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Education foundation tells board it has $70,000 to award this cycle after $124,000 in requests
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Summary
Steve Baloff, president of the Schenectady City School District Education Foundation, told the board the foundation has awarded about $600,000 in classroom grants since 1996 and will distribute $70,000 this cycle while requests totaled roughly $124,000; the foundation asked for closer coordination with district staff on grant alignment.
Steve Baloff, president of the Schenectady City School District Education Foundation, told the school board the nonprofit’s work is focused solely on students in the Schenectady City School District and on sustaining grants and programming that the district otherwise would not fund. “We provide funding for the enhancement of learning opportunities not otherwise available to the students of Schenectady Public Schools,” Baloff said.
Baloff said the foundation has given away about $600,000 in grants since its founding and that this year’s grant pool totals $70,000 while requests reached about $124,000, so the board of the foundation had to decline roughly $54,000 in requests. He described the foundation’s annual grant cycle: the online application opens in October, closes in mid-November, and awards are announced in mid-December. He said the application rubric and online portal (Kaleidoscope) are available on the foundation’s website.
Baloff gave examples of recent grants and program support: an $858 puppet theater to help nonverbal students participate in classroom activity; a $5,000 DNA project; $850 for a coffee-cart classroom pilot; hydroponics for classroom gardening; and paid student trips that let learners experience arts and career fields. He described collaborations that helped fund bus transportation and ticket costs for student visits to Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden.
On finances, Baloff said the foundation holds roughly $300,000 in assets, of which about $190,000 is unrestricted; payroll-deduction donations brought in $21,537 last year, memorial gifts totaled $8,500, and a community casino donation contributed $7,441. The foundation uses a variety of donation channels, including payroll deduction, checks, Square and NetGiver, and is working to add PayPal.
Baloff invited the district to collaborate more closely on grant alignment so requests complement district curriculum and technology plans. He said the foundation will coordinate with building principals and district staff to reduce duplication and better align grants with district initiatives. The foundation’s gala is scheduled for March 24; the organization will also present and honor Teacher of the Year and community partners at that event.
Board members asked how staff apply for grants; Baloff said any staff member may apply and described the online process. He closed his presentation by introducing students from Yates Elementary who shared a brief, unrehearsed performance.
The foundation presentation prompted no formal board action; foundation staff will continue to coordinate with district staff and post application details on the foundation website.
