Annual Fall Giving Campaign FAQs

Yes! The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and your donation is 100% tax-deductible. You will receive a letter from the Duniway Foundation in January 2022 acknowledging your donation and listing our Tax ID# 93-1204172.

Anyone can contribute to the Annual Campaign HERE. 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 realize this is a significant ask and most families will have to work it into their budget. You may make a gift as a one-time donation or in installments (monthly, quarterly or whatever works for your family). Quick and easy donations can be made online via credit card at our secure donation website: HERE. Donations made by check can be mailed directly to the school: Duniway Foundation, 7700 SE Reed College Place Portland, OR 97202. Please make your check payable to the “Duniway Foundation” and write “Duniway Annual Giving” in the memo.

Educational Assistants (EAs) are one of the foundational building blocks that help make Duniway the exceptional school it is. Our talented and caring EAs 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 Educational Assistants comes from the Duniway Foundation, through the Annual Campaign and the Duniway Auction. You can meet this year's Educational Assistants HERE.

Won’t the district just hire more teachers if class sizes are large? Simply put, no. 100% of Foundation funding goes towards positions that otherwise would not be hired. Staffing ranges and class sizes put forth by Portland Public Schools (PPS) are significantly higher than the class size thresholds the teachers’ union and the Duniway community would like to see.  PPS will not pay for these positions—Duniway would lose them without your support during the Foundation’s fundraisers.

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 a major deal for the Annual Campaign and accounted for nearly $10,000 in additional funds for our school many years. Alaska Airlines, Intel, PGE, Standard, and US Bank are just a few of the many generous employers that have offered matching funds and supported Duniway. 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 make the effort to secure the match, and reach out for help if you encounter challenges. Be sure to specify that you are requesting a match for the Duniway Elementary School Annual Campaign.

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 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.

We would like every family to participate during the campaign.  You do not have to donate to participate!  If you are not able to donate this year, submit the Participate form to log your support for the Foundation.  The one classroom with the most participation will receive an ice cream party!

You can ask Principal Philip Rafferty to discuss the campaign and what it funds if you are interested. You can also reach out any of the Foundation Board members. We welcome feedback and questions about the campaign.