Dear Community,
A Quarterly Report on Impact: October 2024
Dear Community,
The Denver Public Schools Foundation is dedicated to galvanizing and mobilizing our community to invest in essential resources and programs that significantly enhance student well-being and success, while also supporting families and educators. One word that stands out in this is dedicated. Looking back at these last few months, I am inspired when I think of just how dedicated our team has been in making BIG impact possible. I see grit, hope and again– dedication in our students, educators and families every day. It’s clear that when we unite in this effort, not only do our students thrive, we all benefit.
We are deeply grateful to each of you who have generously stepped up as donors and partners over the past year–with many of you having shown up for students year after year. Your support has been instrumental in uplifting our public schools and advancing the achievements of our students and educators. This collective effort is propelling our community to greater heights, fostering a more vibrant future for all.
Each quarter, our impact reports showcase different aspects of the work that we do, thanks to each of you. We are proud of a lot of our work and have a few special highlights below, including the impact of afterschool programs, our support of the DPS Bond that was voted on by the DPS Foundation Board of Directors, and our increasing commitment to being involved in and supporting the Denver community. Thank you for being a part of our community, and for the role you play in making Denver Public Schools a place where every student can thrive.
For all of our students,
Sara Hazel
President & CEO
A to Z Fund
DPS Foundation awarded $172,196 to 79 schools and departments during the first cycle of the 2024-25 school year. Educators can apply for up to $3,000 in grants each semester. A to Z Fund has now awarded more than $3 million since its inception in 2006! An estimated 20,353 students will be supported with these dollars – an average of 258 students per grant. This cycle’s grants will support a variety of projects and programs, musical instruments, transportation expenses for field trips and other travel, culturally responsive books, and so much more.
These funds will instill a love of learning and show students that they are able to learn everywhere. Field trips help students make connections to the outside world. Every child deserves the same educational opportunities regardless of socioeconomic status or means. This grant will help us reach our academic and social emotional standards for all kindergarten students.
Afterschool Programs
Thanks to funder support, we provided comprehensive afterschool programming.
Discovery Link is the DPS district-run and comprehensive out-of-school-time program that covers time before school, after school, and has programs during the summer. Discovery Link offers a free to family option if the school’s free and reduced lunch percentage is at 71% or higher, and of the 62 programs operated in 2023-24, approximately 50% were free sites. The DPS Foundation raises funds to support the cost of operating these free sites and with another nine free sites recently opened this fall, the need continues to grow.
Discovery Link has been very helpful as it has enabled us to work full time knowing our child is safe and happy in after school care. Sometimes when we are off early and we try to pick up our child, she doesn’t even want to leave or she is mad she is going home early because she has so much fun there.
Dollars at Work
For the 2023-24 school year, DPS Foundation allocated $273,306 to support Discovery Link from the following sources:
- Mile High United Way ($25,000) – This grant specifically supported the opening of a Discovery Link program at Marie L. Greenwood.
- DPS Foundation ($250,000) – This funding was allocated from funds on hand designated to afterschool programs. These typically are donations made by individuals who wish to restrict their funds to a childcare tax credit eligible program.
Discovery Link Impact
15 DPS Schools
1,694 students served
- 81 at Marie L. Greenwood
- 1,613 supported by individual donations
The majority of families surveyed reported that Discovery Link was valuable to their students and allowed them to go to work or school.
Students report that they make friends in the program and that adults help them when they have a problem.
Kyle Clark’s “Word of Thanks” Microgiving Campaign
In August, the Denver Public Schools Foundation was selected by Kyle Clark at 9NEWS (KUSA) to be featured in Next with Kyle Clark’s “Word of Thanks”, a micro-giving campaign that encourages 9NEWS viewers to join Kyle in supporting a small to mid-sized non-profit making an impact in Colorado. On August 21st, during Kyle’s ‘Next’ segment, he shared more about the DPS Foundation and asked people to join him in donating to our A to Z Fund Classroom Grants for Teachers! This was an exciting opportunity to not only spread awareness about the work of DPS Foundation, but also to raise funds for A to Z!
We raised more than $30,000 for A to Z Fund thanks to more than 156 donors brought to us through Kyle Clark’s fundraising and awareness campaign!
Events
Back to Class Bash 2024
Back to Class Bash 2024 was a huge success! We saw a wonderful transformation at our three school sites: Ashley Elementary, Doull Elementary and Wyatt Academy.
Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and donors, we raised more than $40,000 for DPS students!
Inspired by the day of giving back, Jo Corrigan, Principal at Doull Elementary shared, “Today, Doull Elementary was transformed not just by the fresh coats of paint and newly spread mulch, but by the incredible spirit of our volunteers. Your dedication and hard work have made Doull a more beautiful place for our students to learn and grow. We are deeply grateful for your commitment to our community, and we can’t wait for our kids to return and see the difference you’ve made. Thank you for choosing kindness and making a lasting impact on our school!”
Insiders Event
DPS Foundation hosted an Insiders Event to get an Insider’s Look at November’s Proposed Ballot Initiatives. This event brought our community together to ensure we all have an understanding of the impact of this ballot.
In August 2024, the DPS Board of Education voted to put a $975 million bond measure on November’s ballot. This will be presented to Denver voters on November 5th. In support of our students, DPS Foundation’s Board of Directors voted for our organization to support this bond so that students and schools may have critical support that is needed to thrive.
DPS Foundation in the Community
DPS Foundation team members have continued spending time out in the Denver community, starting with visits to 13 different DPS schools to welcome back students and educators at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year (orange frame). We also visited Responsive Arts & Steam Academy FNE (RASA) for a tour of the new school and the ribbon cutting ceremony in early August (red frame). The team gathered for our fall retreat in September at Geneva Glen Camp for a fun and successful day! DPS Foundation staff also attended several recent community events, including the Trautman and Shreve second annual golf tournament (blue frame), the Black Excellence Summit, Big Brothers Big Sisters Gala, Latinas First Foundation luncheon, the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business event (purple frame), and more!
Financials
Thank you to all donors! Explore the full donor list.
TOTAL REVENUE: $8,662,795
TOTAL GRANTMAKING EXPENSES: $6,949,118
Thank you to our hardworking team!
DPS Foundation Team
Sara Hazel
President & CEO
Traci Brooks
Operations Manager
Hannah Cooper
Development Specialist, Corporate Relations
MaryBeth Lawson
Vice President of Development
Lauren Lindgren
Development Officer, Grants & Foundation Relations
Jenny Martin
Development Officer
Jennifer Mays-Krimmer
Impact Engagement Director
Ashley Muramoto
Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Kimberly Reynders
Database Manager
Samantha Rogan
Events & Communications Manager
Erin Shelby
Development Specialist, Annual Giving
Jennifer Struthers-Johnson
Finance Controller
DPS Foundation Board Members
OFFICERS
Carmon Hicks
Chair, Chair of Executive Committee, Senior Managing Director, Jones Lang LaSalle
Rebecca Grant Zarret, Ed.D.
Chair-Elect, Educator, Consultant, Coach
Mary Clark
Treasurer, Chair of Finance Committee, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, University of Denver
Nancy Walsh
Secretary, Vice President of Experiences & Partnerships, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
EX-OFFICIO
Sara Hazel
Non-voting, President & CEO, DPS Foundation
Dr. Alex Marrero
Non-voting, Superintendent, Denver Public Schools
Dr. Carrie Olson
Non-voting, President, Denver Public Schools Board of Education
Board Members
Kim Allegretti
President, Venn Travel and Attorney, McCollum Crowley, Moschet, Miller & Laak
Stacy Carpenter
Shareholder, Polsinelli
Marisa A. Carson
Ph.D. Vice President of Talent Management & OD/E, Elevance Health
Kelli Clifton Ogunsanya
Chief Operating Officer, Delta Dental of Colorado
Allie Engelken
Vice President of Community Impact, Denver Broncos; Executive Director, Denver Broncos Foundation
Joe Fortna
Executive Vice President, FirstBank
Dan Galemba
Vice President of Revenue Strategy & Operations, DaVita
Alphonso Hawkins
Senior Vice President, U.S. Bank
Sylvia Hilario
Corporate Controller, Burgerville LLC
Michael V. Kapoor
Member of Executive Committee, Senior Vice President, Majestic Realty Co
Vanecia B. Kerr
Chief Impact Officer, Mile High United Way
Tyler Loy
Chief Financial Officer, The ONE Group
Alanna McKiernan
Vice President and Regional Counsel, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado
Jonathan Narlock
Senior Vice President, PNC Public Finance Group
Crystal Potter Rivera
Executive Director, Denver Health Foundation
Brandy Radey
Senior Advisor, Community Relations, Suncor
David Salazar
Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Comcast
Kristin Stork
Director of Strategic Partnerships, Denver7
Laney Vazquez
Managing Counsel, Rockies Business Unit, Chevron
Jamie Villarreal Bassett
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Pinnacol Assurance