SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
Directors
The Foundation is led by an independent, volunteer Board of Directors. Our Board members are drawn from the community, provide diverse representation, and share a deep commitment to public education in Springfield. The Foundation employs no paid staff. District employees, through our partnership with District 186, provide administrative support.
2023-2024 Directors | ||
|---|---|---|
Kendra Newman, President | Lindsay Record, Vice President | Brent Borah, Treasurer |
Robert Andrews | Susan Hingle | Paula Stadecker |
Ryan Croke | Bridget Ingebrigtsen | Jamie Stout |
Susie Cross | Ashley Jenkins-Jordan | Sameer Vohra |
Daniel Fultz | Vidhya Prakash | Dominic Watson |
Ruchi Gupta | Whitney Rosen | Emily Wright |
Briana Hankins | ||
Ex Officio | ||
Rachel Dyas | Jennifer Gill | Julie Hammers |
Fundraising
The Foundation hosts two major fundraisers each year, The Breakfast Club and the Annual Dinner and Art Auction. The Board of Directors encourages individuals or corporate sponsors interested in supporting the Foundation's mission to join them for either of these events.
The Breakfast Club, which encourages local businesses and community leaders to "begin each day by making a difference in a classroom," is held in the fall each year. More information about this year's event will be added to this page once available.
The Annual Dinner and Art Auction is the Foundation's major fundraiser and is held annually in March. This year's event will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at Erin's Pavilion. More information on sponsorships and reservations can be found here.
The Foundation sends out a big thank you to the 2023 Annual Dinner sponsors:
The 2023 dinner program highlighted grant recipients from the previous year. We invite you to watch the highlights video, below.
In addition to the Breakfast Club and Annual Dinner events, donors may also support the Foundation through the "Donate Here" link below, through one of the links from the Memorial Scholarship section of this page, by contacting the Foundation's administrative support, Julie Hammers at 217/525-4406/jhammers@sps186.org, or through any of the following:
The Foundation's Endowment Fund, held by The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln
Corporate Sponsorships
Voluntary $10 student billing donation
Memorial contributions
Honorariums
Federal Combined Campaign
Workplace giving programs
Corporate matching gifts
Your donation to the Springfield Public Schools Foundation qualifies as a charitable tax deduction as allowed by law. We will send an acknowledgment/receipt to confirm your gift. Please click on the "Donate Here" link below for more information about making a donation.
Policy Statement
Springfield Public Schools Foundation Policy Statement
The Springfield Public Schools Foundation is a community-based, not-for-profit [501(c)(3)], foundation designed to solicit, receive and disburse funds in support of the Springfield Public Schools and all students who attend District 186.
Funds received by the Foundation will be used solely to supplement or enhance educational, extra-curricular and inter-scholastic programs and to strengthen the relationship between the public schools and the Springfield community.
The Foundation Board of Directors will make final selection of programs to be funded from proposals consistent with standards set by the District 186 Board of Education.
Membership
The Springfield Public Schools Foundation is a small, working Board whose mission is to champion the strengths of District 186, to raise community support, and fund innovation to address the changing needs of educators and students. This is accomplished through the contributions and dedication of each member of the Board of Directors. Individuals interested in helping to further this mission by serving on the Board of Directors are encouraged to complete a membership application.
Vacancies are typically filled in June for available three-year terms. Applications are due annually on June 1st but may be considered throughout the year if vacancies occur. Members are expected to attend monthly meetings, currently held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:15 a.m. Additionally, members are expected to serve on at least one committee and support the Breakfast Club and Annual Dinner Celebration and Art Auction events. For further information regarding Foundation membership, please contact Julie Hammers at 217/525-4406 or jhammers@sps186.org.
Grants
SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION GRANTS
Mission The Springfield Public Schools Foundation (SPSF) is a community-based volunteer organization, serving Springfield District 186 public schools for more than 40 years with the mission to champion the strengths of District 186, to raise community support, and fund innovation to address the changing needs of educators and students. We carry out our mission in partnership with Springfield Public School District 186 (SPSD186) and the Springfield Community.
Grant Information Each school year, the Foundation makes available grants to staff of SPSD186. Interested SPSD186 employees are encouraged to thoroughly review the information below prior to making application for a Foundation grant. Applications are to be submitted electronically through Googleforms. To aid applicants in the grant writing process, copies of the individual grant application questions and additional application information can be found on the Grant Reference document. Please review this document carefully prior to starting an application.
2023-2024 Grants: The Springfield Public Schools Foundation’s Board of Directors is excited to share information about the grant offerings available to District teachers. During the 2023-2024 school year, seven types of grants will be offered: Cornerstone Grants, Classroom Library Grants, Extracurricular Grants, Special Education Life Skills Grants, Student-Led Grants, the O'Shea Builders' LHS Designated Grants, and our newest, the Mike Zimmers Teacher Professional Development Fund Grants, which we expect will begin accepting applications in the fall.
The 2023-2024 Grant Application can be found here. The Mike Zimmers Teacher Professional Development Fund Application can be found here.
The following will not be considered for funding:
• Applications containing multiple spelling, punctuation, and/or grammatical errors
• Applications including funding for students outside of SPSD186
• Applications to fund salaries (including substitute teachers); field trips only, or for the sole purpose of purchasing hardware such as computers, cameras, etc.
• Questions regarding the application process can be directed to Julie Hammers at 217/525-4406/81202.
Grant Name | Description | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
Cornerstone Grants and O'Shea Lanphier High School Designated Classroom Grants | This year’s Cornerstone Grant applicants and O'Shea Lanphier High School Designated classroom applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that are creative, innovative, and address an important need focusing on one or more of the following: - Enhance Classroom Learning $1,500 in total funding per year, per teacher. Can be divided between two total applications per year, one per semester. | First semester: 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday, September 8, 2023, and 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday, October 27, 2023. Second semester: 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday, January 5, 2024, and 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday, February 23, 2024. Award notification: Second semester - late January and late March. |
Classroom Library Grants | Open to Pre-K through 8th-grade teachers. Applicants may submit one request per year with funding capped at $750 per teacher. | First semester: 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday, September 8, 2023. Second semester: 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday, January 5, 2024 Award notification: First semester applications - late September; Second semester applications - late January. |
Extracurricular Grants and O'Shea Lanphier High School Designated Athletic, Activity or Club Grants | Maximum $500 award. Extracurricular Grants provide a supplement for District 186:
O'Shea Lanphier High School Designated Grants, provided through the generosity of O'Shea builders, provide a supplement for IHSA-recognized sports, activities, and school-sponsored clubs. Funding is available for both of these grants to help ensure students are able to compete or participate at the highest level of competition available. Requests for items that will be reused each year are encouraged, including requests for uniforms and other items that ensure equitability amongst school teams across the District. Requests that include funding for travel will not be considered. | Due at 12 noon on the first Friday of each month. Applications will be accepted until all available funding has been awarded. |
Special Education Life Skills Grants | These grants, funded by the generosity of the Donnelly Family Trust, have no maximum award. They are designed to enhance the school experiences of special needs life skills students by providing resources, which might otherwise not be available to those students and teachers. Applicants must be SPSD186 employees. | First semester: 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday, September 8, 2023, and 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday, October 27, 2023. Second semester: 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday, January 5, 2024, and 12:00 p.m. noon on Friday, February 23, 2024. Funding decisions for Special Education Life Skills grants can take up to 2 months. |
Mike Zimmers Teacher Professional Development Grant | The Mike Zimmers Teacher Professional Development Fund was formally established in 2023 with the Springfield Public Schools Foundation. Mike was a long-time supporter of the Foundation and its work. His wish was to establish a fund to support, through an application process, Springfield Public School teachers who wish to attend a professional development meeting, webinar, seminar, or conference which requires financial support not available through District 186 or by personal means. The application can be found here. | First semester applications are due by noon, Friday, October 27, 2023. Second semester applications are due by noon, Friday, March 22, 2024. |
Memorial Scholarships
Current Scholarships and Memorial Donations
In addition to the General Fund which supports the variety of grants offered by the Foundation to teachers and students, the Foundation manages the following funds and routinely accepts memorial donations. Donations can be made by mailing a check to Springfield Public Schools Foundation, 1900 W. Monroe Street, Springfield, Illinois 62704 or electronically through Paypal by clicking on the fund's title, below. If mailing a check, please indicate the fund or purpose on the check's memo line.
The Mike Zimmers Teacher Professional Development Fund was established in 2022. Mike's wish for his generous gifts was to establish a fund to support, through an application process, Springfield Public School teachers who wish to attend a professional development meeting or conference which requires financial support not available through the district or by personal means. For well over 40 years, Mike was involved with the Springfield Public Schools as a much loved and respected teacher, coach, principal, district-level administrator, and upon his retirement, Board of Education member. Mike passed away on October 5, 2022. His family has graciously designated the Foundation to receive memorial donations in his name to support the fund.
The Fenner Memorial Scholarship for academics and the arts was established in 1996 to honor the life of Christina Fenner, a teacher at Lincoln Fifth and Sixth Grade Center. This scholarship fund was made possible by a very generous gift of remembrance from Christina's family and many other gifts from her friends and colleagues. Interest income from the scholarship fund is used to provide enrichment experiences in academics and the arts to Springfield Public Schools students who would not otherwise be able to participate in those activities. Please click on the title, above, to access the Fenner Scholarship application and for additional information including guidelines.
Kellsey B. Proctor Twesme Scholarship Fund was established in 2013 by the parents of SSHS alumna, Kellsey Proctor Twesme. This fund annually provides a scholarship to a female Southeast High School senior entering an engineering or scientific field.
Laura Schemmer Memorial Donations - The family of Owen Marsh Elementary School teacher, Laura Schemmer, has graciously designated the Foundation to receive memorial donations in her name.
Springfield Southeast High School Legacy Fund was established by alumni from the SSHS Class of 1980. It is designated to meet a specific need, identified by SSHS administration. Legacy Fund awards will support deserving seniors who might not qualify for academic or athletic scholarships. With a goal to raise $10,000 in 2021 to establish the fund, at least one $1,000 award will be given each spring, in perpetuity. The first Legacy Fund awards were made in the Spring of 2022. No gift is too small or too large.
Vicky Thompson Memorial Fund - The family of retired Southern View Kindergarten teacher, Vicky Thompson, has graciously designated the Foundation to receive memorial donations in her name.
Additional information and questions may be directed to Julie Hammers, 217-525-4406 or jhammers@sps186.org.
Thank you for considering the Foundation for your giving!
Donate
How to Donate
Would you like to make a donation to support the Foundation's mission?
Donations can be made electronically through the "Donate" link below or mailed to:
Springfield Public Schools Foundation
Attn: Julie Hammers
3063 Fiat Avenue
Springfield, IL 62703
If donating via check, please include the donation form below with your check donation. If donating electronically, please use the drop-down menu that appears after clicking the "Donate" button below to direct your electronic donation.
Donations to the Foundation's general fund are used to further our mission through a variety of innovative teacher and student-led grants, as well as Foundation initiatives. Additional information regarding the types of grants and initiatives funded through the grants' process can be found in the "Grants" and "Foundation News" links on this page. Thank you in advance for making a difference in our schools!