General Foundation Questions

The WLWV School District operates sixteen (16) schools within the communities of West Linn and Wilsonville.  In turn, those schools have in place supportive organizations (PTAs, PTSOs, Booster Clubs, etc.) which exist primarily to raise funds for their school’s unique needs and programs, such as assemblies, technology projects or playground equipment.  PTAs, PTSOs and Booster Clubs, however, are limited in what services they may fund for their schools.  They are generally not permitted by their bylaws to hire teachers for their schools.

The Foundation differs from these school-specific organizations in that funds it raises can be used to pay for teaching positions.  The Foundation is currently the only nonprofit fundraising entity with the ability to fund additional teaching positions for the WLWV School District. 

Yes, the Foundation originally filed for nonprofit status in 1992 and has maintained its nonprofit status since then.  The Foundation's tax ID number is 93-1113774. 

The Foundation has been in existence since the 1992-93 school year, but it has since changed its name twice to reflect its evolving mission.  Throughout its tenure, the Foundation has supported the West Linn-Wilsonville School District by raising funds to redress its most pressing issues as viewed by the community which has consistently been to preserve teaching positions and thereby maintain small class sizes.

In its founding phase, the Foundation was named the West Linn - Wilsonville Education Foundation and its mission was to support the educational programs of the West Linn-Wilsonville School District.  As its initial fundraising event, the Foundation held an auction which was able to raise funds sufficient to hire one teacher for one year.  The Foundation’s annual auction strategy, however, was found to conflict with the various schools’ PTA auctions, so the Foundation discontinued the event.  The Foundation explored alternative fundraising methods, but none proved sustainable at the time.

During the 2002-03 school year, to reflect a change in the school district’s needs and to reassess its goals, the Foundation reformed under the name Teach the Children Foundation.  The Foundation then focused on sharpening its purpose and strategies and updating its bylaws.  The Foundation engaged in a “Making Friends and Funds” campaign which included sending letters to all school district families, contacting significant donors and foundations, and a phone-a-thon.  The Teach the Children Foundation also held several fundraising events, including a Kick-Off at the Oregon Golf Club in West Linn and a First Column Club at the Mercedes Dealership in Wilsonville.  Through its efforts, the Teach the Children Foundation was able to fund one to three (1-3) teachers for several years. Because the school district was not facing severe budget impacts during this period, the Foundation transitioned into a stewardship role for the funds and did not involve itself in any direct fundraising appeals.

In 2010 with the District facing unprecedented budget cuts, due to the economic recession, the Foundation was reinvigorated to face and meet these financial challenges.  The name was changed back to the West Linn-Wilsonville Education Foundation to reflect the organization’s main purpose of raising funds to support the West Linn-Wilsonville School District in challenging financial times. Today, our goal is to support the mission of the District by raising funds to hire new teachers.

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising organization committed to supporting the mission of the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. Our purpose is to raise funds to hire new teachers.