January 25, 2001 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Creating Foundations for American Schools
by Dan H. McCormick, David G. Bauer, and Daryl E. Ferguson
As more and more public schools seek private funds, they are increasingly setting up affiliates, often called foundations, to handle solicitations and manage donations. Schools use the money both to provide basic services and to finance special projects that school boards don’t have the money to support.
In this guide, a school fund raiser and two consultants offer advice on the best ways to build and run a school foundation.
The authors begin by explaining the differences between public and private school foundations and offer criteria that school administrators can use to decide whether to set up an autonomous foundation or one that is controlled by the school board.
In subsequent chapters, the authors list the initial steps in setting up a foundation–among them pinpointing the most pressing needs, recruiting staff members to design and run the foundation, and analyzing the major strengths and weaknesses of the school or district. They also suggest how administrators can decide whether to create a single-school foundation or a districtwide one, and recommend ways to conduct elections for board officers and establish fund-raising priorities.
Other topics include the legal requirements of becoming a tax-exempt organization, goals to be accomplished in the foundation’s first year, and guidelines for making grants and distributing funds.
The appendixes contain information on public relations, alumni-association development, and memorial and tribute programs; copies of forms required by the Internal Revenue Service; and sample letters of correspondence.
Mr. McCormick and Mr. Bauer are both fund-raising consultants. Mr. McCormick is president and C.E.O. of McCormick Group in Williamston, Mich., and Mr. Bauer is president of David G. Bauer Associates in Gardnerville, Nev. Mr. Ferguson is president of the San Diego High School Foundation in San Diego.
Publisher: Aspen Publishers, Distribution Center, 7201 McKinney Circle, Frederick, Md. 21704; (800) 638-8437; fax (800) 901-9075
