Foundation reports $1.4M raised and $1.5M awarded in grants to Springfield Public Schools

Natalie Murdock, executive director of the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, gave the board an annual update on the foundation’s fundraising and grant activity.

Murdock said the foundation operates across four pillars—raising, managing, distributing money and connecting people—and reported the organization raised $1,400,000 last year and manages approximately $8.4 million in permanent and temporary funds. Through foundation programming the group “was able to award almost $1,500,000 just last year,” Murdock said, citing districtwide grants, back‑to‑school grants and scholarships as key disbursements.

She outlined several program figures: 852 scholarship applications from graduating seniors, $38,000 in districtwide grant dollars deployed early in the school year, $49,000 for a principals’ program and roughly $205,000 for back‑to‑school grants, plus ongoing crowdfunding and a coat voucher program expected to provide over 500 new vouchers soon. Murdock also described the SPS ambassadors program (five visits that expose community members to district operations) and said application notices will be posted on the SPS and foundation websites when the next cohort opens.

Board members asked for Murdock’s tenure and operational details; she said she has led the foundation for 17 years and that staff can provide ambassadors’ schedules to interested board members. The presentation closed with thanks to community partners and an invitation for questions; no action was required.