SMMEF’s Inaugural Pledge Days Raises $439,950 for Schools

The Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation (SMMEF) is happy to announce that Pledge Days, an inaugural district-wide event to raise funds and awareness for SMMEF, has raised $439,950 to support programs in all schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD).

The funds raised include donations from 702 SMMUSD families, employees and other community members and a $100,000 match from an extremely generous anonymous donor. As a result of the tremendous success of Pledge Days, annual campaign donations are now 70% higher than this time last year. “We are thrilled that the community came together so positively for our first Pledge Days event and we are grateful to our anonymous donor for such a generous and inspirational match,” said Kathleen Rawson, President of the SMMEF Board of Directors. “The donations will not only support extraordinary programs for all our students, but will also show potential corporate and major donors how committed this community is to providing an outstanding education to each and every child in our schools.” As part of Pledge Days, which ran from September 28 to October 9, SMMEF and PTA representatives were on campuses at all SMMUSD elementary schools to thank donors and encourage others to support SMMEF-funded programs in Santa Monica and Malibu public schools. Proceeds from the event and the match will fund programs for every school in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. SMMEF-funded staff and programs include arts education for the district’s 4,900 elementary students, 87 instructional assistants, and enrichment grants for all 16 schools in the district. Many schools use these grants to provide science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) or visual and performing arts programs. Some schools also use these funds to hire additional health clerks, augment on-site counseling programs, or run other programs focused on student wellness. Thanks to a generous donation from Pacific Park, one donor from each SMMUSD elementary school will win a family pass for four to the park. All donors from July 1, 2015 to October 9, 2015 are eligible. SMMEF Executive Director Linda Greenberg added, “We are ecstatic about this enthusiastic response! Donors were inspired by the wonderful $100,000 match and are committed to seeing that our students receive the best education possible. We are thrilled by the success of our fundraising efforts to date and invite SMMUSD families, community members and business who haven’t yet donated to join our efforts by donating today at smmef.org. We still need to raise $1.7 million more by June 30 in order for the district to provide all SMMEF-funded programs for next year.”