Albany Area Education Foundation

Donate Online: When you give to the Albany Area Education Foundation, your gift establishes an enduring legacy that will benefit the students of the Albany area for years to come. Donate now! If your employer makes matching donations for their employees, be sure to inquire on the process before making your gift. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated!

Mail a Check: To make donations and payments more secure and to streamline processes, the Initiative Foundation partners with Bremer Bank. Please write the check to Initiative Foundation-AAEF, note the purpose of your contribution on the memo line, and mail to this address:

Initiative Foundation – 446122
Attn: AAEF
P.O. Box 64182
St. Paul, MN 55164-0182

While the mailing address may be in St. Paul, the Initiative Foundation continues to maintain its headquarters in the heart of Central Minnesota at 405 First St. SE, Little Falls, MN 56345.

Give a Planned Gift: If you would like to contribute another type of gift, please contact a member of the Albany Area Education Foundation advisory team or call the Initiative Foundation at (320) 632-9255. An Initiative Foundation staff member will be happy to answer your questions and guide you through the process.

Making a charitable bequest in your will is often the easiest way to make a significant gift and leave a lasting legacy. Gifts large and small are important. It is simpler than you might think to make a meaningful difference to future generations of Albany students!

If you would like to leave Albany Area Education Foundation in your will, make another type of planned gift, or contribute an appreciated asset, please call the Initiative Foundation at (320) 632-9255 and a staff member will be happy to answer your questions and guide you through the process.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. In partnership with the Albany Area Education Foundation, the Initiative Foundation owns and manages financial contributions for the Albany Area Education Foundation.

The foundation’s main fundraiser, the Purple Pride event, will be on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Fischer’s Club in Avon. Funds raised will allow the foundation to award grants to spur innovative teaching and learning practices and expand educational opportunities for students in the Albany Area district. The evening is a great night of fun and fundraising for our students, one that the community anticipates every year.

This year’s event will include a silent auction, a few raffles, live music by Donny Brang, and great appetizers. Tickets include appetizers and a drink ticket. Purchase tickets here!

Thanks to our 2024 event sponsors: Freeport State Bank, Joel Birr Memorial Foundation, JT Electric Services, Kanati Land Management, Lange Trenching, Magnifi Financial, Mechanical Brothers, North Risk Partners, Oakmont Capital Services, Preferred Anesthesia Care, LLC, Ramler Trucking, State Farm Insurance – Dina Pierskalla and Stearns Bank.

PTOs and PTAs enrich the educational experience with a single-school focus by supporting students, teachers, and the school community through a variety of collaborative efforts. They do this by fostering communication; organizing and fundraising for near-term events and activities; and by supporting teachers and staff through teacher-appreciation activities. Education foundations have a longer-term and district-wide focus. Led by local volunteers, education foundations engage community volunteers to raise larger donations that are then permanently invested. Earnings from these investments are used to award classroom grants and support the school district for generations. While a PTO or PTA typically consist of parents and teachers, an education foundation can be supported by any community member interested in fulfilling the foundation’s mission.

The education foundation operates separately from the school district. It is a Partner Fund of the Initiative Foundation, a regional community foundation headquartered in Little Falls. The Initiative Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity that serves all of Central Minnesota. The education foundation is guided by an agreement and championed by an advisory team made up of community volunteers. Education foundation members can be parents, grandparents, school staff members, teachers, and anyone connected to the community.

This fund is one of several education funds held and managed by the Initiative Foundation to benefit local public school initiatives. This fund is part of a family of funds endowed to the Initiative Foundation through an originating document (agreement) and includes donor-advised funds, community funds, scholarship funds, and more. The fund serves local students now and into the future, and is rooted in an agreement that allows local volunteer advisors to make classroom-enriching granting decisions while the Initiative Foundation carries out the fiduciary responsibilities of managing a charitable endowment. As part of the Initiative Foundation’s family of funds, the education foundation and its advisory team benefit from a professional fundraising team that can help with larger and more complex gifts. Financial specialists at the Initiative Foundation ensure compliance with all rules, laws and regulations, and oversee the completion of an annual independent audit to elevate community trust and transparency. The Initiative Foundation’s investment and audit committee works with an experienced third-party professional to invest the endowment for long-term growth.

An endowment is an investment in tomorrow. Once established, only the earned interest and growth is used to award grants. The core investment and any subsequent donations are not spent but rather invested for growth. Advisory team members work diligently to raise funds to increase the endowment’s value and work with potential donors to help them understand how those funds will be used. Advisory team members believe an endowment is an excellent way to offer ever-increasing support to the school district for generations to come.