Sauk Rapids-Rice Education Foundation

Donate Online: Support future generations of Sauk Rapids-Rice students by giving to the fund. Donate now! If your employer makes matching donations for their employees, be sure to inquire on the process before making your gift.

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-Sauk Rapids-Rice Education Foundation, note the purpose of your contribution on the memo line, and mail to this address:

Initiative Foundation – 446122
Attn: SRREF
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 Sauk Rapids-Rice 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.

The Sauk Rapids-Rice Education Foundation’s Corporate Partner Program is designed to showcase the incredible support of our community’s businesses. Learn more and support the Foundation.

The Sauk Rapids-Rice Education Foundation values every dollar received. If you’d like to make a personal pledge, access the pledge form.

If you are a teacher in the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District, you may apply for a classroom grant from the Education Foundation. Access the tutorial page to learn more about applying.

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.