This Section is Devoted to the SEED Campaign
Review and Let's Talk!
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Summary: Foundation Purpose and Your Role
Carrying on Long Tradition - Modernized
For nearly 100 years, Union City Alumni have invested in the future of students not yet born. The driving motive is an attitude of "pay it back, pay it forward" in appreciation of the contribution of the Union City years to life success.
Today's motive is the same, but the avenue to maximum impact has changed -- needs are far wider and deeper. (This site provides details, and we can dicuss one-to-one.)
Making a Multi-Million Dollar Impact
In the 1900s and early 2000s, Union City Alumni, and friends of Union City education, created an endowment of nearly $2 million. We are confident that with regular communication of support opportunity, an amount in the $8- to $10-million range is realistic in the 10-15 years ahead. Discussions will include planned giving and estate planning that reflect appreciation of the life-benefits received from Union City experiences, and desire to contribute to the future success of school and our old home town.
Why an Education Foundation?
The Foundation structure is necessary for the long-term management of substantial donated funds, providing in-perpetuity services not possible via a volunteer organization.
An Education Foundation is specifically focused on advancing excellence in local, public- education, It works with the school to anticipate and support needs that lie "just ahead" (one to seven year timeframe is typical) vs. the pure endowment strategy that will support education in 2075 with the same dollar amounts doled out in the 2020s.
In summary, the Foundation participates directly in meeting the cost of important programs in our school -- the goal is helping make Union City graduates fully competitive in the job market of the rapidly changing 21st Century.
We Must Think Wider and Deeper
In the 20th Century, alumni planned giving focused on scholarships, primarily helping cover costs of 4-year degrees for college-bound students.
It was assumed that the school had adequate resources to provide curricula and teachers necessary to assure that graduating seniors were competitive, in their next step, with graduates of larger, better funded schools.
This thinking is simply not consistent with 21st Century reality. Supporters of education must be thinking "inside the building" in addition to sending support dollars "outside the building" to colleges and other providers of higher education.
- Curricula needs are changing rapidly vs. 20th Century stability. Install is expensive.
- The requirements of hiring, preparing and retaining teachers are changing rapidly. A teacher crisis is looming just ahead, dangerous for small schools.
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Recognition: Seed Funding Support
Becoming a Founding Benefactor...
The Union City Education Foundation is in place and functioning, but there are steps necessary to create full in-perpetuity capability. The most critical are hiring employees (part-time to start) that transition thinking away from part-time transient volunteers.
The execution plan is multi-part and can be part of our face-to-face discussion. In a nutshell it is building the management and control infrastructure consistent with managing and distributing large dollar amounts long term.
Investing in this infrastructure build can best be thought of as providing SEED money that makes possible the rest of our long-range plan. We are striving for alumni (and other friends of UC education) support in the $5-$25,000 range, aiming at a total of $150,000.
Those who partner with us at this SEED level will be recognized, in-perpetuity, as:
Founding Benefactor: Union City Education Foundation.
The Importance of Our Talking One-to-One
There are many new ideas here, some representing major change from 20th Century thinking. There are also more opportunities to make a difference, ways to engage that fit your goals. Our discussion will answer your questions and explore your role, immediately and perhaps far into the future.
The idea of providing SEED MONEY is also unique, and deserves discussion. You are making possibile the organization that will make possible dramatic education support far into the future.
Contact Bill Corbin - 317-691-1043 - Bill.corbin@gmail.com