Time and Talent or Donated Dollars

People in the community, and even some in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), often confuse the roles and connectedness of Fairfax County Public Schools partnerships team and the Foundation for FCPS.  It’s understandable.  Both work with businesses and community groups and serve as a connector to students, teachers, and staff members.

The partnerships team serves as the district’s friend-raiser and the foundation as the fundraiser.

As friend-raisers, Jay Garant and Kathy Ryan collaborate with and coordinated businesses and community groups to engage FCPS in meaningful ways, such as:

1. Develop and lead Partnership Development.
2. Coordinate the Collect for Kids annual school supply and backpack donations drive.
3. Support the business engagement interface of our Savings for Staff merchant discount program.
4. Manage the day-to-day operations of donations of goods (computers, furniture, musical instruments and more), and keep the FCPS Donations Portal properly functioning.
5. Engage in all sorts of communications efforts, like blogs, videos, and social media.
6. Serve in an outreach role by serving on boards and committees and working to involve FCPS leadership in relevant advocacy.   

The mission of the Foundation for FCPS is to energize the power of the community to invest in educational excellence.  Executive Director Elizabeth Murphy and Office Manager Amy Verdin raise funds that target:

1. A Kids in Need fund that supports the nearly 60,000 FCPS students who receive free or reduced priced meals in FCPS.
2. Teacher Grants to support individual projects in classrooms around the district.
3. Recognizing outstanding staff members through the FCPS Employee Recognition programs
4. Distinctly Attributed Projects including the Michael I. Marshall Fund for Music Education, and recently to support access for virtual student learning. 

Both share a space adjacent to the elevator lobby on the 5th floor of the district’s Gatehouse Administration Center. 

Collectively and in some form-or-fashion, they work together on all aspects of their work, and are a vital link to the Fairfax County community of supporters, whether through time and talent or donated dollars.