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2023 Annual Report

July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023

Dear GFPE friends, partners, and supporters,

Thank you for your support of the Georgia Foundation for Public Education (GFPE) and Georgia’s public school students this past year. As the philanthropic arm of the Georgia Department of Education, we exist for the sole purpose of supporting educational excellence for students in Georgia. We, in partnership with our generous donors, provide funding to a variety of projects all aimed at fulfilling our vision of public school excellence. This year we continued our efforts around the PEACH Education Tax Credit and launched the first round of Innovative Education Fund grants, which is made possible through tax credit donations. Finally, we worked with individual donors to help them invest in programs and initiatives important to them.

We hope you enjoy reading some of the stories of how we are supporting Georgia’s public schools and fostering academic success to ultimately produce students who are prepared to thrive in a 21st century workforce, and we invite you to join us in fulfilling our mission of meeting students where they are – wherever they are.

With gratitude,
Davis Knox, Board Chair
Paige Pushkin, GFPE Executive Director

 

 

GFPE Board

Davis Knox
Chair

Clarke County

Kenneth Mason
Vice Chair

Fulton County

Walt Helms
Immediate Past Chair

Cobb County

Ann Cramer
Fulton County

Matt Donaldson
Ex-Officio

Emanuel County

Al Hodge
Floyd County

Al Hodge
Floyd County

Robert “Buzz” Law
Fulton County

Shaunae Motley
Dougherty County

David Nuckolis
Coweta County

Jodie Snow
Tift County

Paula Weeks
Cobb County

 

Our Impact

For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, GFPE supported the following projects:

 
Agricultural Education Exchange Grant$8,400
Creative Industries Grants$18,000
CTSA Grant$12,500
Economic Development Grants$7,500
Georgia Power Grants$2,787,869
Innovation Fund Grants$173,723
Muscogee County Grant$45,000
PEACH School Fundraising Grants$488,293.50
Rural Education Grants$70,000
State Schools Annual Grants$30,000
Teacher of the Year$100,000
Rural Education & Innovation$40,000
Total Grant Distributions:$3,845,285.50

 

 

Expenses

Administrative Expenses$619,835.37
Grants*$3,845,285.50
TOTAL$4,465,120.87

 


 

PEACH Education Tax Credit Dollars at Work

Georgia’s PEACH Education Tax Credit offers an exciting opportunity to advance public education and foster excellence for students across Georgia. Individuals and corporations can support Georgia’s K-12 public education students at no additional cost to them by securing a PEACH Education Tax Credit. GFPE then uses donated funds to provide innovative grants to public schools and districts to improve student achievement. It’s a win-win opportunity for Georgia residents and public schools. Keep reading for a few stories of PEACH dollars at work.

Thank you to our 2022-2023 PEACH Education Donors

Covenant Transport Inc.
Georgia Power
Ringgold Telephone Company
Angeles Enterprises
Stevie Collective
Star Commercial Real Estate LLC
Davis Finney
Samuel Hollis
Jonathon (Kyle) Behnke
Harold Hobbs
David Hoyt
Melissa Stone
Glen Scarbrough
Harold Jones
Brian Tootle
Danny Montgomery
Melanie Helmken
William Rowse
Lawrence Odom
Walter Culpepper
Mandy Culpepper Interior Designs Inc.
Roger Nelson
John McDuffie
Leonardo Angeles
Paul Clement
Michael Dooley
Robert Gurley
Theresa St. Amant
Shane Cochran
Alan Smith
Walter Helms
Bryan Heller
Philip Bittel
Barry Carr
Clay Carr
Dalton Blevins
Jonathan Siskey

Matthew Lane
Edgar Wilson
R Wimberly
Dunkin LLC
Fashion Cupcake LLC
Sabrina Gibson
Edward Kelsch
Christopher Peterson
William Matthews
Amanda Topper
Barry Carr
Roger Nelson
Ryan Inlow
Henry Baughman
William Randazzo
Timothy Adams
Kelley Bradley
Jarrett M Senkbeil
Penske Automotive Group
Krissy Chin
Lewis Massey
Oseyi Ikuenobe
Mari Wynn
Randall Griffus
Joseph Steiner
Michael Bunn
Robert Snyder
Randal Hill
Michael Kazmierczak
Douglas Jernigan
Richard Brown
Phenna Petty
Jacqueline Parker
Ronald Lee
Tiffany Lin
Joshua Roach
Andrew Randall
Timothy Minard

Aaron Reimann
Philip Foster
Shakhar Bhagat
Wilson Stiles
Robert Bosworth
Milton Wilkes
William Jacobson
David Ziskind
Milton Wilkes
Zack Napier
Sherrie Gibney-Sherman
Erin Lightfoot
Danesh Kella
Metro Boiler Tube Company, Inc.
Morton Savelle IV
Pedro Loera-Lopez
Donald Wellington
Christopher Hatcher
Matthew Reed
Robert Peters
Mariaa Brower
Douglas Jernigan
Matt Donaldson
H.L. Pierce
Jodie Snow
Darel Dyer
Miles Espy
Ronald Fallon
William Turner
Will Reese
Steve Smith
Robert Jones
Davis Knox
Mary Williams
Robin Cruise
Van Warren
Peter Kelly

Solving Challenging Issues Facing our Schools with Corporate Gifts

With teacher shortages continuing to plague school districts, Muscogee County, like many districts across the state, waived teacher certification requirements for new hires. Although this concession puts more people in the classroom, these new educators are coming to the classroom with little to no formal education training. Muscogee County School District recognized these new educators needed more support to be successful, and they developed a plan but needed funding to implement it. Then a generous donation to the PEACH Education Tax Credit in the amount of $50,000 from Synovus allowed MCSD to implement professional development modules to equip all noncertified educators and paraprofessionals with the training they need to feel confident and be effective in the classroom.

Thanks to Synovus’s PEACH Education Tax Credit donation, the company was able to establish a donor advised fund with GFPE to support innovative projects in the Muscogee County School District and is using its dollars to help the district solve one of the most challenging issues it faces.

 

Learn more about how to support public education in our state with a PEACH Education Tax Credit donation.

 

Improving Outcomes for Students through Innovative Education Fund Grants

When Georgia individuals and corporations donate to the PEACH Education Tax Credit, they are helping to fund programs improving outcomes for Georgia students. One of GFPE’s grant programs funded by PEACH dollars is the Innovative Education Fund, which provides traditional public and charter schools, school districts, and their partner organizations up to $20,000 to implement innovative programs that foster academic excellence.

This year, GFPE awarded six Innovative Education Fund grants to Georgia schools, districts and organizations totaling $90,000.

To see the full list of organizations and projects, click here.

 


 

“Support Education” License Plate Dollars at Work

Funding for our signature annual grant program and Georgia Teacher of the Year program comes from the sale of Georgia’s “Support Education” license plates. When you purchase this specialty plate to honor educators, you are helping us continue to support excellence for K-12 public school students statewide. Apply for your plate at your local county tag office.

 

Impacting Rural Education

GFPE’s Rural Education Fund provides traditional public schools, charter schools and school districts located in counties with 35,000 or fewer residents with up to $10,000 to use however they wish to drive student success. This year, we awarded a total of $70,000 to seven schools or districts focused on art and music education, STEAM programs, virtual reality experiences, literacy, and community service projects for high school students.

Click here to check out our full list of Rural Education grantees.

 

Georgia’s Teacher of the Year

Georgia’s 2024 Teacher of the Year is Christy Todd, a music technology teacher at Rising Starr Middle School in Fayettte County. As Teacher of the Year, she serves as an advocate for public education in Georgia traveling the state speaking to educators and community groups.

 


 

Workforce for Georgia

The Georgia Power Foundation partners with GFPE to fund the Workforce for Georgia Grant Program, which offers a competitive opportunity for schools to apply for funding to implement or expand Career, Technical, and Agricultural (CTAE) or College and Career Academy (CCA) programs. Georgia Power is dedicated to giving back to the communities they serve and supporting educational initiatives throughout the state, so partnering with GFPE to help facilitate this grant program provided them a great way to achieve their vision of impactfully serving students in Georgia.

During the most recent grant cycle, GFPE and the Georgia Power Foundation awarded a total of $938,374,000 to 31 schools and school districts. Learn more about the funded projects here.

 


 

Thank you to our Donors

$100,000 & Up
Georgia Power
Covenant Transport, Inc.

 

$10,000 - $99,999

 

Ringgold Telephone Company
Kaiser Permanente
Synovus
Georgia Aquarium Foundation
Georgia Power Foundation
Angeles Enterprises
Barry Carr
Roger Nelson
Star Commercial Real Estate LLC
Stevie Collective
Walter Helms
Alan Smith
Amanda Topper
Brian Tootle
Bryan Heller
Christopher Peterson
Clay Carr

Dalton Blevins
Danny Montgomery
David Hoyt
Davis Finney
Dunkin LLC
Edgar Wilson
Edward Kelsch
Fashion Cupcake LLC
Glen Scarbrough
Harold Hobbs
Harold Jones
Jarrett M Senkbeil
John McDuffie
John Walker
Jonathan Siskey
Jonathon (Kyle) Behnke
Lawrence Odom

Leonardo Angeles
Mandy Culpepper Interior Designs Inc.
Matthew Lane
Melanie Helmken
Melissa Stone
Michael Dooley
Paul Clement
Philip Bittel
R Wimberly
Robert Gurley
Sabrina Gibson
Samuel Hollis
Shane Cochran
Theresa St. Amant
Walter Culpepper
William Matthews
William Rowse

 

$5,000 - $9,999

 

Halle Foundation
Mighty Cause
Ryan Inflow
Henry Baughman
Joseph Odom
University of Texas

Timothy Adams
William Randazzo
Georgia Association of Educators
Google LLC
Kelley Bradley
Krissy Chin

Lewis Massey
Milton Wilkes
Professional Assoc of Ga Educators
Penske Automotive Group
Saving Our Sons & Sisters International
The Dot & Lam Hardman Family Foundation

 

$1,000 - $4,999

 

Douglas Jernigan
Fidelity Charitable
Phenna Petty
Aaron Reimann
Andrew Randall
Danesh Kella
David Ziskind
Erin Lightfoot
Jacqueline Parker
Joseph Steiner
Joshua Roach
Mari Wynn
Maria Pheifer
Michael Bunn
Michael Kazmierczak
Oseyi Ikuenobe
Philip Foster
Randal Hill

Randall Griffus
Richard Brown
Robert Bosworth
Robert Snyder
Ronald Lee
Shakhar Bhagat
Sherrie Gibney-Sherman
Tiffany Lin
Timothy Minard
William Jacobson
Wilson Stiles
Zack Napier
Metro Boiler Tube Company, Inc.
September Interest
Donald Wellington
Morton Savelle IV
Pedro Loera-Lopez
Ronald Fallon

Karthik Balasubramanian
Pamela Buzbee
Christopher Hatcher
Matthew Reed
Philanthropy Southeast
Maria Brower
Robert Peters
Cassandra Gaul
CodeHS
Cognia Inc. (Laine Reichert)
Darel Dyer
H.L. Pierce
Jodie Snow
Matt Donaldson
Miles Espy
Richard Woods
Steve Smith
Will Reese
William Turner

 

$50 - $999

 

CMB (WSB)
Davis Knox
Gayla Fitzpatrick
Mary Williams
Mike Royal
Robert Jones
Robert Law
Robin Cruise
Otis Johnson
Network for Good
Carol Lewis
Debbie Durrence
Deborah Harper
Gretna Soltis
Harriett Neal

Judith Beccaro
Kimberly Wetzel
Leigh Ann Cross
Louis Erste
Mamie Hanson
Martha Jones
Peter Kelly
Steve Tarvin
Tylisa Young
Van Warren
Kenneth Mason
Rishav Kohli
Benevity
Agnes Mwangi
Antoine Jackson

Brian Butera
Jessica Hinson
Ken Banter
Lacey Andrews
Lisa Hackney
Nadine Fincher
Rajendra Majji
Rebecca Blanton
Rhonda Miles
Sharquinta Tuggle
Steven Bahr
Taijuan Clayton-Brookes
Therese McGuire
Yolanda Goggins

 

Up to $49

 

Linette Dodson
Angie Gant
Christine Freeman
Cynthia Popp
Dyani Payne
Julie Noland
Lisa Howell
Madeline Boykin
Magda de Beer

Matt Cardoza
Meghan Frick
Moira Bernard-Moore
Paige Buzbee Pushkin
Phyllis Gosnell
Sandra DeMuth
Tammy Thomason
Jason Clay
America's Charities

Karen Craft
Mike Toguchi
Gregory Walters
Janzetter Walker
Michael Toguchi
Tiffany Lovezzola
Jerit Sciorra
Bill.com

The Right Team, Right Time

“Enabling people to reach their full potential is our purpose at Synovus, and that includes helping students prepare for their futures, whether through financial education or supporting the state’s PEACH Education Tax Credit fund. Supporting young people in their pursuit of innovative, entrepreneurial and creative industries through this tax credit expands educational opportunities for all students, provides a competitive edge, and is paramount to the growth of Georgia’s economic future." -Kevin Blair, Synovus Chairman, CEO and President