Our Mission

Before 1985, the major source of funding for the Association of Parents and Teachers (APT) sponsored programs was a series of money-making projects such as selling sweatshirts, school bags, plants, bake sales, etc.  Fundraising activities in 1984-1985 grossed $16,000, but netted only $4,000 for a tremendously labor-intensive effort on the part of parents and APT boards.  After evaluating several years of fundraising efforts of Lake Forest School District 67 parents, the APT Executive Board decided to establish a not-for-profit organization to be called The Spirit of 67 Foundation.  It was to be the only funding vehicle authorized by District 67.  Operating expenses were to be kept to a minimum so that more dollars could go directly to benefit the children.  Its purpose was and is to function as a fundraising entity which serves Lake Forest District 67’s elementary and middle school students, parents, faculty, and staff.  Through grant awards, the Foundation provides enriching, educational and cultural experiences that might not otherwise be available.

Originally, the approach to fundraising was to conduct an annual campaign enlisting the support of the entire District 67 community in the belief that excellence in our public school system benefits every resident of Lake Forest in a variety of ways.  With the emphasis on a direct mail brochure sent out each fall, results were gratifying from the outset.  Donations for the initial year (1985-86) were $13,000, and the second year produced nearly $25,000.  Donations continued to grow in subsequent years.

In 1988-89, the annual campaign expanded beyond the direct mail approach and included solicitation of major gifts from foundations, corporations, and interested individuals.  Donations for that year exceeded $75,000.  Approximately $45,000 of these funds was pledged to equipment and programming for an innovative, student-accessed computer network.  Another $15,000 was granted as usual to a variety of cultural and educational enrichment programs for the 1989-90 school year.  The remaining funds were designated by the donors for endowment of programs as varied as staff development and the Norm Erickson basketball tournament. 

In 1989-90, the Foundation, feeling that the community and parents had been extremely generous and responsive to the prior year’s campaign, chose not to set a monetary goal and to conduct only a general campaign.  With public relations efforts focused on staff development grants and programs selected for the year (especially the new Visiting Authors Program) contributions still exceeded $45,000.  This same general campaign approach continued into the mid 1990s, but with lesser success.  Annual contributions settled to approximately $30,000.

Between 1995 and 1997, a special partnership called The Spirit of Science was formed to fund nine science labs district-wide.  An additional $350,000 was raised, again from major gifts from foundations, corporations, and individuals.  The Spirit of 67 Foundation benefited from the visibility this special partnership created as well as from re-initiating targeted corporate solicitations.  Contributions grew significantly in 1997-98 to over $75,000 and in 1998-99 to over $85,000.

In 2000, another special campaign was begun called The Spirit of the Games.  $200,000 was raised to help finance the remodeling of the gyms and locker rooms at Deer Path Middle School.  The Spirit of 67 helped kick the campaign off with a grant of $50,000. 

Also, in 2000, a new fundraising initiative called Apple Spirit was developed.  This program was an opportunity to recognize the outstanding efforts of teachers, administrators, and staff in the district.  Honorees were thanked by receiving a personal card, plastic apple filled with something special from the giver, usually candy, and a donation to the Spirit in their name.  Contributions were collected and then distributed directly back to each school.  Spending was monitored by School Councils.  The initiative raised over $5,000 in 2000-01, almost $10,000 in 2001-02 and in 2002-03, but only about $2,000 in 2003-04.  The Board voted to discontinue Apple Spirit in 2004 due to fairness concerns raised by teachers and dwindling interest.

Searching for new sources of revenue for the foundation, a new special events committee was formed in 2002.  The committee reviewed a variety of options and recommended a home tour be held.  Besides raising significant funds, this fundraising event has had the benefit of extending awareness of the foundation further into the community.  In its first year, the “Opening Doors For Education” Home Tour raised over $25,000.  The format for the Home Tour has been to offer the community a chance to visit four Lake Forest Homes, known for their architectural and/or historical significance, showcasing grants implemented in the Lake Forest schools.  The Home Tour has continued to prosper in the subsequent years and, due to its success, it has become an annual fundraising event drawing hundreds of attendees.

Capitalizing on an opportunity presented by a district family to partially underwrite a golf fundraising event, the Foundation organized the “Chip in for Education” Golf Outing.  The outing was held at Shoreacres Country Club on September 14, 2004.  Not only did this event raise additional funds for the Spirit, but it also expanded the awareness of the Foundation among District fathers and other local businesses. The event raised $45,000 it’s first year.  Over the course of the next 4 years, a silent auction and luncheon that drew non-golf participants became the larger draw and in 2009 the golf portion was eliminated in favor of focusing on a larger silent auction and luncheon.  Over 230 were in attendance the first year of this new “Centerpieces of Education” Benefit Luncheon and raised over $45,000.  This is now an annual event for the Spirit.
 

In 2009, the Spirit Executive Board announced the “YOU are the Spirit” Membership Drive and focused energies on increasing the participation and achieving a membership goal of 100% of District 67 families by establishing membership categories with benefit levels.  A popular membership benefit is the “Shop with Spirit” card, a partnership with the Lake Forest Chamber of Commerce where members donating $150 and above receive discounts or specials at favorite restaurants and shops.  The Spirit also implemented the “YOU are the Spirit” Membership Week which features a District-wide Phone-a-thon on Monday through Thursday, culminating in the “Centerpieces of Education” Benefit Luncheon. 

A small fundraising opportunity arose in 2007 by offering the District families tickets to attend a Chicago White Sox baseball game in a Spirit-only section.  The Family Baseball Night event has been very popular and has recently switched venues to Milwaukee for the Brewers –v- Chicago Cubs contest.

Deer Path Middle School produced a faculty talent show in April, 2005 and named the Spirit as beneficiary.  The DPM Faculty in Review, along with a silent auction, raised $6,600.  In 2007, the event named changed to the “Who’s Got Talent?” Faculty Revue, which was extended for all District 67 faculty to participate in.  The silent auction was eliminated and the event became a true talent experience.  Due to the generosity of District 67 Faculty and Staff, the “Who’s Got Talent?” Faculty Revue has become a bi-annual fundraising event.

In 2005-2006, the City of Lake Forest agreed to sponsor the Spirit of 67 Vehicle Sticker Program.  The city offered all residents a choice of 2 different vehicle stickers - a traditional sticker or, for an additional $25, a resident could purchase a Spirit of 67 fundraising sticker.  A contest was held for the creation of the artwork displayed on the sticker and all district students were allowed to participate.  The program resulted in the sale of over 800 Spirit of 67 vehicle stickers and over $20,000 in sales.  In 2006-07, the City of Lake Forest opened the event to 9 additional local charities.  The artwork for the sticker was voted upon by all 10 charities.  The event resulted in the sale of 200 stickers and over $4900 in sales.  The city no longer offers this option. 

The creation of these special fundraising events as well as added emphasis on corporate underwriting has added significantly to the Foundation’s total annual contributions.  Total cumulative income since 1996 (net of special events expenses) has grown significantly to almost $2.8 million.

The Spirit of 67 has funded over 370 grants since it was founded in 1985, supporting a broad spectrum of academic interests.  Major funding has been provided for:

As a way to thank District 67 for their support of The Spirit of Science, the first Family Night was held in March of 1997 at the Museum of Science and Industry.  The museum was open only to the families of the District.  This was not a fundraising event but a means of expressing appreciation for the District’s support.  Family Night became an annual event because of its popularity and has rotated among museums in the Chicago area, including the Field Museum, the Children’s Museum, and The Museum of Science and Industry, Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium and the Peggy Notebaert Museum.  Over the years, the event has changed from Family Night to Member Appreciation Night - a way to selectively thank our contributors and members. In 2011 Member Appreciation Night was held at the Discovery World Museum in Milwaukee.

Over the years, several “awareness building” events have been held, targeting District 67 parents and staff.  These have included a pre-opening party at Bank Lane Bistro, a “tailgate” party at Knauz Motors, and a pre-opening party at Lovell’s Restaurant.  These events usually highlighted one of the performing arts programs for the year.

To date over $2,775,000 has been contributed to the Foundation and over $2,500,000 has been awarded through the grant application process.  While all the children attending District 67 schools enjoy the benefits of Foundation grant funding, historically only a small percentage of District 67 families donate to the Spirit each year.  With the implementation of the “YOU are the Spirit” Membership Drive, the Spirit achieved a record-breaking participation rate of 47% across the district this past fiscal year and awarded $266,510 for 26 separate grants for implementation in the 2011-2012 school year. 

September 2011