The WEF 2022 Annual Report

Annual 2022 Report

A message from...

Dr. Gene Shoemaker, President

Our Mission

The Waukesha Education Foundation, Inc. utilizes community resources to provide grants and scholarships for the educational enrichment of the students in the School District of Waukesha, fostering quality and innovative learning and ensuring a strong foundation for the future of our community.

Our Vision

To make the School District of Waukesha the center of educational excellence in Wisconsin through active community involvement.

The individuals who had the foresight and dedication to start the Waukesha Education Foundation (WEF) in 2002 would be very proud of the great strides the organization has made in enriching the educational experiences of so many educators and students in the School District of Waukesha over the past 20 years. As the community continues to learn more about the great things the WEF does for the educators and students, this knowledge will become a catalyst for the WEF to continue to grow and make great things happen for the next 20 years and beyond. I am proud to be part of this organization and am looking forward to seeing the growth of the WEF. Our future is bright!

Best Wishes,

Dr. Gene Shoemaker, President Waukesha Education Foundation, Inc.

Lynnette Kalmadge, Executive Director

It is hard to believe that the Waukesha Education Foundation has been supporting education in our community for 20 years. Happy anniversary to us! When I speak with our organization’s founders, they are amazed at the progress we have made since 2002. I am looking forward to continuing this success well into the future, with the help of our many donors, volunteers and supporters. Thank you for believing in our mission.

Sincerely,

Lynnette Kalmadge, Executive Director Waukesha Education Founda tion, Inc.

Who We Are

The Waukesha Education Foundation, Inc. saw some tremendous growth in 2022, both in the amount raised and the amount given.

Year in Review - Events

Watch Us Grow

Classroom Connect Receives First Donation

The new “Classroom Connect” program received its first donation in 2022, a $7,500 gift from Generac Power Systems to be used during our 2023 grant cycle to fund STEM related grant requests. This program, designed for organizations looking to make a significant and direct donation outside of our Annual Sponsorship program, provides a way to directly fund classroom grants in the donor’s selected grant category. For more information about this new program, please contact our office.

16th Annual WEF Golf Outing

It was another year of perfect weather at our new golf venue, Ironwood Golf Course in Sussex. The 2022 outing sold out in sponsorships and hosted a record 176 golfers. Amazing! We are most proud of our golfer retention, with so many of our past golfers joining us year after year. The event raised nearly $25,000, including annual sponsorship revenue. Mark your calendars for August 3, 2023 and join us again at Ironwood Golf Course for our 17th Annual Golf Outing.

For the first 15 years of our existence, the WEF was run by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors. In 2018, we took a big step and hired a part-time Executive Director who was our first paid staff member. In December of 2022, we took another big step and welcomed an administrative assistant, Amber Williams, to our team. She has already started making a positive impact.

You Can’t Have Partners in Education Without P.I.E.

Who doesn’t love pie? For WEF, pie is more than just a delicious dessert, PIE is also the acronym we use for “Partner in Education.” The WEF held another incredibly successful year-end Elegant Farmer sale this year, celebrating our Partners In Education. Special thanks to South High School for once again hosting our drive thru pick up.

2022 Evening for Education

Our popular annual Evening for Education event took a pause in 2022, as our planning team decided to move this event into early 2023! The team felt that this time of year would benefit our attendees as schedules seem to slow down in late winter/early spring and it also allowed for more planning time between major events for our event committees. Stay tuned!

2022 Partners in Education Reception

In June, the WEF hosted our annual Partners in Education Reception in the ballroom at Carroll University. We honored annual sponsors, special guests, scholarship recipients and their donors. Attendees celebrated by wearing clothing from their alma mater or favorite university, inspiring great personal connections and conversation. The Foundation awarded a record breaking $40,450 in scholarships to 53 graduating seniors. Our scholarship awards increased by 38% over last year and the number of scholarships increased by over 25%. It is a testament to the generosity of our community.

We Are Grateful

Annual Sponsorship Continues to Grow

The Foundation’s annual sponsor program experienced growth this year, resulting in a record number of supporters. The annual sponsorship program offers unique marketing opportunities as well as opportunities for participation and exposure in both Foundation and District programs. Annual sponsors that supported the WEF in 2022 are listed on the back of our annual report. We are equally grateful for all of the event sponsors that supported us this year. These organizations and donors help us offset the cost of our events and increase our event profits. They are an incredibly valuable resource and we appreciate their generosity. Our event sponsors are also listed in this year’s annual report. Thank you!

Current WEF Annual Sponsors

Special Deliveries Grants Make a Huge Impact

Casual for a Cause

Staff members in the School District of Waukesha are typically expected to dress professionally during the school day. However, Thursdays are the exception to the rule when staff members can pay $5 to wear jeans to work and that donation goes directly to the Foundation’s granting funds. 100% of the dollars raised from this initiative are added to our available grant dollars in the same school year. This year staff raised over $18,000! This is an amazing contribution that makes a positive impact for our grant program.

Funding the Future

The Foundation welcomed one new scholarship fund in 2022, the WEF Marla Gloudeman Memorial Scholarship, which memorializes Marla Gloudeman, the wife of long-time South High School softball coach Greg Gloudeman, who succumbed to her battle with cancer during the summer of 2022. The scholarship benefits a South softball player with the highest GPA and who participated in softball all four years. If you would like to learn more about setting up a scholarship, please contact our office.

In 2022, the WEF was able to award 26 grants, totaling $40,000 and impacting 13 schools, the Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium and the School District of Waukesha Environmental Education program. In May, Foundation board members set out to deliver grant notifications with novelty checks, prizes, and good news, and were greeted by staff and students alike with smiles and appreciation. Grants awarded included a variety of great projects: funding for new programs and Spanish language shows at the Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium, real-world learning and business programming for East High School, support for theater, fine arts and music, programs that support the mental health & wellness of district students, an interactive literacy program, an Environmental Education program designed to get kids outdoors and more.

Waukesha Strong Creation of New Fund

The WEF was honored to partner and create a new fund in 2022 which will provide long-term support to the Waukesha South Band program. Due to the incredible generosity from people around the world following the 2021 Waukesha Parade tragedy, the Waukesha South Band program found itself in uncharted territory and had to ask themselves how to best utilize donated funds to not only meet current needs of their program, but also to ensure future needs can be met. After several meetings and exploring all options, the Waukesha South Band Fund was created. This fund allows for current funding, but also creates a vehicle for investment and future funding. It’s partnerships like these that represent the true meaning of Waukesha Strong.

2022 Grant Projects

• Accomplishing Literacy in the Art Classroom: Hawthorne Elementary Printing Press

• Bethesda “Bob-cast” Podcast Club

• Blackshirt Players: Improving Safety Through Improving Communication

• Breakout EDU kits

• Busy Bags

• Comprehensive Student Support Resources

• Electrifying Auto Technicians of Today: GM ATech Electronic Training Equipment

• Elevating Makerspace

• Farm to Classroom-Partnering EB Shurts greenhouse with Culinary Education

• Functional Break Room

• Growing in Partnership

• Hail! Hail! A New Opportunity: Beyond the Classroom with Extreme Weather

• Hammock Garden

• Keyboards Connect

• Life-Saving Skills: The importance of purchasing new CPR Manikins and AED Trainers for Waukesha North’s Health Education classes

• Makers Space on the Go!

• Maximizing Flexibility and Time in AVID Tutorials

• No Child Left Inside: Engagement Outside the School Walls

• Prairie Elementary Restorative Library

• Prairie Patio-An Outdoor Learning Experience

• Reading Adventure Walk

• Regulation Station

• Say What? Spanish Planetarium Shows and Programs? About Time!

• Summit View Zen Zones & Emotional Literacy (K-3)

• Tumbling to a Healthy Heart

• Waukesha South Films

2022 Event Sponsors

We are so grateful to the many businesses and community members who supported us as Event Sponsors at our 16th Annual Golf Outing in 2022. Thank you!

• Axley Law

• Mike & Melissa Baxter

• CableCom LLC

• Canned Water 4 Kids

• CC&N

• Credit Management

• Delta Dental

• Delzer Lithograph Company

• Mrs. Jane Delzer

• Enterprise Lighting & Control

• Equitable Bank

• Heartland Business Systems

• HRB Law

• INNIO Waukesha

• Liberty Dance Center

• Meijer

• Mortenson Construction

• Nev’s Ink

• Pieper Electric

• Scherrer Construction

• Shoemaker & Gilson

• Urethane Systems Plus

• Dennis & Diane Voit

• Walbec Group

• Wisconsin Indoor Golf Center

WEF Recognition Awards

Each year, the Waukesha Education Foundation, Inc. recognizes individuals, groups and businesses who have made a significant contribution to education in the School District of Waukesha. There are three categories of recognition, each honoring a different sector of our community that makes a difference. These recipients are then celebrated at the annual Evening for Education event held at a later date. Congratulations to the 2022 winners!

Corporate Partner Award Winner: Generac Power Systems

Community Partner Award Winner: Waukesha YMCA

Sally Jo Michalko Lifetime Excellence in Education Award Winner: William (“Bill”) Baumgart

To learn more about our grants, visit our website at www.waukeshaeducationfoundation.org

Financials - Year Ended December

Statement of Activities

31, 2022

Fund Type Through December 31, 2022

We extend our sincerest gratitude to the individual donors who have maintained funds to help fund our grants and scholarships. The Waukesha Education Foundation has invested its 44 scholarship and grant funds with the Waukesha County Community Foundation, helping to ensure these funds will be available to provide for future generations.

Unrestricted

• WEF: Unrestricted Fund

Scholarship Funds

• WEF: Bonnie Schlais Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Clyde Shields Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Col. H. Mueller Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Current Scholarship Fund

• WEF: D. R. Fuller Scholarship Award Fund

• WEF: Diane Voit Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Dianich Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Dr. David Hoeppner Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Dr. Jim Marty Memorial Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Emery E. Reuss Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Frederick C. Christiansen Memorial Fund

• WEF: Frisch Scholarship Fund

• WEF: General Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Jay Whitney Memorial Scholarship Fund

• WEF: J.E. Worthington Technology Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Jim Tyler’s Player’s Choice Award Fund

Statement of Financial Position

• WEF: Ken Hollub Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Mabel Amundson Memorial Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Marla Gloudeman Memorial Scholarship

• WEF: Norm Seeling Scholar Athlete Award Fund

• WEF: Pat Tyler’s Volleyball Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Roland Schrupp Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Simon Family Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Smirl Family Scholarship Fund

• WEF: Tech Auntie Award Fund

• WEF: Waukesha Women’s Club Scholarship Fund

Granting Funds

• WEF: Bob Duckett Memorial Fund

• WEF: Fine Arts Endowment Fund

• WEF: General Endowment Fund

• WEF: Hadfield School Scholastic Fund

• WEF: Kenneth Hollub Fund

• WEF: Kristine K. Diener Technology Fund

• WEF: Leadership Fund

• WEF: Merlin & Grace Birk Fund

• WEF: Sally Jo Michalko Fund

• WEF: Schmidt Family Fund

• WEF: South HS Alumni Family & Friends Fund

• WEF: Van Beek Library Fund

• WEF: Waukesha Business Fund

• WEF: Waukesha South Band Fund

• WEF: Waukesha South Orchestra Fund

• WEF: Wiesner Fund

The Waukesha Education Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization and files a Form 990 annually with the IRS. The Form 990 is available for public inspection at our office. Please note: In spite of a great fundraising year, market fluctuations negatively impacted our 2022 revenue.

2022 Annual Sponsors Partners in Education

Platinum Sponsors:

Board of Directors

Dr. Gene Shoemaker, President

Janaka Subotnik, Vice President

Nicholas Ansley, Treasurer

Gold Sponsors:

Silver Sponsors:

Angela Schaaf, Secretary

At-large Members:

Victor Frasher

Manisha Nabke

Gina Nordrum

Amanda Roddy

Brian Running

Advisory Members (Non-Voting):

Mark Borowski (School Board Liaison)

Sarahí Monterrey (Teacher Liaison)

Dr. James Sebert (Superintendent)

Foundation Staff:

Lynnette Kalmadge, Executive Director

Amber Williams, Administrative Assistant

After years of service, we would like to recognize our outgoing WEF Board Members who completed their time of service with us at the end of 2022.

Natalia Bonilla

Felicia Carrillo

Kimberly Dove

Corey Montiho (School Board Liaison)

Garrett Sheskey

Kimberly Tinder