The Salem Community Foundation, Inc., with the stated goal of focusing on the “students of the Salem School District, and not specifically on the grade school” is looking for help.
The group has a board, officers and a core group of about 10 individuals. The group also has applied for tax exempt status under the IRS code 501(c)(3).
The foundation is independent of the School Board and sees itself as not conflicting with the mission of the recently formed Salem Booster Club, explained Darrel Damon, the foundation’s vice president.
“One question that has been asked is ‘why should we give to a foundation when we have a booster club,'” Damon said in a written statement. “The answer is in the focus of the two groups. The booster club is primarily engaged in retaining after school and extracurricular activities that were cut out of the budget after the last referendum. As such, they are mainly a volunteer group focused on activities that are directly related to Salem Grade School and involve direct interaction with the students. On the other hand, the Salem Community Foundation is more involved with the fund raising aspects of the programs. We will be able to feed funds to the school or the booster club. Since our focus is different, the two organizations are working together, and not in competition, in order to give the students of Salem School District a better opportunity for education. Our goal is the same; our focus is different.”
The group expects to hear about its tax-exempt status in September. Meanwhile, they are looking for participants.
“It may sound like the foundation is unfocused and unorganized, but that is not entirely true,” Damon said. ” We are at the point where we cannot proceed further until we get the word out about the organization and let them know what we are about and where we are going. We need people involved with the foundation in order to move forward.”
More information is available about the foundation at the group’s website.
