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About Us

About the CFSD Foundation

Founded in 1983, the Catalina Foothills School District Foundation is an independent, 501c3, non-profit organization which provides support to the Catalina Foothills Unified School District 16. Until 1998, the Foundation focused on teacher-initiated projects in the classroom, such as library books, math materials, telescopes, drama, and fine arts equipment. Since 1998, the Foundation has focused on raising critical resources for teaching positions and other academic programs.

The Foundation partners with school administration, and school-based Faculty and Family Organizations, to sustain excellence in public education. Donors include parents, community residents, and local businesses.

Mission

Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) Foundation raises supplemental funds to attract, develop and retain excellent teachers throughout the district.

Vision

Our vision is that CFSD schools will have the resources they need through both public and private funding to provide world-class educational opportunities to our students. We seek the involvement of all District families, residents and businesses in giving of their time, talent and financial support to make this vision a reality.

Guiding Principles

  • The entire community benefits from public education

  • Our tax dollars alone provide insufficient funding for a great public school district.

  • Supporting a great public school district requires participation from the entire community.

  • A great public school education isn’t free

Goals

  1. Communication: Create a consistent and compelling fundraising message that is delivered through diverse strategies to a community-wide audience.

  2. Fundraising: Promote a culture of giving that provides annual, sustained support from all District residents.

  3. Outreach: Increase volunteer participation and better utilize our volunteers’ strengths.

  4. Fiscal Responsibility: Ensure the foundation’s financial strength and stability through effective management of its assets.

Focus Area: Fundraising

Goal
Promote a culture of giving that provides annual, sustained support from all District residents.

Strategies

  • Work with the district administration to develop funding priorities for the year.

  • Increase by 20 % the total funds gifted through the Annual Fund Campaign to the district.

  • Develop and implement a plan to generate participation from 50% of district families.

  • Create special event plans for each event to include budget, volunteer needs, timeline, strategies and annual goal.

  • Create one family friendly, low-cost event with the purpose of involving many families and building awareness of our funding priorities.

  • Refocus & Simplify Love Our Schools to a less formal event, while increasing revenue and maximizing facility use.

  • Organize a Fall Mixer which reflects an increase in participation, donors and building awareness for our funding priorities.

  • Evaluate our fundraisers in a timely manner.

  • Develop and implement a sponsorship plan so that we may more effectively utilize financial resources and develop relationships with potential business partners.

  • Create a plan to increase both the amount of annual donations and the awareness of the foundation’s endowment funds.

  • Maintain or increase revenue generated by Golf for the Endowments.

  • Plan booths for all school registration days, which serve to build awareness of the Foundation and increase the number of district families who make donations.

  • Develop strategies for soliciting donors in the district.

  • Utilize Donor Perfect to accurately track and recognize donors in a timely manner.

  • Provide appropriate recognition for donors at the Leadership and Dollar per Day levels.

Focus Area: Communication

Goal:
Create a consistent and compelling fundraising message that is delivered through diverse strategies to a community-wide audience.

Strategies

  • Develop an effective and compelling case for support based on need and funding impact

  • Update the Foundation website regularly to include information on past accomplishments, funding goals and future priorities.

  • Develop and leverage relationships with local media to promote fundraising goals of Foundation and need for community-wide support.

  • Develop compelling story angles to pitch to the media

  • Provide acknowledgement of all gifts in newsletters, eblasts, Annual reports and website

  • Ensure that all volunteers can speak effectively about the Foundation

  • Build communications team to include subgroups for message development, media, electronic communications, print materials and stewardship

  • Develop a volunteer task force of communications professionals to assist with message and a general marketing plan.

  • Include consistent Foundation communications in each school’s monthly newsletter.

  • Create printed material marketing plan for the Foundation

  • Include fundraising message and call to action in Constant Contact eblasts and all social media

  • Increase traffic to the Foundation’s website and social media avenues

  • Redesign the Foundation’s website

  • Consistent communication of Foundation activities through FFO reps

Focus Area: Outreach

Goal
Increase the number of volunteers and Foundation Board members.

Strategies

  • Increase number of board members and volunteers involved in Foundation work

  • Provide necessary training and materials so that volunteers will have a strong understanding of their roles and responsibilities

  • We will increase the number of knowledgeable volunteers prepared to assume Foundation leadership positions

  • Identify the number, types and expertise of volunteers needed for each specific area of responsibility

  • Provide an annual board orientation and ongoing training

  • Create and update annually job descriptions for every volunteer position

  • Promote the need for specific volunteer jobs in school newsletters and other communications strategies

  • Conduct exit interviews with outgoing board members and other volunteers to get feedback about improving the volunteer experience

  • Identify and recruit Board prospects with leadership potential

  • Acknowledge volunteers in a timely manner

 

Focus Area: Fiscal Responsibility

Goal
Ensure the foundation’s financial strength and stability through effective management of its assets.

Strategies

  • Develop annual budgets at a project/event level, in coordination with committee chairs, to maximize return on effort and expense.

  • Develop a policy for accepting & managing targeted donations for new restricted funds or endowments.

  • Monitor and manage Foundation finances.

  • Identify and train members of the event committees to serve as a liaison to the finance committee.

  • Quarterly monitor and manage the investments according to the Financial Management & Investment Policy.

  • Evaluate fundraising events in a timely fashion.

  • Evaluate ROI of fundraising activities in a timely fashion.

  • Develop a process to manage & promote in-kind donations to maximize income.

  • Identify essential non-profit relationships that would acknowledge and/or certify the Foundations financial stability as a tool to help promote donations (Guidestar, Better Business Bureau

  • Annually review the Financial Policy Manual for improvements and updates.

  • Maximize matching donations.

  • Annually ensure adequate insurance coverage for assets, personnel and events.

  • Develop financial reconciliations between various donation collection tools and accounting.

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