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Educators

Foundation FAQs

 

  • What does the Foundation do?
    Since our establishment in 1987, the Foundation for LPS has been all in for kids. In our 35+ years of service to Lincoln Public Schools, numerous community leaders and talented volunteers have committed to building the resources needed to help support the Lincoln school district. As an independent 501(c)3 organization, we are devoted to raising philanthropic funds for things tax dollars cannot provide. We work to provide access to additional educational opportunities for all students, regardless of their background. We help donors make a difference by connecting them with schools' areas of greatest need.
     
  • Who can I contact from the Foundation team to help answer my questions?
  • Does my school have a fund?
    Yes. All schools have a Fund for Excellence managed by your school's principal. Many schools also have additional funds for a variety of purposes.
     
  • Can someone donate to a specific school?
    Yes! Donors can do so through the main donation page. They can enter the school's name in the "Add a note about this gift OR the specific fund name in which you would like your gift to be designated" field and we will ensure the gift gets designated to that school.
     
  • How do I access my school's Fund for Excellence?
    Talk to your school principal. Each school's Fund for Excellence is managed by the principal and is spent at their discretion.
     
  • What do I do if someone wants to give to my school?
    Gifts to your school must be made through the Foundation. Donors can give to your school's Fund for Excellence or contribute to Fund a Need campaigns from your school. If the donor wants to make a more significant donation, we encourage you to connect them with Kass Mounce.
     
  • What is Fund a Need?
    Fund a Need is a unique crowdfunding platform that LPS teachers and staff can use to raise money for classroom needs. Click HERE to learn more.
     
  • Can I set up an Amazon Wishlist?
    Unfortunately, no. Per LPS district policy, educators are not able to create Amazon Wishlists. We encourage you to use our Fund a Need crowdfunding platform.
     
  • I am a fund administrator - how do I access my funds?
    Fund administrators must request funds using the Request for Funds form. Please have your receipt(s) / invoice(s) ready to attach.
     
  • I am a fund administrator - how can I find out my fund balance?
    Updates are sent quarterly to all fund administrators with fund balances by Kass Mounce, but they may be requested at any time from Alicia Haugen.
     
  • I am a fund administrator - what are the reimbursement options?
    The most common methods of reimbursement are:
    • Reimburse an LPS account (sales tax does not apply)
    • Pay a vendor directly (sales tax may apply)
    • Reimburse an individual (sales tax may apply)
       
  • Where can students apply for scholarships?
    The Foundation awards over 100 scholarships to deserving LPS seniors every year. The scholarship applications open on the first Monday of December. The Foundation uses Community Force, an online scholarship platform that allows students to apply for over 100 scholarships with just one application. Check with your school counselor or email scholarships@foundationforlps.org for more information.
     
  • What scholarships does the Foundation offer?
    The Foundation offers an extensive array of scholarships. Please read the Scholarship Handbook for specific scholarships and their requirements.
     
  • How do I help a student whose family is struggling to pay for basic needs?
    The Foundation has a Student Emergency Fund available to help struggling families with short-term financial support. Families are able to receive up to $200 in assistance per school year. Assistance is only available as funding permits. Requests for Student Emergency funds can only come from a school social worker.

    *For the 2023-2024 school year, our Student Emergency Fund only provides vouchers to Russ's Market. The vouchers can be used for food, gas, and toiletry items.
     
  • How do I help a student who can't afford school activities?
    A generous donor has established the Stu Elliott Student Assistance Fund that helps students with financial needs fully participate in their LPS experience. Requests from the Stu Elliott Student Assistance Fund can only come from LPS staff. Examples include: show choir fees, finishing a research project, participating in a club or competition, repairing a broken instrument, or AP test exam fees. 
     
  • Does the Foundation charge any fees on donations?
    The Foundation applies a small administrative fee of 6% to donations to support its mission of empowering students. 
     
  • Can I apply for a grant from the Foundation?
    While the Foundation is not a typical grant-making foundation, we have several mini-grants available to schools, teachers, and students. For available grants and deadlines, click here. For questions about grants, please contact Cassidy Mayer.
     
  • I want to nominate a peer for an educator award - where do I start?
    The Foundation recognizes several outstanding educators across our district every spring. All awards accept nominations from educators, staff members, students, and the public. Refer to our Educator Awards page. Here, you'll find a list of awards with a link to nominate an educator that fits the eligibility criteria. Nominations are accepted annually during February.

The Numbers

  • Schools Served

    74

  • Focus & Specialty Programs Served

    15

  • Students Empowered

    42,282

  • Teachers & Staff Supported

    6,625

  • Funds Received This Year

    $4.30M

Our Partners

 

 
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© 2024 Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools
Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

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  9. How Do We Protect Your Information? Information Security -- We utilize encryption/security software to safeguard the confidentiality of personal information we collect from unauthorized access or disclosure and accidental loss, alteration or destruction. Evaluation of Information Protection Practices -- Periodically, our operations and business practices are reviewed for compliance with organization policies and procedures governing the security, confidentiality and quality of our information. Employee Access, Training and Expectations -- Our organization values, ethical standards, policies and practices are committed to the protection of user information. In general, our business practices limit employee access to confidential information, and limit the use and disclosure of such information to authorized persons, processes and transactions.
  10. How Can You Access and Correct Your Information? You may request access to all your personally identifiable information that we collect online and maintain in our database by emailing us using the contact form provided to you within the site structure of our website.
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Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions

Donation Refund Policy

We are grateful for your donation and support of our organization. If you have made an error in making your donation or change your mind about contributing to our organization please contact us. Refunds are returned using the original method of payment. If you made your donation by credit card, your refund will be credited to that same credit card.

Automated Recurring Donation Cancellation

Ongoing support is important to enabling projects to continue their work, so we encourage donors to continue to contribute to projects over time. But if you must cancel your recurring donation, please notify us.

Gift Acceptance Policy

The Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools (“Foundation”) from time to time receives gifts from donors. Some of the gifts are designated for specific purposes by the donor. Other gifts have no restrictions. Gifts will be accepted by the Foundation if the gifts are consistent with the goals and objectives of the Foundation’s mission, subject to the terms and conditions outlined. Download the full Gift Policy here.

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