GPEF announces $3 million endowment fund goal

The Graham Public Education Foundation officially launched its endowment campaign in December with the goal of creating a $3 million endowed fund.

In a video by Graham ISD Superintendent Sonny Cruse, he highlighted what G.P.E.F. is and what it does for the Graham school system.

“It is such a positive partnership between the school district and G.P.E.F.,” Cruse said in the video. “G.P.E.F. provides additional funding for our teachers in the form of innovative grants.”

These grants help teachers get the funding they need for fun and innovative things that may not have been in the budget.

“G.P.E.F. set a goal to have an endowed fund — this endowment is coming to fruition. We had a couple of really nice seed donors,” stated Cruse.

There have been several local benefactors who have come together to match each dollar gifted to the endowment campaign.

In May 2019, The Allar Company made a $500,000 donation to the endowment fund and pledged to match dollar-for-dollar any additional pledges up to $500,000. Two months later, in July 2019, the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation: Bertha Foundation Donor Advised Fund also pledged to match up to $500,000.

For more information on contributing to the endowment, contact G.P.E.F. at gpef@grahamisd.com or at 940-549-0595.

For the full story, see the Saturday, Jan. 4 edition of The Graham Leader.