Local Education Foundations are independent, community-based, non-profit organizations that raise funds from private sources to improve educational programs and facilities in public schools in the wake of strained school budgets.

The foundation was established in 1987 as the South Orange-Maplewood Education Foundation (SOMEF) by a group of residents who recognized that, with costs and school enrollment rising and state funding declining, our community needed alternatives to help maintain its excellent public schools. In 2010, the foundation adopted the name of its highly-regarded volunteer tutor program, linking all of its programs with one familiar and fitting identity: Achieve!

• Community support: Each year approximately 1000 parents, local residents and alumni provide donations that make up the largest share of Achieve’s annual income of over $300,000. Achieve Honor Roll donors make significant three-year pledges of $1,000 or more to sustain annual programs.
• Business support: Achieve’s sponsors include many local businesses who want to support public education in the community. Support also comes from larger corporations, often in the formiing of matching gifts from employers.
• Annual Events and Campaigns: The foundation utilizes several events and campaigns throughout the year to meet it financial goals. Examples included the annual Newstead 5K Race, our year-end appeal, Honor Your Teacher tributes, our spring fundraiser (a Mardi Gras party for the past few years), and the Honor Roll of sustaining donors.
• Grants: In 2022, Achieve received more than $40,000 from the Orange Orphan Society, Provident Bank Foundation, the AD Philanthropic Fund, the Fraentzel Foundation, and the Haberman Foundation.
• Take a Seat — CHS Auditorium Renewal: The Achieve Foundation raised $450,000 to help restore the Columbia High School auditorium in 2014. Plaques on the backs of seats feature dedications by donors to graduates, faculty, alumni and others in the rededicated auditorium. Seats are still available for dedication.

Guided by its mission statement and strategic plan, the Achieve Foundation Board of Trustees determines the best and highest use of the money it raises each year. Trustees review grant proposals from the district’s educators and distributes funds as part of its initiatives: Educator Grants, the Riecke Teaching Fellowship, the Vanessa Pollock Music Initiative.

Established in 1997, the AVTP is funded and administered in partnership with the school district. The program pairs trained adult and teenage volunteer tutors with students in kindergarten through 12th grade, who are referred for extra help by their teacher and counselors. During the 2022-23 school year, the program engaged 337 volunteers to provide academic and social-emoational support to 375 students. Exemplary tutors are nominated for Dubrow Volunteer Awards and Kohl Angelo Awards by their site supervisors, and all tutors are invited to a celebration in early June to thank them for their dedication.

• Achieve raises the bar by adding professional development opportunities for educators, who use Achieve funds to explore new strategies and hone their skills.
• Achieve addresses the academic achievement gap by supporting learning solutions for every child, providing free extra academic help to stuggling students, and partnering with MAC Scholarship program to provide college essay coaching, mentoring opportunities, and SAT Prep workshops. Poviding equitable solutions and prioritizing the unmet educational needs for vulnerable students in the district is at the core of Achieve’s goals.
• Achieve acts as an agent for change by supporting educators’ innovative ideas, introducing new pilot programs and adding funds to maximize the educational impact.
• Achieve adds enrichment opportunities like robotics, cultural appreciation, biotech research equipment, music programs, leveled reading materials, maker spaces, and more. Children at all schools take part in Achieve-funded activities every day.
• Achieve is a trusted partner for the South Orange & Maplewood Schools, staying attuned to the district’s strategic goals and giving extra support for high-priority initiatives.
• Achieve builds community between our schools and local residents. We bring people together and work in coordination with stakeholders (students, families, teachers, administrators, volunteers, community at large) to deliever solutions that strengthen and enrich educational experiences.

Achieve’s most recent IRS 990 form is available for public review here.