[Noozhawk’s note: First in a series sponsored by the Hutton Parker Foundation.]
Soon after Village Properties first opened — nearly three decades ago — the real estate agency began receiving requests for support from local nonprofit organizations.
With so many to choose from, Renee Grubb, Village Properties’ co-founder and then co-owner, decided to focus her charitable giving on one cause, to truly make an impact.
Grubb’s inspiration came from an encounter with a public relations consultant she had hired.
The consultant had a child starting kindergarten at Brandon School in Goleta, and the child’s teacher provided parents with a long list of classroom needs. When Grubb learned about the list, she wondered how parents with multiple children could afford to fulfill the requests.
In fact, she learned, teachers would fill the gaps by paying for critical classroom needs from their personal pockets.
Many Village Properties real estate agents also had children at various schools throughout Santa Barbara County, and Grubb, along with several staff members, brainstormed how the company could support teachers and students.
Grubb set up a powerhouse committee counting former Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum; the late “Mr. Santa Barbara,” Larry Crandell; and then-Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, as founding members.
Together, they contacted the principals at private and public elementary schools, pledging $25,000 to meet their needs. The application process was straightforward and simple, and the requests began pouring in.
“I think our first request was for workbooks,” Grubb told Noozhawk. “Teachers used to have to copy workbooks so students could each have their own, yet it’s pretty interesting that as the years progressed the requests have been fairly consistent.”
Among those: digital cameras, reading materials, art supplies, storage bins, and area rugs for younger students.
The Teacher’s Fund, as it was named, garnered wonderful support, expanding to junior high and high schools, mostly on Santa Barbara County’s South Coast.
In addition, the Orfalea Foundation was instrumental in extending the reach to North County schools, before the foundation dissolved.
Today, the fund serves 51 schools throughout the South Coast, Buellton, Lompoc, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez and Solvang.
Most of the requests come from Title I schools, as they did when the fund began 21 years ago. Yet, teachers from any qualifying school are invited to submit grant requests up to $1,000 to directly support their students’ learning needs and enhance their classroom environments.
Village Properties and its operating board absorb all costs associated with running the fund, ensuring that all donations benefit the teachers.
Once the grant is approved, the teachers purchase their items and submit receipts for reimbursement, which usually takes no more than two weeks.
“I’ve applied to the Teacher’s Fund many times over my 21-year career,” said Megan Cotich, who teaches seventh grade at La Colina Junior High School. “And I know that I can rely on the fund, which is always faster than going through district paperwork and wait periods.”
With the patience of a teacher, she outlined the process that she and her colleagues face in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
“Our annual school budgets cover the consumables that we regularly go through in a classroom, like white board pens, durable pencil sharpeners, class sets of colored pencils, lab glassware and lab materials,” Cotich explained.
“The Teacher’s Fund allows us to be innovative, because once we’ve used our budget, or it is past the purchasing deadline, we can reach out to the Teacher’s Fund for that unique purchase that will change how we teach. Whether it is a new lesson, or a way to make an existing lesson better, their money is a game changer.”
The money comes from several sources, including Village Properties’ own agents (more than 175 donate) and generous support from many corporate donors, among them Coastal Copy, Deckers Brands, Montecito Bank & Trust and Movegreen.
Community members are encouraged to participate as well through The Teacher’s Fund Supplies Drive, an annual fall fundraiser that is the primary fundraising engine, replacing golf tournaments of previous years.
The total raised for the 2022-2023 academic year was $137,524.45, with more than 7,000 students estimated to have benefited.
“From Day One, when the idea came to us, we thought this would be great, but I don’t think we could foresee the profound impact it would have,” Grubb said. “It’s so heartwarming to be recognized at the grocery store, or around town, and be thanked for the difference our fund has made.
“Everyone at Village Properties is so amazingly proud that we have this nonprofit that we support, and it’s truly making a difference.”
Click here for more information about The Teacher’s Fund. Click here to make an online donation.
