History of the NSFA
History of the National School Foundation Association
In 2001, Iowa Senator Charles Grassley was the driving force behind the establishment of the National Center for Public and Private School Foundations (NCPPSF) Web site. With financial assistance from a U.S. Department of Education grant, Dr. David Else of the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa oversaw the development and design of the original site.
The National Center encouraged the development and expanded use of public and private K-12 school foundations by providing a national web-based information support system. Since its inception and subsequent partnership with the Iowa Association of School Boards in 2004, the NCPPSF has continued to expand the Web site.
School district employees or community members wishing to start, rejuvenate, or sustain a school foundation discovered a “Foundation Startup Guide”, reviewed school foundation research, learned fundraising strategies, discovered fund management techniques, identified foundations in states across the country, perused a library of literature, and viewed a video library highlighting speakers addressing school foundation issues.
In April of 2005, a merging the Association of Education Foundations and the National Center for Public and Private School Foundations formed the National School Foundation Association (NSFA), with the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) volunteering to oversee its growth and development. Directors of the NSFA developed a new online look, web URL: www.schoolfoundations.org, motto, management services and web enhancements. The mission remains dedicated to encouraging K-12 school and school foundation personnel in the very rewarding and important process of establishing, developing and maintaining school foundations.
In April of 2008, NSFA seated a transition board with the goal of becoming a self-sustaining organization.
