Why Partner With IPEF ?

You partner with IPEF because you want all young people in our community to have opportunities for success they otherwise might not have.

Students in IPSD204 get an excellent education and the numbers prove it. But there are certain elements of that education – important opportunities – that are non-curricular and cannot be financed by tax dollars. That’s where IPEF come in.

In addition, many families in our district are struggling and it’s hard for their children to access opportunities while facing economic hardship and even homelessness.  IPSD204 leaders have developed excellent programs to help these children succeed, but the programs rely on grants and charitable donations for funding.  Again, that’s where IPEF comes in.

Below are more specific, detailed reasons to partner with IPEF. Click on each, and perhaps you’ll discover the one that motivates you to, indeed,  partner with us in helping our children succeed.

Achieve Your Organization's Community Service Goals
Many organizations have a laudable goal of giving back to their community. Of these, many choose to direct their financial support and volunteer hours toward programs that benefit children. Maybe yours is such an organization.

All of IPEF's programs benefit only children. What's more, grants and donations directed toward specific IPEF programs have 100% of their contribution go to the program – nothing goes toward IPEF overhead or expenses. That makes IPEF an excellent 501(c)(3) organization to partner with:

  • our programs are efficient

  • they benefit a large, diverse population of children

  • they produce measurable, positive results

Learn more about partnering with IPEF to achieve your organization's giving goals. >
Encourage Passionate, Innovative Teachers
Teachers are Superheroes. Everyone has had a teacher who made a profound impact on their life. A teacher's creativity, enthusiasm and dedication make all the difference between students who are marking time and students who are learning and growing. Investing in great teachers is really an investment in the students they serve.

Great teachers should be encouraged and recognized. IPEF does both. Our Teacher Innovation Grants fund ideas that teachers develop to make their lessons more hands-on and real for students. Many of these classroom 'laboratory' programs go on to become vital components of the curriculum. Learn how you can support Teacher Innovation Grants >.

IPEF and Wells Fargo Advisors sponsor the A+ Awards to recognize IPSD204 teachers who go above and beyond to support and encourage student success. This monthly award provides well-deserved recognition, plus funds for the winning teachers to use in their classrooms or on a project for their students. Make an A+ Award nomination > .
Work With People Who Get Things Done
IPEF has a solid reputation for getting things done. Examples:

  • Our initial focus was to help grow and enhance IPSD204's Music and Fine Arts Programs. Today, they are considered among the finest of any public school district in the country.

  • In 2013, IPEF began supporting STEM Robotics Clubs in the district high schools. Today, there are robotics clubs in 22 IPSD204 schools - the largest such program in Illinois

  • In 2014, 31 runners ran the Naperville marathon to raise $32,000 for TEAM IPEF. Just five years later, that grew to 555 runners raising $205,000 – our largest fundraising initiative.

It's simple: if you want your charitable donations and volunteer hours to have maximum impact, you'll want to partner with IPEF.
Keep The Arts Alive In K-12 Education
School districts facing financial pressures often deemphasize music and arts programs. Others consider them to be 'frills' – not essential to education. And with so much focus on test scores, music and arts have, sadly, slipped in their importance.

Not so in IPSD204. District leaders recognize the vital role the arts play in a well-rounded education – how the arts give students the 'cognitive tool kit' to master complex subjects like math and the sciences. They've recruited outstanding faculty who develop excellent curricula and provide many opportunities for students to grow through performance.

IPEF funds many of these performance opportunities: Artist-in-Residence, Holiday Music Concerts, and the Fine Arts Festival, now in its 32nd year. FAF is a community-wide event, involving every IPSD204 school, 80 musical performances and 12,000 pieces of K-12 art.

Learn how you can join with IPEF to sustain this legacy of excellence in the arts >.
Boost Our Kids' Technology Literacy
Most school subjects are stable: Math, English, Phys. Ed. don't change much year-to-year. Not so with Science and Technology. Technology is evolving with blazing speed and our students must keep pace to secure future careers.

Science and Technology core curricula must emphasize fundamental principles, but exposure to new, advanced concepts is needed too. Recognizing this, IPSD204 leaders have instituted elective classes and extracurriculars that help students stay up-to-date with technology. Examples:
IPEF secures nearly all outside funding for these vital programs. Partner with us to keep IPSD204 'STEM Strong'. >
Help The Kids Who Need It Most
The Great Recession of 2008 took a toll - lost jobs, home foreclosures, dashed dreams. Many area families have recovered, but not all. Between 2008 and 2013, the number of students in our district considered 'low income' (qualify for free/subsidized lunch) tripled and remains stubbornly high. Nearly 200 of our students are homeless.

When students are under economics stress, it's hard to focus on academics or even be involved in school. IPSD204 leaders have responded with innovative programs:

  • 'Back On Track' brings licensed counselors into the schools to help struggling students with individualized support.

  • 'Valley Runway' makes prom possible for low income students, providing free dresses and tuxedos.

  • 'SMILE Project' secures summer work internships to underserved students, giving them valuable experience.

IPEF is the conduit/fundraiser for support of these programs. Partner with us to help these most vulnerable students. >
Save Young Lives . . . Literally
Sudden cardiac death claims the lives of 60 young Americans every week. In IPSD204, three students have been victims. That's why, in 2009, IPSD204 partnered with Young Hearts For Life (YHFL) to perform biennial cardiac screenings of district high school students. To date, over 34,000 screenings have been performed.

In the YHFL program, electrocardiograms (ECGs) are performed on participating students and read immediately by cardiac specialists. If abnormalities are observed, the ECG is repeated for confirmation. Parents are confidentially notified for referral to their physician for followup. Each biennial round of screenings finds approximately 60 students needing followup. Some of those students had life-threatening conditions they were unaware of. Their lives were saved.

IPEF and Edward-Elmhurst Health sponsor this large and expensive program that requires 200 trained volunteers. Funds and volunteers for the 2020-2021 YHFL screenings are urgently needed. Learn how you can join with IPEF to help >.
Strengthen Your Community
Great schools are the foundation of a strong community. They attract businesses and new residents who want the best for their employees and children, respectively. They are laboratories of innovation, incubators of great community leaders and a source of pride. Most importantly, they can set young people on a lifelong path of success.

IPSD204 has great schools. That's not because of money – IPSD204's per pupil spending is 11% below the state average. These great schools result from a responsible Board of Education, outstanding, committed teachers and administrators, and parents who care deeply about all students, not just their own.

For 32 years, IPEF has been doing its part to strengthen the community by supporting vital IPSD204 programs. We're proud of our contributions, but there's always more that we want to do and we value any assistance you can provide.
Partner with IPEF to strengthen your community by investing in its children >.
Achieve Your Community Service Goals
Many organizations have a laudable goal of giving back to their community. Of these, many choose to direct their financial support and volunteer hours toward programs that benefit children. Maybe yours is such an organization.

All of IPEF's programs benefit only children. What's more, grants and donations directed toward specific IPEF programs have 100% of their contribution go to the program – nothing goes toward IPEF overhead or expenses. That makes IPEF an excellent 501(c)(3) organization to partner with:

  • our programs are efficient

  • they benefit a large, diverse population of children

  • they produce measurable, positive results

Learn more about partnering with IPEF to achieve your organization's giving goals. >
Encourage Passionate, Innovative Teachers
Teachers are Superheroes. Everyone has had a teacher who made a profound impact on their life. A teacher's creativity, enthusiasm and dedication make all the difference between students who are marking time and students who are learning and growing. Investing in great teachers is really an investment in the students they serve.

Great teachers should be encouraged and recognized. IPEF does both. Our Teacher Innovation Grants fund ideas that teachers develop to make their lessons more hands-on and real for students. Many of these classroom 'laboratory' programs go on to become vital components of the curriculum. Learn how you can support Teacher Innovation Grants >.

IPEF and Wells Fargo Advisors sponsor the A+ Awards to recognize IPSD204 teachers who go above and beyond to support and encourage student success. This monthly award provides well-deserved recognition, plus $500 for the winning teacher to use in their classroom or on a project for their students. Make an A+ Award nomination > .
Work With People Who Get Things Done
IPEF has a solid reputation for getting things done. Examples:

  • Our initial focus was to help grow and enhance IPSD204's Music and Fine Arts Programs. Today, they are considered among the finest of any public school district in the country.

  • In 2013, IPEF began supporting STEM Robotics Clubs in the district high schools. Today, there are robotics clubs in 22 IPSD204 schools - the largest such program in Illinois

  • In 2014, 31 runners ran the Naperville marathon to raise $32,000 for TEAM IPEF. Just five years later, that grew to 555 runners raising $205,000 – our largest fundraising initiative.

It's simple: if you want your charitable donations and volunteer hours to have maximum impact, you'll want to partner with IPEF.
Keep The Arts Alive In K-12 Education
School districts facing financial pressures often deemphasize music and arts programs. Others consider them to be 'frills' – not essential to education. And with so much focus on test scores, music and arts have, sadly, slipped in their importance.

Not so in IPSD204. District leaders recognize the vital role the arts play in a well-rounded education – how the arts give students the 'cognitive tool kit' to master complex subjects like math and the sciences. They've recruited outstanding faculty who develop excellent curricula and provide many opportunities for students to grow through performance.

IPEF funds many of these performance opportunities: Artist-in-Residence, Holiday Music Concerts, and the Fine Arts Festival, now in its 32nd year. FAF is a community-wide event, involving every IPSD204 school, 80 musical performances and 12,000 pieces of K-12 art.

Learn how you can join with IPEF to sustain this legacy of excellence in the arts >.
Boost Our Kids' Technology Literacy
Most school subjects are stable: Math, English, Phys. Ed. don't change much year-to-year. Not so with Science and Technology. Technology is evolving with blazing speed and our students must keep pace to secure future careers.

Science and Technology core curricula must emphasize fundamental principles, but exposure to new, advanced concepts is needed too. Recognizing this, IPSD204 leaders have instituted elective classes and extracurriculars that help students stay up-to-date with technology. Examples:
IPEF secures nearly all outside funding for these vital programs. Partner with us to keep IPSD204 'STEM Strong'. >
Help The Kids Who Need It Most
The Great Recession of 2008 took a toll - lost jobs, home foreclosures, dashed dreams. Many area families have recovered, but not all. Between 2008 and 2013, the number of students in our district considered 'low income' (qualify for free/subsidized lunch) tripled and remains stubbornly high. Nearly 200 of our students are homeless.

When students are under economics stress, it's hard to focus on academics or even be involved in school. IPSD204 leaders have responded with innovative programs:

  • 'Back On Track' brings licensed counselors into the schools to help struggling students with individualized support.

  • 'Valley Runway' makes prom possible for low income students, providing free dresses and tuxedos.

  • 'Kid Essentials Fund' pays emergency expenses for the most at-risk students: shoes, transportation, groceries.

IPEF is the conduit and fundraiser for outside support of these programs. Partner with us to help IPSD204's neediest kids. >
Save Young Lives . . . Literally
Sudden cardiac death claims the lives of 60 young Americans every week. In IPSD204, three students have been victims. That's why, in 2009, IPSD204 partnered with Young Hearts For Life (YHFL) to perform biennial cardiac screenings of district high school students. To date, over 33,000 screenings have been performed.

In the YHFL program, electrocardiograms (ECGs) are performed on participating students and read immediately by cardiac specialists. If abnormalities are observed, the ECG is repeated for confirmation. Parents are confidentially notified for referral to their physician for followup. Each biennial round of screenings finds approximately 60 students needing followup. Some of those students had life-threatening conditions they were unaware of. Their lives were saved.

IPEF and Edward-Elmhurst Health sponsor this large and expensive program that requires 200 trained volunteers. Funds and volunteers for the 2020-2021 YHFL screenings are urgently needed. Learn how you can join with IPEF to help >.
Strengthen Your Community
Great schools are the foundation of a strong community. They attract businesses and new residents who want the best for their employees and children, respectively. They are laboratories of innovation, incubators of great community leaders and a source of pride. Most importantly, they can set young people on a lifelong path of success.

IPSD204 has great schools. That's not because of money – IPSD204's per pupil spending is 11% below the state average. These great schools result from a responsible Board of Education, outstanding, committed teachers and administrators, and parents who care deeply about all students, not just their own.

For 32 years, IPEF has been doing its part to strengthen the community by supporting vital IPSD204 programs. We're proud of our contributions, but there's always more that we want to do and we value any assistance you can provide.
Partner with IPEF to strengthen your community by investing in its children >.