Yes! The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and your donation is 100% tax-deductible. Our Tax ID is # 93-1204172.
Yes! Anyone can contribute to the Annual Campaign. In the past, grandparents and other relatives have been generous supporters of our educational programs. Please share the donation link with family, friends, or close business contacts you believe may be interested in helping your child and supporting Duniway’s fundraising goals.
We do a focused push in the fall to streamline communication and avoid constant reminders throughout the year. Some people prefer to donate on specific days when their employer matches the donation. This year, our campaign encompasses Giving Tuesday (Nov. 28) and we encourage you to take advantage of an employer match, if your company offers one. That being said, your donation is welcome anytime! If you prefer to pay by check, you can write a check to the Duniway Foundation and drop it by the school office or mail it to the school (7700 SE Reed College Pl, Portland, OR 97202). Please put "Giving Campaign" in the memo.
Educational Assistants (EAs) are one of the foundational building blocks that help make Duniway exceptional. Our talented and caring EAs work in the classrooms to help reduce the student-to-teacher ratio, allowing teachers and EAs to deliver more individualized instruction to every student at Duniway. All funding for classroom EAs comes from the Duniway Foundation. You can meet your EAs here.
Simply put, no. 100% of Foundation funding (after the ⅓ that is given back to the district to the Fund for PPS) goes toward Duniway positions. The maximum class size thresholds set by Portland Public Schools (PPS) are significantly higher than the class size thresholds the teachers’ union and the Duniway community believe are appropriate for elementary students. Duniway is fortunate to have a generous community (you!) that can help add crucial staffing positions to our school, lowering the student-to-teacher ratio across all grades and benefitting every child at Duniway. PPS will not pay for these positions— Duniway will lose them without your support during this year’s Annual Campaign and Auction.
Unfortunately, this is the reality of funding at the state and district levels. The Foundation has been raising money to support important educational resources since 1996—if you believe the resources the Foundation pays for are important for your child, we encourage you to contribute to the Annual Campaign. We continue to support local fundraising efforts while we push for more education funding and support in Oregon, and we encourage those wanting to get involved in lobbying for changes to join the PTA advocacy committee.
In accordance with PPS board policy, one-third of funds raised—after the first $10,000—through local school foundations are given to the Fund for PPS for the purpose of providing equity in funding for district schools that do not have the benefit of a foundation such as ours. It is an honor for Duniway families to partner with the Fund for PPS to promote equity across our district.
Company matching is valuable to the Annual Campaign and accounted for nearly $10,000 in additional funds for our school last year alone! Alaska Airlines, Nike, Intel, PGE, Standard, and US Bank are some of the generous employers that have offered matching funds. If your employer offers a company match, please make your donation go further by taking the time to apply for that match. If you have co-workers in the Duniway community, please encourage them to also do so. Be sure to specify that you are requesting a match for the Duniway Elementary School Annual Campaign/ Duniway Foundation.
Some families choose to donate shares of appreciated securities instead of writing a check or donating by credit card. There can be a benefit to you from a tax perspective. You, the donor, would transfer shares of stock or a mutual fund to the Duniway Foundation, which would benefit from receiving the full amount of the value of the investment donated. You, the donor, do not have to pay capital gains taxes on the appreciation of the investment and you are able to take a charitable tax deduction for the full amount, regardless of the cost basis of the stock. Our Annual Campaign Committee can assist with this transfer.
Simply put—please pay it forward! When your child joined Duniway as an incoming Kindergartener, the Duniway community had already invested funds to provide enrichments like EA's, .P.E., music, and library for your child’s classroom through earlier Annual Campaigns. Now, as part of the Duniway community, you can help ensure the strength and sustainability of our school for incoming classes.
Please feel free to reach out to any of the Foundation Board members. You can reach President Erin Gates at president@duniwayfoundation.org. We welcome feedback and questions.
Thank you for your continued support of Duniway Elementary, our Educational Assistants, and the other enrichments made possible by your donations!