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HISTORY OF THE FOUNDATION
The Lawrence Township Education Foundation (LTEF) was created in 1992 by a group of township citizens and business representatives who sought a way to bring together the many resources of Lawrence’s business and professional community for the benefit of the Lawrence Township public schools and all of its students. The foundation has evolved into a strategic partner in the education of Lawrence Township students. Through its grant program, the foundation has contributed more than $1,900,000 to the Lawrence Township public schools for over 400 programs and projects, which include supporting the professional development of Lawrence teachers. The first 15 years of the foundation are outlined below in 5 year increments:
Forging Relationships: 1992-1997 Presidents: Dan Haggerty (1992-1994) Executive Directors: Meredith Stone (1992-1994) Establishment: On February 27, 1992, the front page of the Lawrence Ledger announced a new arrival in town. Dan Haggerty, along with School Superintendent Barry Gleim and ETS President Greg Anrig had heard about the growing popularity of local education foundations as a way to increase resources available to public schools and were ready to start one here in Lawrenceville. Dan laid out the vision, saying “If we can form a bridge between the schools and the business community, there are many resources that are almost begging to be used. That is the vision I have for the foundation.” He issued an invitation for like-minded community members to step forward to help the fledgling group. The next six months were spent organizing and putting the non-profit in place. On August 17, 1992 the Lawrence Township Education Foundation, Inc. was officially incorporated. Relationships: The first five years for LTEF were about forging relationships. In 1993, the district welcomed new superintendent Claire Sheff Kohn and LTEF moved to establish an atmosphere of trust with the district leadership, the teachers and staff and the Board of Education. Many impressive community volunteers came forward in those first years, bringing with them corporate support, connections to the community, and skill sets that strengthened the group. First Grants: Bruce McGraw, then assistant superintendent, helped LTEF craft a grant application and a process that was fair, transparent and effective. The backbone of the grant program has always been grants made to teachers to support creative programming that would not be possible within the constraints of the school budget. On January 11, 1993, LTEF made its first grant awards. Funding of $11,600 included support for a Broadcast TV Studio at Lawrence Middle School that is still in use today! By the end of the school year, LTEF had funded 10 projects – many of them requests for computers and technology. During the first five years, LTEF funded 113 programs and in May of 1997 reached the half-million dollar mark in contributions to Lawrence schools. Notable programs included automation of the High School library, set-up of the Channel 19 school billboard, the Science Exploratorium at Ben Franklin, an outdoor science center at Slackwood Elementary and a fourth grade weather station at LIS. Business & Community Support: Financial support came from Lenox, Smith Barney, IMO Industries, and Union Camp. The Lawrenceville School came on board with a generous $50,000 annual contribution in 1995 and, in that same year, the foundations launched its direct appeal to individual donors “Friends of the Foundation.” Thanks to the generosity of The Lawrenceville School, LTEF moved in to office space at 17 Phillips Avenue in the Village of Lawrenceville (where they remain today).
Growth and Development: 1998-2002 Presidents: Martin Doggett Executive Director: Ivy Cohen (2010-Present) Organizational Growth: By 1998, LTEF had figured out how to raise funds and how to spend them. Their charge was to grow the foundation and expand its reputation for funding excellence in education. Among the improvements introduced during these middle years – funding of professional development for Lawrence teachers during the summer, a Grant Buddy program that encouraged trustees to follow up on grant programs as they were implemented, the design of the current LTEF logo and the launch of a web site. ETS extended its generous in-kind support to include an annual reception for district faculty and staff. Community Recognition: The community at large recognized the foundation’s efforts on behalf of Lawrence schools. The Board of Education cited the foundation in 1998 and again in 2001. In 1998, Dollars for Scholars named LETF as one of its “Ambassadors of Education,” In 2001, Mercer County presented LTEF the “Cherish the Children Award” for volunteer service on behalf of children. Tenth Anniversary: During the 2001-2002 year, trustees set new goals as they celebrated the accomplishments of the first ten years with the Million Penny Challenge. The whole community participated in the collection of one million pennies ($10,000) to celebrate the $1 million of contributions that LTEF had made since 1992. Pennies came in from school children, were collected in canisters in local businesses, and were donated by senior citizens. Funds were used to fund author and artist residencies at all seven district schools.
Increasing Impact: 2003-Present Presidents: Joseph Summers Executive Director: Ivy Cohen (2010-Present) In an effort to expand LTEF’s ability to provide resources to the Lawrence Township schools, new fundraising programs were launched. They included a Small Business Campaign, a Faculty/Staff Campaign, the APPLE teacher recognition program and the 180 CLUB. In 2008, the education foundation held its first big fundraising event – the LTEF Goes Hollywood Gala. The gala celebrated the group’s 15th anniversary, allowed the organization to gain many new business partnerships, and raised $90,000. Grant Initiatives: In addition to its continued support of excellence through its grant cycles, LTEF ventured into the realm of targeted funding. Important grants were made possible as Merrill Lynch partnered to bring math materials to elementary schools and teacher training for the Math Out of the Box initiative. Bristol Myers Squibb stepped up to support Biophase, a renewal of the biology curriculum at Lawrence High School. Other funding supported the freshman orientation program at LHS, an early literacy program at Eggerts Crossing Village, a climbing wall at the Middle School and new keyboard for all of the elementary schools. Reputation: LTEF continues to enjoy a reputation as an effective local education foundation. The group was featured in the New York Times in May of 2004 and the group’s web site, was recognized in 2005 by the Mid-Atlantic Coalition of Education Foundations for its outstanding content and design. LTEF was a founding member of the New Jersey Education Foundation Partnership, a coalition of local education foundations that seeks to build capacity for private funding of public education. LTF Contributions By Year LTEF Summer Staff Development |
