761 Foundation reimburses district

761 Foundation recently reimbursed the 761 School District for approved Foundation projects totaling $80,054 in the last school year.
The Foundation allocates funds for a variety of school district needs. The school district pays the bills and the Foundation then pays back the district.
Included in the reimbursement was $37,048 in mini grants made for various requests for programs for students in elementary school, middle school and high school. A total of $63,713 was allocated by the Foundation board after recommendations were made by the allocations committee of the board. Because of COVID and the pandemic, $22,566 was not used and that money will be added to the amount available for allocation in the next school year.
The Foundation has about $4 million in assets, most in named funds, and some in a general fund. The largest fund is from the Chladek estate. The Foundation spends the earnings on school projects.
There are other named scholarship funds that the Foundation cares for and invests. Generally, only the earnings are used except for when other wishes are made when established. In 2021, a total of $127,150 in scholarships were made.
Some of the mini-grants were for a family connect program in early childhood education, rail yard fitness equipment for Lincoln and Wilson schools, an author visit, sensory integration items, a string and nail art project, positive behavior intervention and support at the middle school, an outdoor classroom and natural area at the middle school, adopt a grandparent program, maker space, link crew, DECA, robotics, and transportation for students with financial hardship.
Some of the other money distributed was from a variety of funds  established for particular reasons. The Hammann Fund supplied $3,250 for the football banquet; the Kopp Fun provided for $1,515 for acts of kindness; the Wenger fund, provided $3,920 for the high school orchestra, $8,849 for the middle school orchestra and $3,100 for fifth grade band instruments. The Owl City fund provided $3,350 for Wilson Elementary Music.
In addition to the grants to the Owatonna School District, the Foundation supported agricultural programs totaling $13,702 in the NRHEG, Blooming Prairie and Medford High Schools.