February 2020
Northwest Regional Meeting

Thanks to those who came to take part in our Northwest Regional Meeting in Enid! We had a wonderful time networking and learning from one another. Special thanks to Enid Public School Foundation Director Janna Jackson for hosting and presenting, and Stillwater Public Education Foundation Director Jenifer Bartley for her presentation. Look for information on our Fall Forum for 2020 coming soon.

Foundation Feature: Cashion Education Foundation Dodgeball Tournament

Cashion Education Foundation: Established in 1996

District Serves :
595 Students in grades PK-12

All Volunteer-led Foundation

Great Idea to Share :
Dodgeball Tournament Fundraiser: "Don't Dodge Your Education"




The Cashion Education Foundation hosted their 5th annual "Don't Dodge Your Education" Dodgeball Tournament Sunday, February 9, 2020. This fundraising, community building event brings together people of all ages for an afternoon of fun in support of public education. The event includes a dodgeball tournament with five age divisions, a raffle, silent auction, live auction, and a dance off. The foundation also runs a concession stand as part of the event. Teams are encouraged to dress up and compete for a best costume award. The creative names and costumes add to the fun: check out this link to see more photos.

Cashion Education Foundation raised $46,000 with this year's tournament. These funds allow the foundation to provide teacher grants and student scholarships each year. The tournament is open to the public, and sponsorships and donations for the event come from across the community.

Foundation President Stephenie Woody shared, "The outpouring of support is a true testament of how our wonderful community comes together and is willing to support not only our children, but our staff as well. The board is very humbled by our community and their support".
Legislative Update
The Oklahoma Legislature is considering a bill this session with the potential to impact education foundations. The bill is designed to expand the already existing Opportunity Scholarship Fund. This bill was introduced during the 2019 session as SB 407, and it progressed all the way through committee but the legislature ran out of time to bring it to a vote. You can see last year's version of the bill here. The Oklahoma State School Board Association has created an analysis of the current law and implications of expanding it here .

Current language for the 2020 version of this bill is not yet available. However, it is expected to include the following:
  • The bill will expand the cap on tax credits from 5 million to 30 million a year.
  • The private school fund will be eligible to access 15 million in credits, up from the current 3.5 million
  • The public school side will be eligible to access 15 million in credits, up from the current 1.5 million
  • The restriction for public schools on district size (currently under 4500 and members of OSPRC) will be removed, and both Education Foundations and Districts will be able to access these tax credits

If the bill passes with the changes outlined above, foundations need to be aware that their donors are eligible for these tax credits. The Oklahoma School Foundations Network will be tracking the progress of this bill to provide updates and training if needed on how to proceed if the bill should pass.

If you would like to advocate, now is the time to reach out to your legislator(s) to speak with them about this bill.
Become a PLUS Member!
While ALL public school foundations in Oklahoma have access to the free consulting and resources provided by the Oklahoma School Foundations Network, PLUS members will have the added benefit of membership in the National School Foundation Association. PLUS membership, based on your foundation size, is just half of what it would cost your organization to join NSFA separately. NSFA offers its members a large array of benefits, including discounted services and products as well as a large resource library and free webinars. Take a look at the membership application for more information, and contact Katy Leffel with any questions you might have.

We would like to welcome the following foundations as 2019-20 PLUS members:
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Oklahoma School Foundations are doing great work across our state.
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The Oklahoma School Foundations Network is a program of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

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