Alumni and giving · For education foundation directors and board members
An education foundation donor wall that every school in the district can share
Your foundation raises support for every school in the district. Thank donors and business partners in one place, show the classroom grants they make possible, and open the same display in the district office and each school lobby.
No account needed to start. Free to use. No payment details required.
What is an education foundation donor wall?
An education foundation donor wall thanks the individuals, families and businesses that support a school district’s foundation, along with the classroom grants and scholarships those gifts fund, and is often shown in the district office. HistoryShowcase keeps donors in one shared list and grants in folders by school, and because the published site has its own web address, every school in the district can open the same display.
Updated
- Made for
- Education foundation directors and board members
- Where schools put it
- District office lobby, Each school’s front hall, The foundation gala
- Layouts
- Honors ledger, Profiles, Photo gallery
- Visitors can filter by
- School, Grant area, Year
- Cost
- Free to use. No payment details required.
A foundation serves many schools. Its thanks hangs in one hallway.
An education foundation raises money for the whole district, then sends it out as classroom grants, scholarships and programs in every building. The donor wall, if there is one, usually hangs in the district office, where few families ever go. Teachers at the elementary schools may not know which donors paid for their robotics kits.
An education foundation donor wall on a touchscreen can follow each gift to where it lands. Donors and partners sit in one list, and each grant opens to the school, the teacher and photos of the project. Because the published site has its own web address, the district office, the high school lobby and an elementary front hall can all open the same display, and the foundation keeps one list current for every one of them.
How does a digital education foundation donor wall compare with a framed donor board?
| What matters | Framed donor board | HistoryShowcase |
|---|---|---|
| Who can see it | Visitors to one building | Every school, plus anyone with the link |
| Showing where gifts went | Usually donor names only | Grants by school with teacher stories and photos |
| Teachers’ grant stories | Not part of the board | Teachers draft them as editors; the foundation publishes |
| Business partners | A name on the board | Their own entry with a logo or storefront photo |
| Next year’s donors | Reprint or add a panel | Import a spreadsheet, preview and publish |
What an education foundation display holds
Donors and community partners
Individuals, families, alumni and local businesses, listed in rows by giving level or type of partnership.
Grants by school
Each classroom grant listed under the school it went to, with the teacher, the year and what it paid for.
Grant stories with photos
A profile for each funded project, like a reading nook, a greenhouse or a set of robotics kits, with pictures from the classroom.
Foundation scholarships
Scholarships the foundation awards to graduating seniors across the district, with each year’s recipients.
Signature events
The annual gala, the fun run or the golf outing, with sponsors thanked by name and photos from the day.
Board and volunteers
The board members and volunteers who run the foundation, each with a short note on their role.
How to organize a district-wide foundation wall
Sort grants by school so each building sees its own projects, and keep donors in one shared list.
Your siteExample Schools Foundation
- Donors and partnersHonors ledger
Sub-collections for individuals, families and business partners, by level.
- Grants by schoolProfiles
One folder per school, each grant a profile with the teacher and photos.
- Foundation scholarshipsHonors ledger
Recipients by year, with their high school in the subtitle.
- Events and sponsorsPhoto gallery
Photos from the gala, the fun run and sponsor thank-yous.
Visitors can narrow it by
- School
- Grant area
- Year
How do you set up an education foundation donor wall?
Map out schools and grant areas
List every school the foundation serves and the grant areas you fund, such as literacy, STEM and the arts, so each grant has a home.
Ask teachers for their stories
Collect photos and a few sentences from each grant recipient. Teachers can be added as editors by email to enter their own grant stories.
Review once for the whole district
The foundation previews everything privately and publishes. Each school then opens the same published site on its own screen.
Where should a foundation donor wall be shown?
- District office lobbyBoard members, donors and partners see it at every foundation meeting.
- Each school’s front hallFamilies see the grants funded in their own child’s building.
- The foundation galaOpen it on a screen at the event so sponsors can find their names and the projects they funded.
Education foundation donor wall questions
Can each school show its own grants?
Yes. Organize grants in one folder per school, and visitors can filter by school. Every building opens the same published site, so the foundation keeps one list for the whole district.
Can teachers add their own grant stories?
Yes. Add teachers as editors by email. Their entries save to a private draft, and nothing appears until someone at the foundation with publishing access publishes it.
How do we thank business partners?
Give them their own collection with a logo or storefront photo, a line on what they support and the years they have partnered with the foundation.
Our donor lists are in old gala programs. Can we use them?
Yes. Upload the programs and Smart Add suggests entries with their sources. You review each suggestion and accept only the ones that are right.
Related ideas
Thank your foundation’s donors in every school
Free to use. No payment details required.
