
Supporting Michigan K-12 public school education foundations through networking, collaboration, and professional development
The Michigan Education Foundation (MEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization built by and for people passionate about quality public K-12 education in Michigan. Its mission is to be a catalyst for the creation and growth of local education foundations in communities across our state.
The MEF hosts five meetings a year. Each meeting focuses on a topic relevant to education foundations and includes time for idea sharing and Q&A among attendees
Upcoming Meetings
Meetings are located (unless otherwise noted) in the Okemos Public Schools Administration Building / 4406 Okemos Rd., Okemos, MI 48864 (** virtual meetings as of May 2020)
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All persons associated with an education foundation are welcome.
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MEF membership is not required for meeting attendance for new foundations.
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to attend a meeting, send us a message and we'll add you to our email list.
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2020-21 MEF Meetings
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August 10, 2020: Current issues facing education foundations -- via Zoom
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October 5, 2020: Fundraising Part 1 (events) -- via Zoom
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January 11, 2021: Fundraising, Part 2 (private donor meetings, corporate partners) --via Zoom
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March 8, 2021: Education foundation / District partnerships -- via Zoom (11:00 AM - 12:30 PM)
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May 3, 2021: Topic TBD (and annual meeting) -- via Zoom (11:00 AM - 12:30 PM)
Previous Meeting Topics
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Mondays in May (2020) Virtual Discussion Series: How can education foundations stay relevant today? Spring fundraising events: what's next? Education foundation finances: how to bridge the gap in fundraising
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Donor Retention (at The Johnson Center for Philanthropy, Grand Rapids)
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Annual Appeals
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Tax law changes and the implications for fundraising
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Technology challenges and opportunities
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Endowment campaigns
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Transitioning from all-volunteer board to paid staff
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Public school funding in Michigan
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Board engagement
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Website solutions for nonprofits; ADA compliance
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Board best practices
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Fundraising events
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Starting or re-starting a K-12 education foundation
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Social media marketing
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Email marketing
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Outreach strategies for major gifts
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MEF Membership
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MEF membership supports the continuation of the organization and offers these benefits to member foundations:
Annual MEF Membership Benefits
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5 meetings per year, featuring both outside and inside speakers
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Document sharing via a Google intranet site
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Networking/idea sharing with other state foundation leaders
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Learning opportunities on topics relevant to running an education foundation
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Link from the MEF website to your foundation; use of the MEF logo on your foundation's site
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Notes and documents from each meeting
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Annual Membership Dues: $125
Come to our next meeting and see what we're all about.
Can we add you to our mailing list? Would you like more information? Send us a message.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The MEF is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors. Directors are elected from the membership and serve 3-year terms. Meet our current board: