You are invited to build-up Pillars for Education! Inspired by a gift from John Taylor '57, the West Lafayette Schools Education Foundation is seeking to establish endowments that provide long-term funds for the 'pillars' of our school community: STEM Education, Liberal Arts Education, Visual and Performing Arts, K-6 Education, Student Wellness, Student Scholarships and the WLSEF Operations Fund.
To name a Pillar for Education, WLSEF asks for a gift commitment of $100,000. Contributions can be made as a pledge paid over a period of not more than five years.
To date, four Pillars have been established with full gift commitments.
- The John Taylor Endowment for Athletics provides funds for our Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) and grants for coaches to enhance their respective programs, whether that is through leadership training or to purchase equipment outside of what their team budget allows.
- The Dr. Jon Fricker and Dr. Karen Springer Endowment provides funds for teacher professional development and teacher grants to enhance classroom teaching and learning.
- The Charles Bottomley Endowment, supports student mental health initiatives at West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School.
- The Morse Family Endowment provides funds for teacher professional development opportunities.
Two additional Pillars have received gifts but are not yet fully funded:
- Setting the Stage Endowment for Performing and Visual Arts
- STEM Education Endowment
Ready to join us?
Gifts can be made to any Pillar for Education, including gifts of cash, stock or through a planned gift. The ultimate goal is to provide long-term support for the things that make a West Lafayette education exceptional. If you share in this vision for building Pillars for Education, please contact the West Lafayette Schools Education Foundation.
*Endowment Funds are permanent assets of the Foundation and the principal amount may not be spent. Income generated may be disbursed only for the purpose stated by the donor or in the case of an endowment established by the Board, as approved by the Board. In general, an annual payment equal to the lesser of four percent (4%) or the rolling 3 year average of previous returns using the original investment and subsequent gifts (“Donor Gift Value”) (calculated June 30) is available for granting the following year. This payout amount may be changed at the finance committee’s discretion. Undistributed growth and income from prior years may be distributed in subsequent years or reinvested as principal. The fund balance must be at least $10,000 in gifted dollars to be endowed and prior to a disbursement. An annual 1% administrative fee (foundation expense recapture) will be assessed for endowed funds. This fee will be assessed twice per year (December and June) at 0.5%. Assets included in the calculation for both the distribution of growth and income and calculation of the administrative fee must be in the fund at the beginning of the six-month cycle (January and July). The Foundation will not appropriate for disbursement the historic Donor Gift Value, which includes the original gift and subsequent gifts, made by the donor.