Annual Fund

  •  DON BENITO ANNUAL FUND 

    Dear Don Benito Parents, 

    At this time of year, we try not to take for granted the hard work of all the educators, staff and  parents who do their utmost to educate our kids and to ensure a safe and fun learning environment at  Don Benito. So why not show them our appreciation on Giving Tuesday and make a contribution to  our Annual Fund? 

    Midway through the fall term, we can now evaluate what this transitional year will look like, and  what resources we will need to ensure we meet our children's needs and our own expectations. 

    Our Don Benito Annual Fund is, not to put too fine a point on it, at a critical stage. We did as well as  we knew how to raise funds through the pandemic year, but it also cost us many fundraising  opportunities. We urgently need to replenish our Annual Fund for 2022-23 support staff, library  resources, and other enrichment for our kids.  

    Here is how you can help. 

    1 Ask if your employer to match your donation at the end of the year. They need the tax write  off anyway, why not donate to our local school?  

    2 Give to Don Benito Annual Fund. Please consider a minimum of $200 annual contribution (or  $20 monthly contribution) so that DB will be able to maintain our counselor, librarian,  playground aids, classroom aids, and our art and music programs. But any donation you can  afford is greatly appreciated. 

    3 Volunteer. We need volunteers to help with our direct ask campaign this month, our read-a thon in January, and end-of-year class art auction. If you are interested in helping, please  email Anna Lui at school@annalui.net.  

    Supporting Don Benito is easy. Just make your  

    contribution to DB Annual Fund by logging in to  

    http://weblink.donorperfect.com/DBAnnualFund or  

    drop off a check at our main office by Dec 17th. 

    If we can raise $10K by Dec 15, our kids can all celebrate with a  Holiday Pajama Movie Day on Dec 17.

    OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO RAISE $80,000 FOR THE FUND. HERE IS A LIST OF WHAT YOUR GENEROUS GIVING THIS YEAR  WILL BUY:  

    Project and Behavioral Support Staff  

    You may know who they are, because your kids sure know them. They are on the playground and at  the lunch table to make sure kids behave. They also support the teachers and the office.  

    Annual Fund dollars help pay for our much-needed support staff. However, according to the Orange  County Register, “Wages and salaries in Southern California rose at a 5.4% annual rate in the 12  months ended in June — up from a 4.8% pace in March and 4% in June 2020.” This means some salary  increase is required for our project/behavioral/office aids just to remain competitive in this market.  Our school could not function without these support staff.  

    Library Technology and Resources 

    A library is no longer just about books. For many kids, our library is the only opportunity to expose  them to a world of information.  

    Arts 

    We can offer additional STEAM-based programs through a local community non-profit institution, such  as Armory Center for the Arts. These programs combine visual arts-integrated lessons with hands-on  experiential learning opportunities that make science and math concepts more approachable,  understandable, concrete, and relevant. Our kids will have fun learning!!! 

    Academic Enrichment 

    Any additional funds we can raise can provide additional resources to advance students’ learning  opportunities through hands-on experience and technology.  

    A contribution of only $30 or more per child before  

    Dec 15 will help us achieve the goal of S10,000.  

    If you or your family own a small business and would like to make an end of year tax deductible  contribution to Don Benito, please contact our office about the benefit of becoming a Don Benito  Program Title Sponsor. 

    All contributions are fully tax-deductible. You can log in to  

    http://weblink.donorperfect.com/DBAnnualFund.  

    Checks can be made payable to the “Pasadena Educational Foundation” (PEF). Don Benito should be  noted on the memo line.  

    The Don Benito Annual Fund is a branch of the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF), which supports  all Pasadena public schools. Our Annual Fund supplements Don Benito's school budget to provide us  with a broad range of programs.  

    Thank you for your support. 

    Don Benito Annual Fund Committee