How We Got Here
Since 1975 PEF has rallied the Piedmont community in support of our schools through fundraising and community engagement. One of the first education foundations in the state of California, PEF has a long and rich history of partnering with our schools and community.
1975: PEF is Founded
Established in 1975, PEF was founded to provide the Piedmont Unified School District with the means to assure educational excellence for all Piedmont students. Early grants were made for enrichment items, such as a Teletype receiver and landscaping at the Middle School.
1980’s: The Fallout from Prop 13
Beginning in 1981, three years after the passage of Proposition 13 and with significant cuts from the state looming, PEF broadened its charge and ran large-scale community campaigns to underwrite over $1.5 million of the District’s budget over a period of three years. Dress Best for Less was established in 1982, and with its dedicated volunteers, has provided a significant source of annual income to the schools via PEF ever since.
1985: First Parcel Tax
Because fundraising was not going to be able to keep up with the pace of the cuts, PEF and key community members educated the public on the need to levy a parcel tax. To sustain support for the schools, the first school parcel tax was passed with the necessary two-thirds majority vote in 1985.
1987: Introducing the PEF Student Directory
PEF began producing an all school directory to serve the community. The Directory is still published annually by the Foundation and used daily by hundreds of Piedmont families.
1989: The PEF Endowment
PEF established an Endowment Fund to ensure continuous financial support for the schools with unrestricted grants for ongoing program.
1990s: Funding Core Programs, Capital Needs & Technology
When declining enrollment and the state revenue shortfall left the District unable to fund core programs in 1991, PEF prevented significant program and personnel cuts. Later PEF participated in a capital campaign to help equip and furnish new and remodeled rooms at each school, and subsequently provided funding for a District Technology Plan; and the following year PEF funded a District Technology Coordinator to implement the plan.
2000: The Endowment Takes Off
PEF board members took on the leadership role of developing a campaign to build an Endowment Fund to help secure a stable source of unrestricted income to the school district in perpetuity.
2000s: PEF Invests in Its Operations
PEF invested in computer software and hardware to centralize and improve automated processing of gifts for PEF and the Associated Parent Clubs of Piedmont fundraising efforts, both working to help PUSD fund its top educational priorities and ensure a quality education is delivered equitably, across all school sites.
2005: PEF Invests in Its Staff
PEF hired a fundraising coordinator to track the fundraising efforts for PEF, APCP, the Parent Clubs and various support groups of the Piedmont schools. The staff grew to three in 2008, and managed the PEF donor database, the Student Directory, and various fundraising campaigns with numerous volunteers.
2009: PEF & APCP Work Together
PEF and APCP coordinate their giving campaigns with a single fall “Giving Campaign” to raise money for ongoing programs, innovation and professional development.
2015: PEF & APCP Unite to Form Single Organization
The two organizations merged to foster efficiency in the overall fundraising process, administration, and distribution of funds.
2017: PEF hires an Executive Director and creates PiedmontStore.org
Underscoring the need for a strong and transparent partnership with the District, the Board hired an Executive Director and expanded the staff. New office procedures have strengthened ties with the community, the schools, and the administration by establishing professional fundraising and business support for the Parent Clubs and support groups and establishing a clear system for grant-making and reporting on the distribution of funds.
The staff also created PiedmontStore.org, a website dedicated to fundraising programs for the Parents’ Clubs and parent support groups. PEF takes on the production of the Piedmont Portal, an online newsletter dedicated to school and community news sent to over 2000 community members each week. The PEF Board of Directors continues to be comprised of parents as well as the greater community.
Now and Into the Future…
PEF remains committed to its mission of championing innovation and supporting academic excellence. Working closely with the Piedmont schools, PEF board members share a common goal of keeping our public school system exemplary and one of the best in the state and nation.
