February is here - the month of love - and on Signal Mountain, we sure love our schools! We also love to see our money doubled, and that is the case for all donations to the Mountain Education Foundation MEF during the Love Our Schools $50K Match Challenge, which runs February 1 through 15, 2023.

Initiated in 2019, the Love Our Schools Match Challenge has become a highly successful component of MEF’s fundraising efforts to support Nolan Elementary, Thrasher Elementary, and Signal Mountain Middle/High School. In 2020, the campaign grew with the addition of effective volunteer-led efforts, including the popular “Love Your Pet? Love Our Schools!” pet photo contest and, separately, crowdfunding teams that engaged in friendly competition to raise funds for MEF, as well as outreach to grandparents. The 2022 campaign exceeded the goals of the match, raising a total of $60,000 for the MEF Annual Fund and $52,000 for the MEF Endowment, including the matching funds.

“By giving to both the annual fund and the endowment fund, we feel like we get the best of both worlds,” shared local parents Emily and Philip Lehman. “Our kids who attend Signal schools receive an immediate benefit, but we also like paying it forward for future generations. We give monthly to show our sustained support of MEF, and all that it does for Signal Mountain.”

Right now is an ideal time to give to MEF because ALL donations are doubled through the Love Our Schools $50K Match Challenge. From February 1-15, the community is invited to give to the annual fund to meet school and student needs now … or give to the endowment to bless our children later … or give to BOTH! All gifts will be matched: up to $25,000 for the annual fund AND up to $25,000 for the endowment. These matching funds are made possible by generous anonymous donors to each fund, with the goal to raise a total of $100,000 ($50,000 each for the annual fund and the endowment) in February through the Love Our Schools campaign.

“Clearly our donor base loves to have someone else match their contribution and double their money. We are very grateful that the match challenge is a successful motivator, resulting in so much generosity that benefits our children!” shared MEF Executive Director Hilarie Robison. “Donating to both the immediate, yearly needs through an annual fund and to the long-term sustainability of the organization through an endowment fund are equally valued and important to every nonprofit.”

Donations to the MEF Endowment are separate from gifts to the MEF Annual Fund. Annual fund donations are used to meet current needs and annual grants for Signal Mountain’s three public schools, including funding 15 teacher salaries and more not covered by public dollars. Funds raised during the 2022-23 school year determine the funding available for Nolan, Thrasher and SMMHS for the 2023-24 school year.

The MEF Endowment is an investment fund designed for long-term sustainability of MEF’s mission in support of Signal schools. Gifts to the endowment are not used for current school needs, but are invested for long-term impact and support. An endowment typically includes funds given to a nonprofit by donors who have stipulated as a condition of the gift that its principal may not be spent, and who expect that its value will increase over time. Hence, the MEF Endowment is invested for long-term benefits, with the earned interest income eventually used for the Foundation’s mission of strategic investment in educational excellence at Signal Mountain public schools. The MEF Endowment Fund has grown by more than 200 percent in the last four years, thanks to generous contributions. A growing endowment is one of the signatures of a strong and sustainable nonprofit.
​
“I believe in Signal Mountain schools and the Mountain Education Foundation. MEF provides tremendous, valuable resources that are key to helping students succeed. Investing in the MEF Endowment means those resources will be available for generations to come,” shared the anonymous endowment donor.

What’s with the gauge signs? ​
It’s a community challenge!
100 for Signal!

It’s a call to action in our community, on social media with the hashtag #100forSignal! And it has to do with the signs that popped up after Christmas near our Signal Mountain schools. What do they mean, though?

The MEF board of directors set a goal to increase automatically-recurring monthly donors by 100 (from the current 225 to 325) by the end of the 2022-23 school year. Setting up a recurring monthly donation of any amount at MEFtoday.org will qualify for the challenge. When we reach that goal as a community, every Signal student will win a dance party at his or her school! A fun break during the school day for our 2,600-plus students will celebrate this Signal achievement that will mean even more resources to invest in their educational success.

Fewer than half of the families in Signal schools currently donate to MEF (either annually or monthly). With the community’s support, MEF funds a remarkable array of resources for local students, including 15 teacher salaries and more at Nolan Elementary, Thrasher Elementary and Signal Mountain Middle/High School. Signal school principals often challenge the parents of their students to reach 100 percent participation, encouraging every family to invest in MEF… at any amount.

When he joined the MEF board, local parent Gabe Whitmer was shocked to learn how few families actually donate to MEF. “If we even got to 50 percent participation, it would be a game changer! Donations already make such a huge difference for our kids at Thrasher, Nolan and SMMHS ... It’s amazing to think how much more we could do if more families will invest - at any amount,” shared Gabe.

For this community challenge to increase the number of monthly donors, MEF’s goal is to broaden the donor base and engage more Signal school families, increasing the rate of investment in Signal schools, at any amount. Newcomer Ernie Lopez caught the vision and immediately set up a recurring donation to MEF. “My wife, two kids and I moved to Signal Mountain last summer partly because of the schools. Soon after arriving, we wanted to do our small part to ensure that our boys and other students continue to have a quality experience, so we set up a monthly donation,” Lopez said.

Setting up a recurring donation helps donors manage their family budget and make a bigger impact over time. “Maybe a family is not in a position to give what they consider a meaningful donation at a single time. But if they designate just $20 each month, for example, that becomes $240 each year,” shared Hilarie Robison, MEF Executive Director.

MEF’s goal amount per student for monthly donations is $35 each month, or $400 per year. As a point of reference, this amount funds a year’s worth of classroom supplies for three teachers.

The current average amount for monthly donors to MEF is $67/month, which funds 48 individual tutoring sessions for students. Families that want to reach a donation of $1,000-plus annually will often set their donation to $100 per month, which covers the cost of one week of Spanish instruction for elementary students.

Donors to MEF that give monthly currently range from $5 each month to $750 per month, and everything in between. Robison emphasizes that every amount makes a difference, especially when it is compounded monthly. Consistent recurring monthly donors are key to helping Signal SOAR!

“Some donors give annually or once each school year, and those donations are very welcome and so appreciated. Please don’t stop!” continues Robison. For those who are not yet donors or don’t want the hassle of writing a check each year, setting up a recurring donation can be the right fit - set it and forget it! “Monthly recurring donations help MEF with budgeting because we know what income we can count on each month, and this subscription model also reduces costs … eliminating the need to solicit individual donations over again each year.”

When donors set up a recurring donation at MEFtoday.org, they can specify both the contribution amount and the date of the month when they want it withdrawn. They can use a debit card or a credit card or connect directly to their bank account. The monthly donation continues until they choose to cancel it, either by logging into their online account or reaching out to MEF.

Signal Mountain has always been a community that prioritizes our children. As we work together to achieve this goal for 100 new monthly donors to MEF, and the resulting impact in more funding for our beloved Signal schools, we will get to see how big Signal DREAMS!