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District foundation reports fundraising gains, new programs and wellness center progress
Summary
The Palm Springs Unified Foundation reported $228,814 raised in Q2 (unaudited), progress on wellness centers, pilot college retention support for SMART students and fundraising partnerships including a pending $475,000 estate gift.
Ellen Goodman, director of the Palm Springs Unified Foundation, updated the Board on foundation activities and fundraising at the Jan. 28 meeting, reporting $228,814 raised in the quarter (unaudited), 130 donations and a pending $475,000 estate gift that would complete a previously announced bequest.
Goodman outlined 15 ongoing or completed projects, including donor conversion events, community partnerships (notably coordination with the city on a planned Drone Fest), and an expanded SMART program that now follows students into college. She said the SMART cohort currently includes 42 high-school students and the SMART College pilot has 12 students; the foundation is providing mentoring, tutoring and a planned college boot camp, with the first cohorts receiving early acceptances to a range of colleges including Cal Poly Pomona and UC Berkeley.
On wellness centers, Goodman said the foundation is moving a Vista Del Monte wellness center to Catherine Finchy Elementary, then Cahuilla Elementary, with plans to complete sites in Palm Springs by summer and later move to Rio Vista and Cathedral City elementary sites. She said the Desert Healthcare District pledged $50,000 for two Cathedral City schools.
Nut graf: The foundation's fundraising and programs support a combination of direct student services (wellness centers, mentorship) and specialty programming (theater sponsorships, an aviation academy concept) that the foundation said complements district operations.
Goodman also said the foundation secured $27,000 in sponsorships for the district's musical-theater program and noted a $10,000 donation tied to a career-focused streams program. She said proposed initiatives include an aviation academy in partnership with airport stakeholders, though staffing and credentialing for teachers remain a constraint.
Ending: Board members praised the foundation's work and asked follow-up questions about program scale and alumni retention; the foundation said it will provide further details on program participation and outcomes in later reports.
