History / Purpose / School Relationship MOU
Purpose
The Union City Education Foundation provides funding to Union City's school corporation in the pursuit of educational excellence. We make possible projects not otherwise affordable because of budget constraints. Our scope falls into three categories.
- Scholarships for graduating students,
- Projects or programs that improve the effectiveness and morale of teachers
- Curriculum improvement including strengthening existing courses or co-funding whole new curricula initiatives that address constantly changing marketplace career requirements.
The Realities that Inspired Our Role as Partner in Education
Union City was directly and severely impacted by the plant closing trends of the 1980s and beyond, creating both economic hardship and high awareness of the need to adapt education to new realities in the job market. These efforts require investment in teaching capability and the technology that drives new marketplace opportunity including artificial intelligence, 3D printing, robotics, cyber-security, applications software, Internet content and communication and related IT infrastructure support. It is our goal to constantly improve Union City's ability to afford innovation, to provide new opportunity and to assure that Union City students are competitive with graduates of larger, better funded schools.
Historical Roots
Union City's evolution to an education foundation began with an activist Alumni Association that increased fund-raising to supplement traditional scholarship support with teacher support and engagement in curricula development. As this effort grew to include donations via planned giving and estate bequests, it became clear that the correct organizational structure was an Education Foundation. The Alumni Association remains a dynamic department within the Education Foundation, directly engaged with alumni communication and engagement.
Administration, Control and Compliance
The Foundation is a member of the Indiana Association of Public School Foundations (INAPEF). INAPEF exists to guide new foundations in the development of policies and procedures that assure compliance with existing law. We are also able to access and share best practices with nearly 100 Indiana foundations of every size and stage of development. By contrast, we were a lone wolf in our role of Alumni Association that had graduated to new levels of school support.
Role in Community
This site is intended to show the need we have identified, short term and long term, and our opportunity to make a major and lasting contribution to Union City education. There is also a direct benefit to Union City as a community, as a vibrant school system is a critical factor in issues from workforce readiness to attractiveness as a relocation destination for businesses and individual families.
Organizational Transition
Reasons for an Education Foundation, Progression of Role in Support of Union City Education
THE INFORMATION BELOW WAS PART OF THE BOARD MOTION, March 4, 2020, THAT CREATED THE UNION CITY EDUCATION FOUNDATION. PRESENTED HERE TO SHOW THE REASON BEHIND CHANGE AND THE CONTINUING ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATION AS CREATOR OF THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
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Journey to Recognition of Need for Organizational Change
In the decade from 2010-2019, we became arguably the most successful Alumni Association in the state of Indiana. We executed traditional Alumni Association duties and became increasingly active communicators with alumni around the country, aimed at making alumni aware of the school’s financial challenges and the opportunity to help.
These fund-raising activities were facilitated by successful application for 501(c)(3) status which allows donor support on a tax exempt basis.
We initiated a Teacher Grant program, modeling it after the Brownsburg Education Foundation’s program created by Union City Alum Kathleen Corbin, ‘67.
We announced to Alumni that we were prepared to discuss planned giving as part of individual’s estate planning. This concept grew slowly but gradually, and in 2019 resulted in the ultimate result for a small school… a high six figure bequest.
Recognition of Need to Change
Even brief discussion with veterans of education-related fund-raising made clear that the fiduciary responsibilities of high-dollar donations include policies, procedures and protocols that we did not yet have. Alumni experts again included Kathleen Corbin, and David Young ('67) who is an active supporter of Union City education and has led a substantial foundation in Virginia.
We also found that there were no relevant growth models for high school alumni associations that had progressed deep into major fund-raising. More typical were organizations raising funds by selling t-shirts and caps or popcorn and Coke at athletic events.
Solution and Subject of Today’s Motion
Several trusted friends in the education field pointed out that we had essentially evolved into a functioning Education Foundation in mission and basic functionality. The state of Indiana is blessed with an active association that guides educational foundations, the Indiana Association of Public Education Foundations (INAPEF), consisting of Foundations of every size, many long-established, some relativity new. We learned that we could transform into an official Foundation — actually by simply changing our name and making appropriate changes in policies and protocols including organizational disciplines and due diligence interaction with donors. The roadmap for change is made clear via our INAPEF member benefits. None of the related costs are burdensome for our organization, and as our organizational plan shows, we maintain the Alumni Association as a vital element within the Foundation structure.
Respectfully submitted by Bill Corbin, Alumni Association President
A Board Embracing Change
A Summary of Shifts in Thinking vs. "20th Century" Support
We live in a world where rapidly changing technology drives rapidly changing demands for education. Our highest purpose is assuring that Union City schools are able to anticipate and react to these changing demands.
We challenge the long-entrenched assumption that endowed student scholarships are the primary purpose of financial support to public education. Scholarships remain important and will remain part of our menu, but balanced support recognizes the illogic of providing scholarships for students ill-prepared competitively for their next level of endeavor because of gaps in current curriculum.
We also recognize the importance of impact of dollars spent. Scholarship dollars are for a worthy cause, but those dollars never impact the school's educational programs. Again, balanced support is the key, and to the extent possible we encourage donors to allow flexibility in the use of donated dollars, often a blend of scholarship and project-focused support. .
We recognize that education is a NOW process. This issue challenges the assumption that permanently endowed dollars, providing “Income only” funding, can adequately support today’s needs. We encourage donors to allow dollars to be utilized over relatively short durations, and project-specific duration to be a common activity.
We offer two solutions that address the Foundation's long-term viability:
- A cultural belief that today’s supporters address today’s needs — with approximately 10-year scope-of-vision — and that the next generation of supporters will take up the challenge for its generation of students.
- Strong encouragement of donor support via estate bequests, providing an ongoing source of fund replenishment.
We recognize the vital importance of teachers in the education process and are committed to support that improves teacher effectiveness and teacher morale and career satisfaction. In many respects the future of public school education depends on the life satisfaction assumptions of those thinking of entering the field.
Regarding scholarships, we recognize the emergence of alternatives to the “4-Year Degree” and that support of valid alternatives is clearly within the scope of our purpose.
Our philosophy of donor relationship is based on dialog that includes the school's needs as a potential driver of eventual funds use. But we will honor donors' specific requests.
BOARD ACTION and EXPECTATIONS
We will be multi-geographic recognizing the value of our out-of-town Alumni as sources of both ideas and funds. Therefore board meetings will be primarily virtual, announced at least three weeks in advance, about six times per year.
We seek to be an active board, with an expectation of ongoing awareness of and high interest in relevant activities in the school and the Union City community. We will provide information internally, but expect board members to remain abreast of Union City activity via Facebook, or other effective means.
Board members will contribute financially within our means, as both support and as indication of ongoing commitment to the cause.
Board members will actively suggest consideration of Foundation support to alumni or acquaintances. The term “suggest” recognizes that Foundation communication tools and personnel will likely finalize finalize new donor engagement which is a combination of presentation, exploration, decision and documentation.
We will be willing to serve on Board Committees as needs arise, but the Foundation is aware of busy lives and will appreciate quality of contribution. It is relevant to note that the physical work related to our services happens within the school and our executive director's office.
CONTACT BILL CORBIN, Executive Director, for discussion:
bcorbin@gmail.com / 317-691-1043
Leadership Launch Strategy
Upon establishment, by 501(c)(3) name-change, of the Union City Education Foundation, the entire Board of Directors of the Union City Alumni Association became the "founding" Board of Directors of the UCEF. The founding board then assumed assignments on either the Foundation, the Association or both. as shown below. New members are similarly assigned to the roles that fit interest and talent.