Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation, Inc.
Serving Maryland's Largest School District
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Foundation serves the educational needs of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Maryland's largest public school district and the Nation's 14th largest public school district. We give priority to mitigating opportunity gaps that impact MCPS students. Fifty-seven thousand (35% of enrollment) MCPS students experience economic disparity, as indicated by their qualification to participate in the Free And Reduced-price Meal System (FARMS). The Foundation's goal is to support equitable access to educational tools and opportunities that are proven to yield student academic success.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Howard Hughes Science Grants
Special grant for K-12 science education.
Scholarship Grants
Merit and need-based scholarship ranging from $1,0000 to $5,000 to graduating seniors enrolled in Montgomery County, MD public schools.
Foundation Small Grant Awards
Grants up to $2,000 for a single-teacher led project) or $5000 for collaborative projects led by multiple educators, are awarded to educators and/or administrators for the benefit of the students they serve. Funds are used to purchase special instructional materials that enrich the educational experience for students. Funds also pay fees associated with career certifications for students who otherwise could not pay the fees.
Kids in Need
This fund serves the most vulnerable among our enrolled students. It addresses basic needs in times of crisis. It also will pay for transportation to parent-teacher conferences on a limited basis. The fund also makes an annual grant to the outdoor education program to provide the required gear for students who are economically disadvantaged.
Dine with Dignity
Provides funds to pay balances owed for school lunches distributed to students who qualify for the Free And Reduced-priced Meal System (FARMS), but accrue a balance they cannot pay. The debt often is accrued while the family is waiting to be approved for free meals. Once approved, some students are unable to pay for lunch on a daily basis even though they qualify for the reduced-price lunch. The fund allows students to eat the lunch of their choice and not receive an alternative meal which reveals their circumstances to their peers. The goal for 2023 is to obtain a sponsor for every school.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
National Association of Education Foundations 2022
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of students enrolled
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Teachers, Students
Related Program
Foundation Small Grant Awards
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The Foundation sets fundraising benchmarks based on student enrollment. Currently, we raise about $20 per student.
Average online donation
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total dollars received in contributions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We want to prevent a student's circumstances from becoming a predictor of educational outcomes, by providing resources to make the educational experience equitable. To raise the funds needed, we must compete for philanthropic support in a community of strong nonprofits, many of which are national in scope.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To grow annual support, we have articulated campaigns that support specific student needs and programs. In our appeals on behalf of these campaigns, we have emphasized the impact of small, recurring gifts. To grow the Foundation assets, we have identified goals for permanent endowed funds to provide more equity in resources available for out-of-class enrichment and the pursuit of postsecondary education.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have a state-of-the art fundraising software bundle that enables us to track our progress. We can communicate effectively across social media platforms. We can receive contributions through online portals, mobile platforms, social media appeals, workplace campaigns, and third-party fundraising organizations.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have continued to attract new donors, increase online giving, increase giving from individuals, and foundations. We have also added new campaigns in response to the needs of students enrolled in Montgomery County Public Schools. The Foundation meets benchmarks for effectiveness that have been established by the National Association of Education Foundations.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We need to be more systematic about the practice collect feedback at every activity.
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 06/24/2023
Mr. Melvyn Leshinsky
Aronson LLC (Retired)
Term: 2012 - 2022
Monifa B. McKnight
Montgomery County Public Schools
Steve B. Cohen
ProShares Advisors LLC
Jennifer Nordheimer
Linda Plummer
NAACP Montgomery County Branch
Rob Smith
Fitzgerald Auto Malls
Kim M. Watson
KMW Public Relations
Brenda Wolff
Montgomery County Board of Education
Melvyn Leshinsky
Aronson LLC (Retired)
Farzaneh L. Sabi
Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group
Pennie Abramson
Gary & Pennie Abramson Charitable Foundation
Yolanda Johnson Pruitt
MCPS Educational Foundation, Inc.
Victoria U. Samuels
Educational Systems Federal Credit Union (Retired)
Paul Leleck
Building Hope
Rebecca Smondrowski
Montgomery County Board of Education
Joshua Bokee
Connect for Broadband
Matthew Swibel
Lockheed Martin
Arlandis Rush
United HealthGroup
Susie Leong
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data