Covid 19 has created increased budgetary demands for our District. We are asking you to show that you care by helping us fill in the gap. CAL CARES is a campaign to bring together organizations like the Caledonia Education Foundation, PTOs, teams, local businesses, families, alumni, and other groups to raise $300,000 for the Caledonia district. We are asking the Caledonia community to rally together to support our students, teachers and administrators. We want to be known as a community that stood by our district during the times that our students and teachers needed us the most.
CAL CARES is only one way the Foundation will give to our schools this year. Thanks to our donors and the strong base of the Foundation’s endowment, the Foundation gave a $75,000 donation to help offset the expenses of the new K-8 math curriculum. This allowed Caledonia Community Schools to reallocate funds to reinstate the Student Supports Coordinator position that helps with the coordination of mental, social and emotional services to meet the needs of students at a time when it’s so desperately needed.
Our administrators are working hard to provide the best education for our students whether we are together or apart. Help us fund these necessities for the sake of our students. The future is uncertain, but you can come alongside our families, teachers, and students to help navigate learning for today.
Give online below
text CALCARES to 77948 to donate
mail a check made out to
Caledonia Education Foundation, P.O. Box 353, Caledonia, MI 49316. Gifts are tax-deductible.
Thank you, to all of you from all of us!
CHECK OUT THE LATEST DONORS!
We have raised over $10,000!!
An unprecedented challenge demands an unprecedented response.
CAL CARES is only one way the Foundation will give to our schools this year. Thanks to our donors and the strong base of the Foundation’s endowment, the Foundation gave a $75,000 donation to help offset the expenses of the new K-8 math curriculum. This allowed Caledonia Community Schools to reallocate funds to reinstate the Student Supports Coordinator position that helps with the coordination of mental, social and emotional services to meet the needs of students at a time when it’s so desperately needed.
Our administrators are working hard to provide the best education for our students whether we are together or apart. Help us fund these necessities for the sake of our students. The future is uncertain, but you can come alongside our families, teachers, and students to help navigate learning for today.
Give online below
text CALCARES to 77948 to donate
mail a check made out to
Caledonia Education Foundation, P.O. Box 353, Caledonia, MI 49316. Gifts are tax-deductible.
Thank you, to all of you from all of us!
CHECK OUT THE LATEST DONORS!
We have raised over $10,000!!
An unprecedented challenge demands an unprecedented response.
CAL CARES: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why do our schools need this money?
Because of Covid-19, our schools are facing increased budgetary demands. Seventy percent of Caledonia’s school funding comes from the state largely through sales and income taxes, not our local property taxes. Projections show reduced state revenue because of Covid-19 for the next 2-3 years. While the state budget plans to make districts whole for the 2021 fiscal year, Caledonia Community Schools is still looking at a shortfall close to $1 million because of all the added costs associated with Covid-19 such as additional technology and PPE needs. For more information see this financial overview presentation from the district business office.
What is the Foundation doing to help?
Thanks to our donors and the strong base of the Foundation’s endowment, the Foundation gave a $75,000 donation to help offset a portion of the cost of the new K-8 math curriculum. This allowed Caledonia Community Schools to reallocate funds to reinstate the Student Supports Coordinator position that helps with the coordination of mental, social and emotional services to meet the needs of students at a time when it’s so desperately needed. The Foundation has organized CAL CARES, a community-wide fundraising effort to help the district make it through the current budget crisis.
How will CAL CARES help?
An unprecedented challenge demands an unprecedented response. The Foundation is organizing CAL CARES, a community-wide, coordinated fundraising effort so every dollar raised supports the most urgent needs in our district. CAL CARES is bringing together organizations, students and families at all of our schools to protect the Caledonia Community Schools’ tradition of excellence. That means every dollar raised will go directly to our schools to fund the most urgent needs in the district. Possibilities may include areas such as technology, curriculum, professional development, PPE items and more. Transparent reporting will be given as the money is spent.
Who can contribute to CAL CARES?
We need anyone and everyone that cares about the future of our schools and community to come together. Be creative! We’d love to see can drives, bake sales, car washes, or virtual events to benefit CAL CARES. We invite you to be a part of the solution to help us through this crisis and invest in our schools. It's up to all of us.
What is the suggested donation?
Every dollar donated to CAL CARES will go directly to our schools so any contribution is meaningful. Whether you can give $10.00, $100.00, or $1000.00. Our goal is to raise $300,000. We’d love to see all Caledonia families donate. However, we know not every family can afford to do that, so we'll also need community members and alumni to sponsor students by making a $100.00 donation and we'll need others to make even larger contributions--$15,000 to sponsor an entire classroom, for instance. It's a big ask, but it's a huge challenge our schools are facing. Do families have to donate to CAL CARES? No. CAL CARES isn't mandatory. It's an opportunity, an opportunity to support our schools in a great time of need.
Why can’t the Foundation use more funds in its endowment to cover the some of the shortfall?
That’s not what the endowment was created to do, and that’s not what donors who gave to the endowment intended. The current board did make an aggressive decision to approve a 50% increase in the amount allowable for this year because of COVID. This is not a practice that can be used annually while still being prudent fiduciaries of the funds that were donated to the endowment over the last 22 years that were meant to grow and be sustainable for years to come.
What’s the timeline for CAL CARES?
This is urgent. We’d like to raise a good portion of this by the end of 2020. CAL CARES is an opportunity for our community to support our schools in this current situation. If we’re able to meet our extremely ambitious fundraising goal of $300,000, we can protect school programs and help preserve the district’s fund balance. With a future of unknowns, we ask that you give today!
Why do our schools need this money?
Because of Covid-19, our schools are facing increased budgetary demands. Seventy percent of Caledonia’s school funding comes from the state largely through sales and income taxes, not our local property taxes. Projections show reduced state revenue because of Covid-19 for the next 2-3 years. While the state budget plans to make districts whole for the 2021 fiscal year, Caledonia Community Schools is still looking at a shortfall close to $1 million because of all the added costs associated with Covid-19 such as additional technology and PPE needs. For more information see this financial overview presentation from the district business office.
What is the Foundation doing to help?
Thanks to our donors and the strong base of the Foundation’s endowment, the Foundation gave a $75,000 donation to help offset a portion of the cost of the new K-8 math curriculum. This allowed Caledonia Community Schools to reallocate funds to reinstate the Student Supports Coordinator position that helps with the coordination of mental, social and emotional services to meet the needs of students at a time when it’s so desperately needed. The Foundation has organized CAL CARES, a community-wide fundraising effort to help the district make it through the current budget crisis.
How will CAL CARES help?
An unprecedented challenge demands an unprecedented response. The Foundation is organizing CAL CARES, a community-wide, coordinated fundraising effort so every dollar raised supports the most urgent needs in our district. CAL CARES is bringing together organizations, students and families at all of our schools to protect the Caledonia Community Schools’ tradition of excellence. That means every dollar raised will go directly to our schools to fund the most urgent needs in the district. Possibilities may include areas such as technology, curriculum, professional development, PPE items and more. Transparent reporting will be given as the money is spent.
Who can contribute to CAL CARES?
We need anyone and everyone that cares about the future of our schools and community to come together. Be creative! We’d love to see can drives, bake sales, car washes, or virtual events to benefit CAL CARES. We invite you to be a part of the solution to help us through this crisis and invest in our schools. It's up to all of us.
What is the suggested donation?
Every dollar donated to CAL CARES will go directly to our schools so any contribution is meaningful. Whether you can give $10.00, $100.00, or $1000.00. Our goal is to raise $300,000. We’d love to see all Caledonia families donate. However, we know not every family can afford to do that, so we'll also need community members and alumni to sponsor students by making a $100.00 donation and we'll need others to make even larger contributions--$15,000 to sponsor an entire classroom, for instance. It's a big ask, but it's a huge challenge our schools are facing. Do families have to donate to CAL CARES? No. CAL CARES isn't mandatory. It's an opportunity, an opportunity to support our schools in a great time of need.
Why can’t the Foundation use more funds in its endowment to cover the some of the shortfall?
That’s not what the endowment was created to do, and that’s not what donors who gave to the endowment intended. The current board did make an aggressive decision to approve a 50% increase in the amount allowable for this year because of COVID. This is not a practice that can be used annually while still being prudent fiduciaries of the funds that were donated to the endowment over the last 22 years that were meant to grow and be sustainable for years to come.
What’s the timeline for CAL CARES?
This is urgent. We’d like to raise a good portion of this by the end of 2020. CAL CARES is an opportunity for our community to support our schools in this current situation. If we’re able to meet our extremely ambitious fundraising goal of $300,000, we can protect school programs and help preserve the district’s fund balance. With a future of unknowns, we ask that you give today!
Member of the Michigan Education Foundation
