INVEST IN EDUCATION FOR ALL PETALUMA AREA SCHOOLS

Levels of Participation Click on the appropriate header to donate on line!
 
MAKE A DIFFERENCE ~  donations of $100 and above
Make a difference in education for all Petaluma area public and private schools.
Match your corporate commitment or personal passion with one or more defined Areas of Focus (Athletics & Nutrition Grants, Fine Arts Grants, Humanities Grants, Literacy/ELL Grants, Math & Science Grants, Technology Grants, Vocational/Life Skills Grants) or to the PEF General Grant Fund.
 
FUND A DREAM  ~  donations of $5,000 and above
In addition to selecting a Focus Area (see "Make a Difference" category), you may choose a specific school or school(s) and support a school-wide, district-wide or city-wide major program.
examples: Barbara’s Bakery commits $5,000 each year for construction of Learning Gardens at Petaluma schools; Roberta and Wayne Musser Foundation commits $5,000 to support Math and Science initiatives.

ENDOW THE FUTURE ~ donations above $10,000
Endow a fund with a gift of $10,000 or more to insure your dream will last far into the future. You will have the ability to define and name the Endowed Fund. Please contact PEF for additional information.

"What is “Invest in Education?"
In 1992, Andrea Barella initiated the "Invest in Education" campaign to encourage corporate partners and individuals to underwrite grants administered through PEF, with a guarantee that 100% of your donation goes directly to school programs.

Through this successful partnership among businesses, individuals and educators, the "Invest in Education" campaign has returned over $1,318,000 for projects in Petaluma's K-12 public, charter and non-profit private schools. Grant awards are based on a competitive process which give special consideration to proposals that bring innovative and/or new ideas to fruition and can permanently increase the school's or its teachers' capacity to deliver high-quality instruction to its students.

"Will our donation make a difference?"
YES! Every donation will make a difference in Petaluma schools. WHY? because the grants are awarded to teachers to fund a program that would never be possible within the constraints of shrinking school budgets. AND through the competitive application process, a teacher must demonstrate the benefits of the program and provide measurement criteria for its success. In fact, every grant is evaluated before funds are released.

"How much should we give?"
Whatever you can! The schools have never needed our help more and every donation is critical.
Here are some examples of where your donation will be used (based on actual grants).

$5,000: Learning Garden Laboratory at Bernard Eldredge
$3,600: Smartboard/projector/speakers for Music in Education at Old Adobe
$2,000: Innovative Radio Broadcasting program at St. Vincent High School
$1,000: Materials to restore a 1941 Buick by Petaluma High's Career Tech students
$500: Wireless weather station and map for hands-on Earth Science at Miwok Valley
$250: AlphaSmart computer for Special Day Class students at McNear School
$100: Math Tiles for first grade parent-run Math Centers at La Tercera