View Ridge Families,

Please give to the 2019 Spring Annual Appeal!

Washington state does not fully fund education.  As individual parents and as a PTA, we strongly advocate for measures that would improve this situation. At the same time, we focus on the reality of a significant district budget shortfall (even with the approved school levies, the district still needs to cut budgets across the board to break even).

We are lucky that View Ridge Elementary enjoys a large, engaged and generous community.  With the help of a large team of dedicated parent volunteers, we attempt to raise around $300,000 a year to fill in district funding gaps and make View Ridge a supportive and enriching place for kids to learn.  This money “buys” what the district budget doesn’t cover, providing View Ridge with extra staff, including a full-time librarian, a 4th and 5th grade band and instrumental music program, a school counselor, a reading specialist for any student who needs it, and additional funding for nursing and specialists.  This year, the PTA contributed $243,491 for this additional staffing. By the end of the year, the PTA will have also spent about $50,000 in additional school support, including:

• Additional classroom supplies for every teacher and books for every grade level, plus professional development conferences and workshops for teachers;
• In-school programs and speakers, including Science Center mini-assemblies and internet safety presentations;
• Grade-level programs like the First Grade Kindness Project, Second Grade Iditarod, Fourth Grade Camp Orkila and Fifth Grade Graduation;
• School-wide events free to everyone:  Boo Ridge, Family Dance, Pancake Breakfast, Ice Cream Social, Wednesday Game Days and OtterCon;
• Improvements to the school garden; primary and intermediate playgrounds; technology and A/V capabilities in the library and cafeteria; and upgraded two-way radios (to enhance building security); and
• Support for our entire community by providing school supplies, weekend food backpacks and holiday food support, yearbooks and after-school enrichment scholarships to any family requesting it.

The list is long, and thanks to (not exaggerating) the thousands of volunteer hours and exceptional generosity of our parent community thus far, we’re very close to meeting our fundraising goals for this year.   If your family budget allows, please consider donating to the View Ridge PTA for the 2018-19 school year. Whether that amount is $5 or $550, your participation sustains the programs at View Ridge that create and support lifelong learners.  If you can support the school with a monetary donation, please return donate by Friday, May 24.  

How to Give – see the included pledge form for details

• Check: Remit with donation form via Kid Mail or via US Mail: Annual Appeal 7047 50th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98115
• Donate Online: View Ridge PTA website viewridgeschool.org/information/fundraising/annual-appeal/

(Please consider adding the transaction fee to your donation, so that the PTA can receive 100% of your intended gift!).

Don’t forget!

Gifts to the Annual Appeal are 100% tax deductible. Does your employer have a Matching Gift program? If you have a Corporate Matching Program available to you, please make the matching submission to your employer. Corporate matching can double or triple the impact of your gift.

Thank you for giving generously!

Jana Witt & Devorah Signer Hill

Annual Appeal Co-Chairs

Donations are accepted through the following link:

ANNUAL APPEAL FAQ

 

Why should I give to the Annual Appeal?

There is a gap in State and District funding for essential educational programs and classroom support for teachers. It is therefore left to our amazing and engaged school community to cover the shortfalls in funding. Your View Ridge PTA spearheads this effort to raise the funds required in order to provide an enhanced, well-rounded education for our children through the Annual Appeal and Auction.

What does the PTA Annual Appeal pay for?

Each year, our PTA writes a check for around $195,000 to cover additional teaching and staff positions at View Ridge. This money “buys” what the district provided teacher ratios don’t cover, and provides View Ridge with full time teachers and programs in the arts, and greater access to counseling, nursing and specialist services. Except for a few incidental administrative costs (printed materials & credit card fees), 100% of all annual appeal donations directly fund teaching and staff positions at View Ridge.

Please don’t forget corporate matching!

• Maximize the impact of your donation through your employer’s matching gift program!
• Many companies–including Adobe, Alaska Airlines, Amgen Foundation, Apex Foundation, Bank of America, Blackrock, CDK Global, Gates Foundation, Boeing, Expedia, GE, Google, HBO, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Puget Sound Energy, REI, Safeco, Starbucks, T-mobile, and Verizon–offer employee match programs that will double or triple the value of your donation.
• Please let us know if you need help with the paperwork. Matching gifts can be received throughout the school year. 

Tax Deductions

The View Ridge PTA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with Federal Tax ID# 91-1049983.  Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.  We will provide a donation receipt for your records around year end via email.

Is my donation confidential?

All donations are confidential and handled only by Annual Appeal co-chairs, PTA treasurer, and our software administrators (for credit card donations only). Companies may need to contact us for matching verification. No one else on the View Ridge PTA or staff is privy to donor information, and a list of donor names is never published or shared.