The Appleton Education Foundation is dedicated to creatively supporting education in Appleton through raising private funds, awarding grants, and developing partnerships to strengthen Appleton’s public schools and educational community. We work to make resource development for our schools as accessible as possible and facilitate productive relationships with private donors, including individuals, businesses and foundations. As the philanthropic partner for the Appleton Area School District, we work closely with AASD to ensure alignment with their priorities and to implement policies that are consistent with their needs, while also balancing the interests of our other partners.
The AEF is about more than transactions; we are about transformation. Fees collected support the processing of grant checks, accepting and acknowledging contributions, completing annual audits and reporting, and researching needs within educational areas of interest to donors. Fees make each donor part of our important work to creatively enhance education in our community.
Pass-Through Gift: Gifts restricted to a specific program and/or school that are meant to be passed directly to the AASD will be assessed a one-time fee of 4%.
Spend-Down Funds – non-endowed funds set up for a specific program or project (the full fund balance is accessible). Depending on the agreement, funds could be spent all at once or over time.
- Designated Fund: Assessed a one-time fee of 4% on each gift received. Interest earned remains with the fund.
- Scholarship Fund: The AEF typically does not accept spend-down scholarship funds. Please contact us to learn about a plan to work towards the endowed fund level while awarding scholarships.
Spend-down funds with an average daily balance less than $1,000 for the previous fiscal year ending December 31 are assessed an additional $50 in March.
Endowment Funds – Funds in which the principal balance is invested and only the income can be spent each year for the purpose defined by the fund agreement. Annually 4.5% of the average daily balance over the last three calendar years is available for distribution. $10,000 minimum to create ($15,000 for scholarships). Fees:
| Designated | 1% | Unrestricted | 2% |
| Scholarships | 1% – low activity; $1.5% moderate/high activity | Field of Interest | 1% – without competitive grant cycles; 1.5% with competitive grant cycles |
Administrative fees are calculated using the average daily fund balance from the prior month.
A modest investment fee is assessed to each fund.
Future Funds
No administrative fees assessed until the fund balance reaches the minimum endowment level of $10,000 ($15,000 for scholarships). No distributions are made during Future Fund status.
Contact the AEF office to learn more. 920-832-1517
