More Info
FAQs
Does all the money you raise stay in Birchwood? Yes. Funds exclusively benefit learners who attend Birchwood schools either as a resident or Open Enrolled or are educators employed at the Birchwood School District.
Does money go to the schools? No. The schools are funded by the Birchwood School District. EFB focuses on enriching educational opportunities such as experiences, explorations, and other innovations, not facility enhancement. Occasionally these opportunities may require funding assets or infrastructure that are eventually owned by learners, educators, or the school. The focus, however, is on learning options, not facilities.
Does my donation go directly to education opportunities now or is it banked? 70% of funds that are raised every year fund educational opportunities. Any money not used in the year is carried over to the next. 30% of funds go to the endowment fund. Private donors may make exceptions to this formula (for example, requesting that 100% of their donation go to the Engage Endowment or likewise, requesting funds go to a specific program such as “Get Out There”).
Why do you need an endowment? EFB fundraising relies exclusively on volunteers. To make sure that enriching opportunities remain part of the Birchwood School District's offering, an endowment offers the mechanism to sustain funding. When the Engage Endowment reaches $5 Million, we can be assured the annual income from it will continue to support opportunities into the foreseeable future.
What happens to the money if the Birchwood School District closes? In this unwelcome scenario, the EFB will continue to fund learners who live in the former Birchwood School District.
How may I contribute? You can make donations anytime directly on this EFB website, or by mailing a check to the address below. Join us at our annual EFB Golf Event—register a team, become a sponsor, volunteer, or donate items or become an underwriter; volunteer on one of our committees or participate in other public awareness activities. First step, learn more about us, then share our story!
Helpful Facts
The Village of Birchwood has just over 400 residents and slightly more than 220 K-12 students. We span 200 rural square miles with a population density of just 12.9/square mile compared to 80.0 nationally.
Schools: Traditional PK-12 (Elementary, Middle, and High), Bobcat Virtual Academy, and Birchwood Public Montessori (2025-26 Birchwood STEAM and Career Academy)
TO DATE we awarded close to $1.5M worth of enriching opportunities for Birchwood learners, impacting the lives of over 6,500 learners and educators and creating an endowment. While not raising funds directly for scholarships, donor-specific funds were funneled through the EFB for district scholarships. The EFB does provide a $1K scholarship to be shared among its Student Representatives.
Non-discrimination
EFB will not discriminate against grant requests, board membership, event participation or other activities based on a requester's race, color, or national origin (including language), disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or religion.