The Bethlehem Area Educational Foundation is now positioned to launch into the regional philanthropic community in a public fashion to promote its mission and purpose with an initial “Signature Project”.

The signature project concept for the Bethlehem Area Education Foundation is a capital campaign to fund the purchase of additional musical instruments for all twenty-two schools.

In a recent open forum, all Musical Directors of the BASD schools were invited to share an overview of the instrumental equipment needs of their school. With 16 of the 22 schools represented, the unanimous concern for the future of musical instruction and programming was voiced. The only financial support individual schools reported from the school district was funding for new uniforms every 7 years (middle and high only), instrument repairs and some discretionary budget for music purchase. Any funding for new instruments currently comes from Parent organizations. All schools were able to produce a significant “wish list” for new instrumental needs to replace worn out instruments or to equip children who have dropped out of musical instruction and programming because they cannot afford to rent or purchase an instrument.
 

Preliminary Fundraising Goal Plan

Allocation of funding based on written request from each instrumental musical director/instructor. Not all schools submitted funding “Wish List”. Goals are projections only. Actual allocation shall have a specific protocol based upon written request of each school’s instructor and purchase orders.

Total Campaign Goal = $575,000

An additional goal may include funding for Music Education scholarship opportunities for students and educators – perhaps $50,000 target. This could be set up as a scholarship within the Foundation.