1975: PEF IS FOUNDED
On December 10, 1975, the original Articles of Incorporation were signed by Nancy Bates, Helen Breck, Helen Buttner, C. Lee Emerson, Albert F. Fliegner, Raymond D. Harper, Superintendent William H. Knight, Irving Loube, Margaret McIvor, Walter F. Pettit, John R. Shulman, and Ann Milton Wallis.
PEF was founded to provide the Piedmont Unified School District with the means to assure educational excellence for all Piedmont students. Early grants were made for enrichment items, such as a Teletype receiver and landscaping at the new Middle School.
1980S: THE FALLOUT FROM PROP 13
Beginning in 1981, three years after the passage of Proposition 13 and with significant cuts from the state looming, PEF broadened its charge and ran large-scale community campaigns to underwrite over $1.5 million of the District’s budget over a period of three years.
1982: DRESS BEST FOR LESS IS CREATED
A group of forward-thinking citizens presented PEF with the idea of an upscale retail shop, and Dress Best for Less was established. With its dedicated volunteers, DBFL has provided a significant source of income to the schools, via grants to PEF, ever since.
1985: FIRST PARCEL TAX
Because fundraising was not going to be able to keep up with the pace of the cuts, PEF and key community members educated the public on the need to levy a parcel tax. To sustain support for the schools, the first school parcel tax was passed with the necessary two-thirds majority vote in 1985.
1987: INTRODUCING THE PEF STUDENT DIRECTORY
PEF began producing an all-school directory to serve the community. The Directory is still published annually by the Foundation and used daily by hundreds of Piedmont families.
1989: THE PEF ENDOWMENT
PEF established an Endowment Fund to ensure continuous financial support for the schools.
1990S: FUNDING CORE PROGRAMS, CAPITAL NEEDS & TECHNOLOGY
When declining enrollment and the state revenue shortfall left the District unable to fund core programs in 1991, PEF prevented significant program and personnel cuts through unrestricted grants to the district. Later, PEF participated in a capital campaign to help equip and furnish new and remodeled rooms at each school, and subsequently provided funding for a District Technology Plan. The following year, PEF funded a District Technology Coordinator to implement the plan.
2000: THE ENDOWMENT TAKES OFF
PEF board members took on the leadership role of developing a campaign to build up the existing Endowment Fund to help secure a stable source of unrestricted income to the school district in perpetuity.
2000s: PEF INVESTS IN ITS OPERATIONS
PEF invested in computer software and hardware to centralize and improve automated processing of gifts for PEF and the Associated Parent Clubs of Piedmont (APCP) fundraising efforts, both working to help PUSD fund its top educational priorities and ensure the equitable delivery of quality education across all school sites.
2005: PEF INVESTS IN ITS STAFF
PEF hired a fundraising coordinator to track the fundraising efforts for PEF, APCP, the Parent Clubs and various support groups of the Piedmont schools. The staff grew to three part-time employees in 2008, who managed the PEF donor database, the Student Directory, and the coordination of various fundraising campaigns with numerous volunteers.
2009: PEF & APCP WORK TOGETHER
For the first time, PEF and APCP coordinated their fundraising campaigns with a single fall “Giving Campaign” to raise money for ongoing programs, innovation, and professional development.
2015: PEF & APCP UNITE TO FORM SINGLE ORGANIZATION
The two organizations merged to foster efficiency in the overall fundraising process, administration, and distribution of funds, and hired the organization’s first full-time Executive Director. Underscoring the need for a strong and transparent partnership with the District, the Foundation established a clear system for grant-making and reporting out on the distribution of funds. The PEF Board of Directors continues to be composed of parents and community members.
2017: THE CURRENT PEF OFFICE TEAM IS FORMED
After some starts and stops, the current office configuration is established, allowing new procedures and coordination across schools and support groups.
2019: CREATION OF PEF PIEDMONTSTORE.ORG
PEF created an online store, separate from Infinite Campus, to support school, grade-level, and support group fundraising. The site helps to streamline giving and makes fundraising easy and equitable across schools and support groups.
2019/2020: PEF GOES VIRTUAL
With schools and offices closed due to COVID, PEF went virtual. PEF hosted online New Parent Parties, Giving Campaign events, honored 8th-grade and 12th-grade graduates with social media “shout-outs,” and even held an online Spring Fling. Fundraising efforts expanded to include a Healthy PUSD initiative, which helped the district make physical and mental health a priority in reopening the schools fully and safely.
2022: PEF RELAUNCHES PIEDMONTPORTAL.ORG
Originally launched in January 2012 by volunteers Holly Hanke, Mary Ireland, June Monach, and Andrea Swenson, the Portal created an online gateway to help Piedmont families stay informed about important school news and announcements. In 2022, PEF took over the online resource by adding it to the PEF website and sending the weekly newsletter to all PUSD families.
2024: PEF GRANTS PUSD $3.9 MILLION
With a professional office and united organization, PEF began steadily increasing revenue from the Giving Campaign. By leading additional fundraisers and keeping costs low, PEF was able to significantly increase grant funds and support of Piedmont schools.
2025: PEF 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Join us as we celebrate 50 years of supporting Piedmont’s schools. Stay tuned as we announce our Golden Anniversary festivities.
