BARTON SCHOOL FUND

 

Every year Barton Foundation funds, raised by families and friends in the Barton community, are used to support the educational experience of our children.

 

 

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Contributing to the Barton Fund is the most efficient way to help every student and teacher at Barton Community School. Donations to the Barton Fund are tax deductible. The money raised directly helps our school by funding items such as:

  • Field trip scholarships

  • School-wide & social events

  • Teacher supplies

  • Tutors

  • Visiting artist programs

  • Fine arts performances (e.g. Sinfonia)

  • Childcare for parent meetings

  • Staff development

  • Midwest Food Connection

  • Special projects at Principal’s request

If you have given in the past, thank you so much. We hope you will help our students and teachers again with your generosity. If you haven’t yet joined this effort, please consider it now. It takes only a few minutes of your time to help every Barton student.

Please give generously, so Barton can continue to offer students a rich experience! Any size gift is needed and appreciated.

 

Where does the Foundation money come from?

Donations made to the Barton Fund are held and managed by The Barton School Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation. The other primary sources of funds for the Barton School Foundation include the Annual Plant Sale, Winter Carnival, Parents Night Out, Magers and Quinn Book Fair. Grants, corporate education & giving programs (Box Tops, Target, Amazon Smile, Kowalski's) and other programs & events (Lowbrow dinner) also contribute to the total available Foundation funds.

 

What is the process to decide where the Foundation money is spent?

Each Spring, the Principal and the Assistant Principal assess the schools needs and weigh input they have gotten over the past year. They then get together with the Site Council and PTO to prepare a proposed budget. The proposed budget is presented in the context of the overall school budget including the money that comes from the district. Those present at the meeting then discuss, debate, propose changes, etc. When discussion is complete, a vote is taken to endorse the revised budget.  These meetings are open to anyone in the community. Final voting on the budget is limited to site council. The portion of the budget utilizing Barton Foundation funds is then approved by the Foundation Board. This step is strictly to insure that the budget is in compliance with the Foundation charter.

 

How do I donate?

  • Donate by check payable to "Barton School Foundation." Checks can be dropped off in the Barton Foundation/Leadership Council mailbox in the main office at Barton or mailed to:

Barton School Foundation

c/o Barton Open School

4237 Colfax Ave S

Minneapolis, MN 55409

 

Donating by check maximizes your donation as 100% of your contribution goes directly to the Foundation. No transaction fees are deducted!

  • Donate online.

  • Consider becoming a monthly sustainer. Our monthly donors are invaluable to our school. They provide sustained support each and every month, giving us the stability and flexibility we need to make sure each student, teacher and staff member is fully supported to be successful. Simply select "Make this a monthly donation" when clicking this link.

 
 

We are using PayPal for our online donations to reduce the fees. You do NOT need to have a PayPal account to donate online. If you want to donate using a credit card, after clicking the Donate button, above, look for the "Don't have a Paypal Account?" section and click the Continue option. You will then be able to type in credit card information.

 
 
Can I donate through other channels?

Yes, there are a variety of ways you can donate to the Barton School Foundation:

  • Check - this is the most cost effective way for you to donate (see above).

  • Online/PayPal - donations can be sent through PayPal to bartonfund@gmail.com. Paypal fees are 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.

  • Payroll deduction - many employers will make an automatic deduction from your payroll and will send a check to the Barton Foundation on your behalf. Be sure to check with your employer to see if they'll match your donation!

  • United Way - many employers have annual United Way giving campaigns that employees are encouraged to participate in. Employees can designate the Barton Foundation as their beneficiary. Note that your donation will have a greater impact if you can make your donation directly to the Barton Foundation instead of through the United Way as their fees are very high (they vary from 10-25%).

  • Stock - see below.

  • GiveMN.org - Give to the Max Day is a great time to remember to donate to Barton. GiveMN fees are 6.9%.

  • Achieve!Minneapolis - donations designated for the Barton School Fund are held at Achieve!Minneapolis (an established foundation whose mission is to manage and invest philanthropic gifts made to Minneapolis Public Schools). These funds are made available as a lump sum to Barton Open School (not the Barton School Foundation). Note that we receive no information about individual donations and cannot track them, so you will not receive an acknowledgement from Barton Open School or the Barton School Foundation. Achieve fees are 2.6% plus $0.26 per transaction.

 
 
How much should I donate?

Past gifts have ranged from $5 to over $5,000. Every amount helps and is appreciated. We suggest $50 per student or $100 per family. Remember to check if you are eligible for an employer match! Over the years, the school has received tens of thousands of dollars through employee matching programs.

It is important that every family have a means of contributing to the school and for families that can not financially donate, there is the option of contributing through volunteering time with the other fundraisers. You can help organize, promote or sell plants. These are important contributions to the overall fundraising effort.

 
 
Can I donate stock?

Yes! If you're interested in making a stock donation to the Barton fund, please email bartonfund@gmail.com for details on the process.

 
 
Why donate stock?

As a 501(3)(c), the Barton Foundation does not pay taxes on the capital gains associated with a stock sale. Check with your tax advisor but, for many people, this means the opportunity to deduct the full market value of the stock from your taxes without having to pay capital gains tax on the proceeds. At the same time, 100% of the value of the stock goes to the charity.

 
 
How did the Barton Fund begin?

In 2002, a group of parents solicited funds from families at Barton to offset the huge budget deficit, in an effort to restore programs that were to be cut. The response was tremendous, but the need for a long-term solution was clear. Barton parent volunteers now emphasize an annual contribution from as many families as possible, with a goal to minimize additional, time consuming fundraisers.

 
 
Who manages the Barton Fund?

The Fund is managed by the Foundation Board, which consists of parent volunteers. Current Board members are listed on the Contact Us page.