Successful Benefit
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 4:18 pmhttp://marinij.com/marin/ci_3194772
Requests exceed funds after benefit
Carla Bova
Organizers of a concert fund-raiser to benefit Novato public schools have received about 250 grant applications totaling more than $650,000 in requests from teachers and staff seeking funds for everything from textbooks to computers to field trips.
Though Rock'n Blues by the Lake at Stafford Lake raised about $125,000 and a related fund-raiser generated about $40,000 in cash and services, fund raising will continue through the end of the year in order to meet as many of the grant requests as possible, said Brenda Rhodes, board member of the Novato Arts Foundation, which sponsored both events.
The foundation is a nonprofit organization formed last year to promote arts in Novato.
"We looked at what teachers said their needs are," Rhodes said. "We will do our best in the next 60 days to show the community those needs and are confident businesses will continue to contribute."
Rock'n Blues on Oct. 1 featured the rock band Journey and drew about 6,000 people. Though Rhodes said final figures are not yet available, estimates indicate the event grossed about $250,000 and, after expenses, raised about $125,000 for the Novato district's 16 schools.
Teachers, staff members or parent/teacher representatives were invited to fill out grant application forms to describe classroom and school needs. The foundation sent out about 500 applications and received about 250 by the Oct. 31 deadline.
Rhodes said about half of the grant applications were for more than $1,000 and requested items that are "harder to come by," such as chairs, desks and copy machines. The other half of requests, she said, could be filled for less than $1,000 each and were for "day-to-day" items such as art supplies, textbooks and software.
Lynwood School teacher Heidi Mortensen requested $275 to buy easels and paintbrushes for her kindergarten class. Hill Middle School teacher Gina Schilling requested $220 for science kits.
Ellie Marcus, a teacher at Loma Verde School, requested $600 for dictionaries and thesauruses for fifth- and sixth-grade classes because her current set is at a college level.
"I need dictionaries for fifth-graders ... where they can find the word and there are not five different definitions but two or three core definitions that students can understand (with) a picture or example," Marcus said.
Sponsors of Rock'n Blues were invited to a cocktail party fund-raiser Nov. 1, where they previewed the grant requests and donated an additional $40,000 in cash or services to meet specific needs. The party was hosted by Rhodes as well as Journey band members Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon and their spouses.
"That is really what the Novato Arts Foundation's goal was - to assess Novato schools needs and reach out to the greater community to fill as many as possible by educating the community as to the exact needs of schools," said district parent Doug Pickford, who also is finance commissioner of the California State PTA.
Parent Susan Mathews said while she is excited about any effort that gets people to donate time, money or services to schools, she is concerned about the Novato Arts Foundation process. Mathews is a board member of School Fuel, a nonprofit education foundation for the Novato public schools.
"I have heard a lot of questions from parents and donors to the event about what is happening to the money raised at Rock'n Blues, what is the purpose of additional fund-raising activities ... and how the money will be distributed," Mathews said. "We do not yet have information on their fund-raising activities that show what percentage of money raised is going to the schools."
Rhodes said the Novato Arts Foundation will appoint a grant committee to give out funds by early December and that accountant Steve Delahunty will release his report at the end of the project.
"The first $70,000 will be supplied to the PTA grant requests according to student enrollment," Rhodes said of total funds raised. "We are using grant committee evaluation of needs to distribute the rest."
Requests exceed funds after benefit
Carla Bova
Organizers of a concert fund-raiser to benefit Novato public schools have received about 250 grant applications totaling more than $650,000 in requests from teachers and staff seeking funds for everything from textbooks to computers to field trips.
Though Rock'n Blues by the Lake at Stafford Lake raised about $125,000 and a related fund-raiser generated about $40,000 in cash and services, fund raising will continue through the end of the year in order to meet as many of the grant requests as possible, said Brenda Rhodes, board member of the Novato Arts Foundation, which sponsored both events.
The foundation is a nonprofit organization formed last year to promote arts in Novato.
"We looked at what teachers said their needs are," Rhodes said. "We will do our best in the next 60 days to show the community those needs and are confident businesses will continue to contribute."
Rock'n Blues on Oct. 1 featured the rock band Journey and drew about 6,000 people. Though Rhodes said final figures are not yet available, estimates indicate the event grossed about $250,000 and, after expenses, raised about $125,000 for the Novato district's 16 schools.
Teachers, staff members or parent/teacher representatives were invited to fill out grant application forms to describe classroom and school needs. The foundation sent out about 500 applications and received about 250 by the Oct. 31 deadline.
Rhodes said about half of the grant applications were for more than $1,000 and requested items that are "harder to come by," such as chairs, desks and copy machines. The other half of requests, she said, could be filled for less than $1,000 each and were for "day-to-day" items such as art supplies, textbooks and software.
Lynwood School teacher Heidi Mortensen requested $275 to buy easels and paintbrushes for her kindergarten class. Hill Middle School teacher Gina Schilling requested $220 for science kits.
Ellie Marcus, a teacher at Loma Verde School, requested $600 for dictionaries and thesauruses for fifth- and sixth-grade classes because her current set is at a college level.
"I need dictionaries for fifth-graders ... where they can find the word and there are not five different definitions but two or three core definitions that students can understand (with) a picture or example," Marcus said.
Sponsors of Rock'n Blues were invited to a cocktail party fund-raiser Nov. 1, where they previewed the grant requests and donated an additional $40,000 in cash or services to meet specific needs. The party was hosted by Rhodes as well as Journey band members Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon and their spouses.
"That is really what the Novato Arts Foundation's goal was - to assess Novato schools needs and reach out to the greater community to fill as many as possible by educating the community as to the exact needs of schools," said district parent Doug Pickford, who also is finance commissioner of the California State PTA.
Parent Susan Mathews said while she is excited about any effort that gets people to donate time, money or services to schools, she is concerned about the Novato Arts Foundation process. Mathews is a board member of School Fuel, a nonprofit education foundation for the Novato public schools.
"I have heard a lot of questions from parents and donors to the event about what is happening to the money raised at Rock'n Blues, what is the purpose of additional fund-raising activities ... and how the money will be distributed," Mathews said. "We do not yet have information on their fund-raising activities that show what percentage of money raised is going to the schools."
Rhodes said the Novato Arts Foundation will appoint a grant committee to give out funds by early December and that accountant Steve Delahunty will release his report at the end of the project.
"The first $70,000 will be supplied to the PTA grant requests according to student enrollment," Rhodes said of total funds raised. "We are using grant committee evaluation of needs to distribute the rest."
