BRATTLEBORO — When the late June Butler heard about the Brattleboro School Endowment, she reportedly said, “What a great idea. If I give something to this endowment, the money would go to all the children in the town.”
Butler arranged to leave part of her estate to the Brattleboro School Endowment.
Likewise, the Brattleboro Rotary Club (www.brattlebororotaryclub.org) found a solid partner in the Brattleboro School Endowment, to which it voted to direct $5,000 of its annual golf tournament proceeds.
The reason: the Rotarians said they wanted to support local charities, particularly those lacking resources to raise funds - and those that will be able to improve the lives of even more people than the Rotary Club could directly.
Now that generosity is helping kids surge, play, and thrive: The endowment immediately disbursed some of those funds to the city's three elementary schools, where the money went to work supporting winter sports program planning.
The endowment's principal is being preserved through careful and conservative management, according to the endowment's founders - who say more is needed.
According to Jill Stahl Tyler, Endowment co-founder and president, the fund was formed to assist the elementary schools beyond the district's budget, with the “extras” students depend on but that taxpayers aren't supporting: artists-in-residence, special projects in individual classrooms, winter sports, and field trips.
“Many students stand to gain immediately,” she said in a press release.
Ellen Capy, the Endowment's other co-founder, and its vice president and treasurer, said the idea is to pay out even more in 2014.
“Giving to the Endowment has far-reaching implications to all the kids in the area. We continue to feel such enthusiasm and support from all we've spoken with,” she said.
Both said donations to the Brattleboro School Endowment are tax deductible, and are calling on everyone with a stake in the success of this new generation of Windham County students to support the project today.
The Endowment is run by its board of directors, all parents from each elementary school and at least one additional member from the school board. An Oak Grove parent is still needed for the board, according to the Endowment's website.