Face-to-Face with the Community

In January, Brenda Newman and Ed Myska, of the ESEF's corporate giving subcommittee, visited local business owners to share the good work of the Foundation and to seek support for local schools. Newman, owner of the Jewelry Source downtown, grew up in El Segundo and graduated from El Segundo High School. She's involved with the Foundation today because she sees the value of keeping our local schools strong, especially during tough economic times.

Newman feels strongly about making a personal connection between the Foundation and local businesses. "There's value in having face-to-face conversations with business owners. Generally, we send a letter--which can be very impersonal--to introduce the Foundation, its needs, and to request funding. The opportunity to put a face to the Foundation and have a conversation instead was very well received," says Newman.

Over the years, the Foundation has helped with funding for important programs (like music and physical education) while providing needed technology upgrades across the District, specialized learning opportunities like robotics, and leadership opportunities for upperclassmen who help freshmen get adjusted to their first year in high school. Board members want to make sure local residents and businesses have the opportunity to hear first-hand about the value of their contributions toward programs that really do matter to students.

As they walked the streets, Foundation representatives ran across a few business owners who hadn't heard of the Foundation at all or weren't familiar with its purpose but were impressed once they heard about its mission and history of support in the District. Others knew about the Foundation but were unaware of the dire straights that the District is in as a result of anticipated budget cuts for this year and next. Hearing about the financial challenges, a few pledged their support in the coming months.

There are several ways local businesses can support the Foundation. Cash gifts will make the biggest dent in efforts to reach the $500,000 fundraising goal this school year. Business leaders can also make a difference by giving their time to serve on a Foundation committee as well as sponsoring an upcoming event like the annual golf tournament and car show or by donating items to be raffled or auctioned at one of these events. Every contribution helps and participation, at any level, is of great value to the ESEF's efforts to gain name recognition and support from the local community.

The ESEF has two upcoming fundraising events, the 21st Annual "Strokes of Genius" Golf Tournament on May 8th and the 2nd Annual "Car People for Education" Car Show. For more information, see the article elsewhere in this newsletter or visit http://www.elsegundoedfoundation.org/events.html.

ESEF representatives: (L-R) David Lewis, Wanda Kaminski, Brenda Newman, and Ed Myska. (photo by Chris Miller and The Beach Reporter)