Our Mission & History

Our future, creating it together...make an impact now!

Our Belief

Students reach their potential when the entire community works together on their behalf.

Our Mission

The Eudora Schools Foundation raises funds to enrich the student experience, reward teacher excellence, and make our schools the very best.

Our History

The Eudora Schools Foundation was founded in 2006 as a non-profit, volunteer-based organization providing classroom grants and recognitions for our teachers and students in the Eudora school district. The board consists of 20 community members who volunteer their time, talents, and resources to serve and champion education in Eudora. The superintendent, a board of education member as well as the Foundation Executive Director serve on the board as ex-officio members. Since our inception, the Eudora Schools Foundation has directed more than $600,000 to Eudora schools through classroom grants and recognition of teacher excellence.

Our Champions

The Foundation is grateful for the community members that worked to build the Foundation by serving as board trustees. They give of their time, talents, and resources to champion public education and Eudora schools. Meet the Champions!

Foundation Milestones:

October 2005: Eleven community members meet as the Eudora Endowment Association for the Benefit of USD#491.

August 2006: The Eudora Schools Foundation officially incorporates as a non-profit corporation.

February 2007: Kaw Valley State Bank, Sunflower Broadband, and The Ed Grosdidier Family donate seed money to start the Eudora Schools Foundation.

June 2008: The Foundation holds its first golf tournament at Eagle Bend Golf Course.

February 2009: Honor a Teacher Fund is established to allow students, parents, alumni and other supporters of the school district the opportunity to make a gift to the Eudora Schools Foundation in honor of a teacher, past or present, who made a difference in their family’s lives. The funds raised in this program are used by the Foundation to enhance instruction in the classroom through teacher grants.

October 2009: The Foundation awards the first Teacher Excellence Grants. Three classroom grants were awarded for a total of $1,100. Since that time, the Foundation has invested more than $180,000 in classrooms through this program. Past Teacher Excellence Grants: Teacher Excellence Grants (links to pdf).

January 2010: The Eudora Schools Foundation serve as custodians to the Eudora Band Parent Scholarship and the Don M. Abel Memorial Wrestling Foundation Scholarship.

October 2010: The Foundation hosts the first district staff tailgate.

February 2012: The first “I Love Eudora Schools” yard signs are given out to create community awareness of the Foundation.

May 2014: Teachers of the Year are awarded $500 for their teaching excellence - this recognition continues today.

June 2015: The Foundation hires a part-time executive director with the goal of having a staff member run the day-to-day operations and take the Foundation to the next level of growth.

September 2015: Establishes an investment fund through the Douglas County Community Foundation with an initial investment of $20,000.

September 2015: Collaborates with the Eudora Youth Football and Cheerleading Association to host "Raise Your Hand for Eudora Teachers: Supply Drive".

September 2016: The “I Give to Team Cardinal: Employee Giving Campaign” launches. More than $15,000 has been donated by Eudora school district employees since 2016. Employees chose to make a voluntary philanthropic donation that sends a powerful message to the community about the importance of the Foundation and its support of strong public school education.

November 2016: The first “I Love Eudora Schools: Foundation $30K” annual campaign is launched. The campaign asks the Board of Education, Foundation Board members, and community members to donate an annual gift. The annual campaign supports the operation and growth of the Foundation. Without the community’s support of this campaign the existence of the Foundation would be in question.

March 2016: Establishes the Cardinals Care Fund to assist principals and counselors in meeting urgent, immediate, and basic necessities of Eudora students, to ensure that the student's physical, social, and emotional needs do not stand in the way of their success in school. This program helps fill needs unmet by any other source.

March 2017: Hosts the first Principal for a Half Day program and awards the first Eudora Schools Outstanding Volunteer of the Year.

May 2017: The Classified Employee of the Year is recognized with a $250 cash gift sponsored by Jeff Peterson.

September 2017: Eudora Middle School Enrichment Programs established and funded through the Foundation.

October 2017: Outstanding Cardinal Partner of the Year awarded for the first time to Aaron and Sheena Boden with Gambino’s Pizza.

March 2018: The first Eudora Schools Foundation Teacher Fellows are awarded. They are Kelly Mulvihill, Eudora Elementary, Kindergarten Instructor; Ashli Olivera, Eudora Elementary, Technology Instructor; and Dace` Inbody, Eudora Elementary, Special Education Instructor. Their Fellowship titled Lost at School, focuses on researching, training, and developing a plan of implementation to empower fellow staff members to effectively deal with and reach students with “lagging skills.”

June 2018: The Eudora Schools Foundation secures more than $22,000 in external grants to fund programs such as: student WiFi access, an outdoor fitness and learning center, healthy snacks, STEM resources, and mental health first aid training for district staff.

July 2018: The Eudora School Foundation teams up with Kaw Valley State Bank for the Cardinal Spirit Card. This patron giveback program gives $2,000 back to the Foundation each year. The Foundation has several businesses that participate in our giveback programs - community members shop and these businesses give back to the Foundation. Learn more and participate (Links to Donate Page).

August 2018: The Eudora Schools Foundation announced a record-breaking $100,000 invested for the 2017-2018 academic year. Programs included: classroom innovation, rewarding staff excellence, student internet access, student enrichment, food and need, and mental health initiatives.

August 2018: Grand opening of the Eudora Middle School Outdoor Learning and Fitness Center.

January 2019: Cardinal Cardio Room opens at Eudora Middle School.

May 2019: The first Old School Coffee and Conversation is held for retired school district staff. Foundation board members and retired school district staff Matt Bova and Don Grosdidier host the event at the Eudora High School library.

August 2019: The ESF Launches our new website "www.eudoraschoolsfoundation.org" Allows us to share & showcase the ways that our donors have made a difference in Eudora Schools.

October 2019: The ESF teams up with Eudora High School to create the Career Connect program where high school students have the opportunities to explore career options through lunch & learn career panels and worksite visits.

March 2020-July 2020: With the COVID-19 pandemic the ESF works on multiple initiatives to assist in a variety of needs within our schools and community including: a mobile food drive, teacher appreciation yard signs, school supplies, fresh produce and expansion of meals at Feeding Eudora, online request for clothing and hygiene items for students and families, to name a few.

August 2020: The ESF receives a designated gift to enhance the collection of diversity and multicultural resources at all of our schools' libraries.

November 2020: The ESF opens the Bird's Nest Pantry in all four of our district's schools. The Pantry has anytime snack and take home food for students.

December 2020: The ESF announces the expansion of the Cardinals Care Fund with an $11,000 grant to assist with human basic needs of our students and families. The pandemic has increased some of the most basic needs of our students to be successful in the classroom. All requests are vetted and approved.

January 2021: The ESF hosts the ribbon cutting of the EHS Library re-grand opening that allows for additional flexible and collaborative space. This was made possible by grant funding through the ESF, private donors, and commitment from Eudora Schools.

March 2021: The ESF hosts its first 24 hour Day of Giving $43,205.91 was raised.

May 2021: The ESF receives its single largest donor gift of $50,000 from KVSB for three projects around the district. This was made possible by KVSB and the Hoover Family.

June 2021: The ESF launches Eudora Reads! A summer reading program developed by four Eudora teachers.

September 2021: The ESF opens the EHS Outdoor Learning & Culinary Arts Center.

October 2021: The ESF awards more than $28,000 in classroom grants, the most given in the Foundation's 15 year history.

January 2022: The ESF co-hosts the Eudora School Dream Big Conference - a professional development experience unlike Eudora staff have experienced before.