Every nonprofit has numbers it watches.
For the New Berlin High Schools Alumni Foundation, some of those numbers are obvious.
How many scholarships have we awarded?
How much is each scholarship worth?
How many students could we potentially help?
How much money do we have available to put toward scholarships?
But every once in a while, a number comes along that means more than the number itself.
Recently, the New Berlin High Schools Alumni Foundation had its largest month of donations ever.
The total was $2,498.
And we’re incredibly grateful.
The record month came from three gifts.
Two individuals each contributed $1,000 to the Foundation.
Those donors have asked to remain anonymous, and we will respect that.
But while we won’t share their names, we absolutely want to recognize what their generosity means.
A $1,000 gift is more than a line on a financial statement.
It’s an expression of confidence.
It says that someone believes our students are worth investing in.
It says someone believes that supporting young people today can make our community stronger tomorrow.
And then there was the $498 we received through the Culver’s NBHSAF Sweet Treat Fundraiser.
The Culver’s fundraiser is a great example of how community support doesn’t always happen in predictable ways.
During the fundraiser, the Foundation received a percentage of total sales between 4 and 7 p.m.
And thankfully, two buses full of student-athletes showed up.
That’s right.
Two buses.
A bunch of hungry student-athletes arriving at Culver’s turned out to be pretty good news for the Foundation.
Their timing helped push the evening’s sales higher, ultimately contributing to the $498 donation we received from the fundraiser.
We like to think that’s a pretty good example of how community works.
Sometimes people give because they intentionally set out to support the Foundation.
Sometimes they show up for a fundraiser.
Sometimes they simply buy dinner.
And sometimes two buses of student-athletes arrive at exactly the right time.
We’ll take all of the above.
The most important part of this story isn’t that we raised $2,498 in one month.
It’s what that number tells us.
People are paying attention.
They are seeing the needs of our students.
And they’re responding.
Over the past four years, the New Berlin High Schools Alumni Foundation has awarded four scholarships to students pursuing technical, vocational, trade, and other career paths outside the traditional four-year college route.
Last year, we increased the scholarship amount to $1,000.
And we know there is much more we could do.
There are typically approximately 25 students who could potentially benefit from this type of scholarship.
Our challenge isn’t finding students who deserve the opportunity.
It’s finding enough funding to support them.
That’s why every gift matters.
Of course, donations don’t appear out of thin air.
They come from people.
People who volunteer.
People who make introductions.
People who attend events.
People who donate.
People who tell a friend about the Foundation.
People who show up.
And sometimes, people who spend an evening carrying food around for everyone else.
We’d also like to recognize Foundation Directors Dan, Chris, Jone and Gary, along with Foundation Ambassador Claudia, who helped make the Culver’s fundraiser a success by serving as hosts and food runners.
That’s not necessarily the glamorous side of nonprofit work.
But it is the work.
And it’s what community organizations are built on.
When you support the New Berlin High Schools Alumni Foundation, you’re helping create opportunities for students from New Berlin Eisenhower and New Berlin West.
You may be helping a future automotive technician buy the tools needed to begin training.
You may be helping a future heavy equipment operator take the first step into an apprenticeship.
You may be supporting a student pursuing carpentry or another technical career.
And you may be helping a young person realize that the community they grew up in believes in them.
That’s what makes these donations meaningful.
The money doesn’t stay here as a number.
It becomes opportunity.
So, to our two anonymous $1,000 donors: thank you.
To everyone who participated in the Culver’s fundraiser: thank you.
To the two buses of student-athletes who helped make that $498 possible: thank you—and we hope you enjoyed your treats.
To Dan, Chris, Jone, Gary and Claudia: thank you for putting in the work.
And to everyone who has donated, attended an event, bought a Foundation shirt, shared one of our posts, or simply told someone about NBHSAF: thank you.
A record month of donations is exciting.
But we’d much rather think of it as the beginning of something than the end of something.
There are more students to support.
More scholarships to award.
More opportunities to create.
And more members of our community who may want to be part of it.
The response we’ve received tells us something important:
Our community cares about its students.
And when a community cares, remarkable things can happen.
We’re grateful to everyone helping make those things possible.
Scholarship deadlines & announcements
Alumni gatherings, including WestFest, IKEfest & class reunions
NBHSAF merch, fundraisers & ways to support students