Our Work
PEP works proactively to find ways to disrupt the inequities that can arise for students, families, and educators because of fundraising disparities among District 65 PTAs.
Our Impact So Far
In September 2018, PEP launched its first PEP Restaurant Week, engaging a handful of local restaurants to donate a portion of their profits during a designated week to the PEP Fund. This was the first pilot of a District-wide PTA fundraising campaign and it was well-received!
In the spring of 2019, PEP fully implemented its pilot intervention, which involved taking a portion of fundraising dollars from the PTAs with the highest revenues and reallocating them to better equalize revenues across District 65 PTAs. This pilot intervention was highly successful and allowed for the creation of scholarship funds, better access to before- and after-school enrichments, and increased opportunities for community building.
From March through August 2020, in response to sudden school closures and economic uncertainty in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, PEP mobilized to provide assistance to more than 600 local families to address food insecurity, housing, childcare, and other essential needs. By centralizing PTA reserve funds, as well as raising thousands of dollars from individual and corporate donors, PEP was able to ensure that families across the district had equitable access to financial support, regardless of the school their children attended.
In addition, in April 2020, PEP partnered with the Evanston Community Foundation and Foundation 65 to provide 200 ChromeBooks to District 65 students so they can access remote learning as long as the COVID-19 crisis requires it.
PEP Townhall 10/21/20
Next steps
We are making good strides and are poised to reach schools and students with the greatest need.
In the upcoming school year, the Committee, with significant feedback from PTA leadership, will continue to work on consolidating all PTA fundraising into the PEP Fund, which in turn is reallocated annually to PTAs based on an equitable formula factoring school size and high-needs population.
PEP TIMELINE
December 2016
Discussion at PTA Council meeting regarding creation of committee to analyze equity issues related to parent donations
January 2017
First monthly PTA Equity Committee meeting
March 2018
Introduction of pilot intervention to better equalize PTA fundraising by reallocating a portion of fundraising dollars from PTAs with the highest revenues to PTAs with lower revenues
March - May 2018
Finalized model for redistribution
May - August 2018
Implemented pilot intervention with first round of contributions/distributions
September 2018
1st Annual PTA Equity Project Restaurant Week
May - August 2019
Implemented second year of pilot intervention
September 2019
2nd Annual PTA Equity Project Restaurant Week
April - August 2020
PTAs voted to temporarily redirected PEP Fund to provide equitable access to financial assistance related to COVID-19 pandemic, including centralization of PTA reserve funds and individual/corporate donations
May 2020
Introduction of PEP’s One Fund Initiative to more equitably distribute PTA fundraising dollars across the district, with consensus to implement fully in January 2021
August 2020
Implementation of fall intervention to ensure that all PTAs have sufficient start-up resources for 2020-21 school year
Fall 2020
Created district-wide enrichments for all D65 students
Fall 2021
District 65 implements district provided bulk school supplies, an initiative pushed forward through PEP meetings
2021
Established "OneFund" to ensure equitable access to PTA enrichments and resources
2021
Annual PEP One Fund district wide local restaurant fundraisers that took place throughout the school year
May 2021
First Annual PEP Fest: PEP Rally for D65 One Fund, with participation and support from local businesses
February 2022
Hosted Equity, Diversity and Inclusion training session open to all District 65 caregivers
June 2022
Second Annual PEP Fest. Our first in person event that included participation from every single D65 PTA. This was a truly remarkable community building event, raising over $11k for One Fund
Summer 2022
Meeting of PEP executive team and D65 PTA Counsel (PTAC) executive team to begin our sy 2022/2023 collaboration.
September 2022
Hosted our first PEP/PTAC representatives in-person meet & greet.
September 2022
Hosted our first PEP/PTAC representatives collaboration meeting.