GREENFIELD — Ginny Brown’s drive for Greenfield’s children and teachers has completely transformed a local organization.
It’s time to take the Greenfield Central School Foundation to the next level, according to a press release from the G-C school corporation, thanks to the developments Brown has made over the last nine years.
The GCSF connects the community to the classroom to support student learning and provide extraordinary experiences to prepare all students for success.
Brown became part-time director of the Foundation in 2015 but soon became full-time when her board realized what a strong impact she was making.
In 2015, for example, about $8,000 in Educational Enrichments grants were given out. In 2024, $50,000 was given to 70 local teachers to buy educational tools, toys and programs.
There were no scholarships given to local students in 2015; in 2024, more than $71,000 in scholarships were given to graduating seniors.
The numbers reflect Brown’s work ethic and passion.
“No task is too difficult and she is open to listening to others, especially her board of directors,” said Judy Swift, president of the GCSF board. “She knows our community and has definitely connected them to the classroom!”
Swift said she’s impressed with how Brown has grown the organization. They’ve worked through the “community awareness” phase of the Foundation, Swift said. Now it’s time to take it to the next level thanks to Brown, who quietly pushes when she sees a need through great communication.
The GCSF began in 1986 as a Set A Good Example Foundation. The Greenfield Central School Foundation is a champion for private giving to G-C schools, recognizing both the need and the opportunity to provide stronger financial support for the school corporation as a whole.
Brown has been explaining to donors that tax dollars alone cannot fully fund all of the extraordinary experiences students need to succeed. This year’s Educational Enrichment (E2) grants, for example, have purchased 3D printing technologies for high school students; Lego bricks and science tools for intermediate school students; and countless STEM, sensory activities, books and more for elementary students.
The Foundation’s “Wish Upon a Star” requests fund specific wish-list items to classrooms as well: 100% of staff wishes were funded at last year’s Red Letter Gala, thanks to the strong support of the local community. More than $30,000 was given for local teachers, about triple the amount given when Brown started in 2015.
Brown said she loves her job, connecting donors with the classroom and showing them how their generosity impacts students.
“When I first started, nobody knew there was a school foundation,” Brown said. “And so really, it’s bringing awareness to the community. We just have the most amazing community. We’re very philanthropic, very giving and we love our kids. People have seen it as a strong return on their investment. I also have a great board.”
Sometimes the most challenging part of her job is engaging parents and the alumni with the foundation. Parents are busy, and alumni often support their colleges.
As she prepares for the upcoming Red Letter Gala, scheduled for Sept. 28, Brown hopes attendance can bounce back to pre-Covid levels and once again 100% of the Wish Upon a Star requests would be granted. Any additional money raised at the event will cover ongoing grant requests.
“She has been wonderful,” said Becky Riley, past president of the Foundation board. “I’m not sure how many hours a day she sleeps because she’s always doing something – she sent an email today about something and I said, ‘Do you ever stop?’ She is not afraid to go and to ask, and we have grown from barely being able to give a few hundred dollars in scholarships to giving big scholarships and to helping in the classroom with the students and the teachers and it’s all through her strong, strong leadership.”
Riley said she especially appreciates Brown’s ability to follow up with donors: oftentimes, she’ll invite donors to come to a science event at a local school, for example, so they can see how technology is transforming the future for students.
Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin said Brown has been a fantastic ambassador for Greenfield-Central schools, a “perfect fit” for more than doubling the amount of grants provided to teachers and student programs.
“Under her leadership, the Foundation truly meets its mission of ‘connecting the community to the classroom,’” Olin said. “Beyond that, the impact of scholarships to GC graduates has been incredibly impactful.”
Now, many say it’s time for the next chapter. For the Foundation to make an even bigger impact, the board hopes to pay for all operating costs through the endowment fund. That way, all future donations would go directly to the classroom rather than operating expenses. Brown said that will help the community give even more generously to the Foundation.
The Foundation’s endowment has grown to $600,000, which is about six times what it was in 2015. Assets are also strong now at $2.3 million, whereas nine years ago assets were just about $104,000.
Brown wishes every student knew there was a group of people behind them, cheering them on and providing funds to go on field trips, explore science and technology, and even excel beyond high school through scholarships.
“That’s true community, where we’re all working together for a common good– to better our schools, to better our community, to better our students, to better our workforce,” she said.
To learn more about the Foundation or the upcoming Red Letter Gala, visit gcschoolfoundation.com.
