Three district-affiliated nonprofits brief board on scholarships, parent boosters and health services

Representatives of three nonprofit organizations that work closely with Chandler Unified School District told the board on Jan. 15 that they are expanding services and seeking more volunteer and donor support.

The Chandler Education Foundation (CEF) said it awarded more than $180,000 in classroom grants last year and supports scholarships and teacher certifications; Chandler School Boosters (CSB) described its umbrella role for dozens of parent organizations that collectively raised about $4.5 million last year; and the Chandler Care Center summarized no‑cost medical, dental and family-resource programs that serve district students and Chandler residents.

CEF Executive Director Jen Hewitt told the board the foundation has existed since 1986 and works under a service agreement with the district as an independent 501(c)(3). “We are the Chandler Education Foundation. I’m the executive director,” Hewitt said. She said CEF’s Cash for Classrooms and donor programs funded more than 120 teacher grants in the last year and supported an “Impact Chandler Scholars” program that distributed roughly $111,000. Hewitt said the foundation is fiscal agent for the Toyota Driving Possibilities grant and that major partners—Subaru among them—have contributed significantly over time (Subaru donations of roughly $370,000 over 10 years were cited during the presentation).

Dana Steers, director of Chandler School Boosters, explained CSB operates as a 501(c)(3) umbrella for parent-run PTOs and booster clubs. “We have 185 PTOs and boosters,” Steers said, and those volunteer groups totaled about $4.5 million in fundraising last year. She said CSB standardizes bylaws, banking and reporting across clubs, provides training for officers, and charges a small pro rata fee (she said the fee typically runs around 1.6–2% of a club’s revenue) to cover administrative costs. Steers said CSB was incorporated in November 2012 and currently supports about 830 parent volunteers across clubs focused on athletics, arts, robotics and other student activities.

Katie Kale, director of the Chandler Care Center, described a health and family‑resource program that began in the mid‑1990s and became a 501(c)(3) in 2017. The center, located near Galveston Elementary, operates free medical and dental clinics for children enrolled in district schools or living in the city of Chandler, plus a family resource center, diaper and food banks, and holiday assistance programs. Kale said the clinic had about 3,000 medical and dental appointments in fiscal 2024, served about 1,500 family‑resource clients and distributed more than 4,000 food/diaper items. She said the center’s funding is diverse—about 19% is district in‑kind and small direct funding (building use, utilities and some staff support), about 17% from First Things First grants, and other support from corporations, foundations and qualified charitable tax credits; volunteer clinical time is counted as in‑kind support (Kale said the value of volunteer clinical hours is included in the center’s operating calculations).

Board members and administrators asked how the groups coordinate with schools on scholarship deadlines, fundraising transparency and program referrals. Hewitt noted the scholarship application deadline for the foundation’s newer scholarships is March 24, and Steers said CSB has launched a “CSB University” virtual training program for volunteer leaders. Kale said the Care Center now employs a case manager funded partly through grant dollars to reduce administrative burdens on clinicians and to help families enroll in Medicaid (Access) when appropriate.

The three presentations were informational; the board did not take action.

Ending: Board members thanked the presenters and asked staff to distribute application deadlines and volunteer training information through school communication channels so families and PTO leaders can better access grants, scholarships and care‑center services.