly to priorities in the District’s Comprehensive Plan. In 2015-2016, for example, The Foundation allocated $94,000 to GVSD in support of classroom innovations, district-wide math instruction support, and the implementation of a K-12 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) curriculum.

The emergence of educational foundations is a trend nationwide as changes in tax structure, decreased funding at the state and federal levels, and competing demands for resources challenge public school district budgets. Thousands of educational foundations across the country are now calling for private funds to supplement the tax dollars school districts rely upon to deliver quality educational programs.

Great Valley community members are asked to make tax-deductible donation to The Foundation at Great Valley via the organization’s web site at www.thefoundationatgreatvalley.org. Donors may also mail a check, payable to The Foundation at Great Valley, to PO Box 74, Malvern, PA 19355.

Visit www.thefoundationatgreatvalley.org to monitor the Annual Campaign’s progress and to watch short videos of the similar work happening in classrooms district-wide.