Hello! My name is Lynne Secrest and I am thrilled to be the new Vice Chair of this growing, incredibly important foundation. Our board is filled with people who are passionate about our local public school students and we hope you choose to support us in our mission! Your WiSH Education Foundation has been very busy creating unique ways of supporting the 23,000 students of our district. How can you help? Read on…

Focus on WiSH
For our first eNewsletter we thought we’d focus on fundraising and explain how the WiSH Education Foundation receives our funding. Funding falls into one of two key categories – Events and Donations. Events include our fabulous annual Cocktails on the Roof – this has been a sold out event two years in a row, with our third annual event currently in the planning stages. In addition, WiSH hosts the annual Signal Hoops Finale where all proceeds go to SCV’s Special Education programs and finally, coming up in March, is our second annual AutoNation Free Vehicle Giveaway. You have the opportunity to win a Free Vehicle from AutoNation just by buying a WiSH raffle ticket. Do you feel lucky? Click here for more information.

WiSH funds programs and initiatives that are not funded by tax dollars alone. It is our mission to get our funding dollars directly into the classroom where it’s needed most. WiSH receives what we call “WiSHlists” from teachers, staff and administration often…and it’s not for paper and pencils. It’s for the tools that our students need to succeed in the classroom, such as technology, books, advanced placement projects, calculators, programs, etc. The list never ends, and our goal is to never say “no” to a classroom in need.

With an eye towards that lofty goal, it’s imperative that any strong foundation receive 15 – 20% of its annual budget in grant funding. WiSH lost its grant program underwriter a year ago – in a year when our grants reached a whopping 29% of our budget!! Vetting by funders is some serious business and we need our dedicated grant writer back – if your company is able to assist us with this need, we would be thrilled to provide a great deal of exposure in return. Do it for the kids! Contact Executive Director Amy Daniels at WiSH@hartdistrict.org if you are able to help with this most important program.

In addition, we rely heavily on the generous donations we receive from the following:

Community Partners – Local businesses like Wolf Creek Brewery, solita, Jersey Mike’s and Cobblestone Cottage periodically donate a percentage of their sales to WiSH. Others like Boston Scientific have paid for the Hart HS computer lab upgrade. California Credit Union and Andy Gump donate money, services and supplies to WiSH.

Individuals – Donations from people who want to make a positive impact on our kids’ education – like YOU! Won’t you please consider just $25 to make a difference in the classroom? Donate here.

Corporate Sponsorships – In exchange for media exposure and valuable advertising at our events, local businesses find sponsorships mutually beneficial – and they are investing in their future employees!

Employee Payroll Deductions – Wm. S. Hart District employees may sign up for payroll deductions and donate a percentage of their paycheck to WiSH every payday. Even 1% makes a difference. If your employer takes part in charitable matching, please consider WiSH for your tax deductible donation!

Amazon Smile – Great news! Amazon will donate .5% of your purchases to your favorite charity (which we hope is WiSH). Sign up today at www.smile.amazon.com. – find us as William S Hart Education Foundation).

We are proud to share that WiSH Education Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization so your donations are 100% tax-deductible. WiSH has donated over $160,000 to the Wm. S. Hart High School District classrooms over the past four years. We ask that you please donate to WiSH and encourage you to attend one of our upcoming events. If you have donated to WiSH in the past, Thank you!

Lynne Secrest, Board of Directors Vice Chair
Proud Board Member of WiSH Education Foundation
Please make a difference in local education by clicking [here].