Board Members:

Adrienne Mason: Board Chairperson

School Officials:

Dr. Jamila Singleton: Executive Director - RSV

Angie Lundgren: Director of Operations - RSV

JGP

Katie Silberstein - JGP

Eddie Allen PNW - Fundraising

Rooted School Vancouver (RSV) enters the 2025–26 school year focused on deepening sustainability through targeted growth in fundraising, partnerships, and long-term planning. Building on the momentum of recent campaigns and operational changes, the Executive Director is aligning its entry plan with the priorities of the Fund Development, Partnerships, and Growth Committee and the school’s five-year strategic and financial forecasts.

6 Month Entry Plan 

Fundraising Campaigns & Donor Engagement
Key actions—such as engaging the finance and development committees in donor prospecting, establishing board-level fundraising goals, producing a monthly newsletter, and incorporating multi-year financial projections—build visibility, deepen donor pipelines, and reinforce funder confidence. These initiatives align with the committee’s objectives to expand non-grant revenue and strengthen the Board’s role in resource development.

Partnership Development & Relationship Stewardship
A structured partner management system, follow-up schedule, and “Partnership Impact” communications framework are being developed to formalize relationships and demonstrate mutual benefit. Networking events, IAC cultivation, and shared collaboration tools ensure stronger community engagement and connection between external partners, industry supporters, and the school’s mission.

Facilities, Expansion, and Long-Term Growth
Efforts to review the fund balance, map projected revenues, and engage key public funders align with the committee’s focus on strategic growth and sustainability. 

Training, Communication, and Capacity Building
Internal communication systems and governance development are being strengthened through clearer board calendars, consistent updates, and targeted trustee and staff training. These initiatives foster alignment, transparency, and shared ownership of fundraising, partnership, and long-term planning goals.

Purpose

Review September 30, 2025 financial performance, assess progress toward fundraising targets, and identify strategic actions to close the year-end donation gap and protect long-term sustainability.

Discussion Points

1. Financial Overview (as of September 30, 2025)

Financial Overview (as of September 30, 2025)

Revenue Performance
Public Revenue: Received 9% of the budgeted amount, below the pacing target. State apportionment revenue totaled $151,351 year-to-date against a $1.68 million budget. The shortfall reflects lower-than-projected student enrollment (66.5 FTE versus 75 target) and unreceived special-purpose funds.

Private Revenue: Totaled $28,500, or 18.6% of budget, driven by the final installment of the 2024–25 Growth Grant.

Donations: Local support revenue amounted to $587, significantly under the $48,272 budgeted amount, leaving a $47,685 gap.

State Revenue Shortfall: Approximately $146,000 less than anticipated, primarily due to the enrollment shortfall and lower SPED and categorical allocations (SPED participation: 18 actual versus 27 budgeted).

Expenditures
Total Expenses: Year-to-date expenditures were $161,726 (6.7% of annual budget), tracking slightly below the planned 8% pacing target.

Salaries & Benefits: Payroll expenses totaled $79,501 for September, with benefits and payroll taxes adding $28,821. Combined personnel costs represent roughly 66% of total spending to date.

School Operations: School and facility operations totaled $28,307 combined (operations: $18,051; facilities: $10,256), representing approximately 17% of year-to-date expenditures. These reflect continued contracted services in areas such as fundraising, cleaning, and utilities.

Cash Position
Days Cash on Hand: 124 days, exceeding the 60-day benchmark and indicating strong liquidity.

Total Current Assets: $994,469, including $852,227 in bank accounts and $81,228 in receivables.

Net Revenue Year-to-Date: A positive $63,446, an improvement from the prior month’s position.

Key Budget Challenges
Enrollment Shortfall: Actual enrollment of 66.5 students versus 75 budgeted results in an 11% enrollment gap that continues to depress revenue and SPED allocations.

Revenue Losses: Estimated at $146,000, including general apportionment, SPED, and categorical program impacts.

Private Fundraising Lag: Local and donor revenue remains below 2% of goal, underscoring the need for renewed fundraising efforts.

Contingency Funds: Fully allocated to offset state funding losses; no reserves remain for unplanned costs or midyear revenue delays.

Payroll & Accounts Payable Highlights (September)
Payroll: Direct deposit payments totaled $62,234.49, with total payroll expenditures (gross) of $79,501.45.

Accounts Payable: Approved payments totaled $169,777.70, including:

• ESD 112: $57,273
• HCA-SEBB Benefits: $10,326
• Raza Development Fund: $8,424
• Edmentum: $11,750
• Pacific NW Fundraising: $4,750 (two invoices)

Non-AP Disbursements: $4,838.96, primarily for credit card payments and software subscriptions (Cardmember Services, Gusto, Magic School).

Purpose
To summarize recent fundraising results, donor engagement progress, and upcoming End-of-Year Giving strategy.

Give More 24! Results
RSV added 40 new donors and raised $5,126 from 54 gifts during the 2025 Give More 24! campaign. All donors were added to the Zeffy database for follow-up.
Paid ads between Sept 20–25 generated 10K+ views, 7.9K reach, and 172 link clicks at $0.29 per click, driving record visibility (31.8K reach).

Social & Email Engagement
Digital engagement continues trending upward. Consistent messaging across platforms remains key to conversion.
PNWF is finalizing November engagement content to align with Giving Tuesday and End-of-Year Giving.

End-of-Year Giving Strategy

• Giving Tuesday (Nov 25): Pre-campaign begins early November.
• 30 Days of Giving (Dec 1–30): Emphasis on recurring monthly donations and a potential challenge match.
• Appeal Letter/Email: Combined print and digital outreach to current and prospective donors.

Messaging will focus on equity, opportunity, stability, and investment.

• Case Statement for Investment

Humans of RSV Campaign
A storytelling series inspired by Humans of New York will feature composite student, parent, and alumni profiles following a “Hero’s Journey” arc—culminating in a donor invitation.
The campaign runs mid-October–Dec 31, linking directly to Giving Tuesday and 30 Days of Giving.
Tagline: “Every student has a story worth telling—and every donor has the power to change how that story ends.”

Major Gifts & Donor Cultivation
PNWF will update the donor capacity matrix, conduct lookalike prospecting, and prepare a Case for Investment and Advocacy Partnership packet.
Jamila will begin weekly donor lunches to strengthen community relationships.

With potential new staffing proposals discussed in the upcoming Board executive session, the updated five-year projection shows that FY2025-26 remains in a positive position, but subsequent years reflect operating deficits and tightening liquidity. The primary drivers are increased personnel and contracted service costs that outpace moderate revenue growth.

To maintain fiscal balance, Rooted School Vancouver (RSV) will rely on sustained private and donor foundation contributions of approximately $150K–$200K annually and continued enrollment growth toward full capacity. Achieving these goals will be essential for returning to a balanced budget and restoring financial covenant compliance by FY2029-30.

Path to Long-Term Sustainability

RSV’s long-term financial health depends on three coordinated levers:

• Enrollment Stability – Reaching or exceeding 130 students by FY2027–28 to stabilize apportionment and special-purpose funding.
• Foundation and Donor Partnerships – Securing at least $150K per year in private support to offset structural funding gaps.
• Disciplined Cost Management – Containing growth in contracted services and administrative expenses through strategic planning and resource alignment.

1. Fundraising campaigns, 
2. donor engagement, and 
3. partnership development; 
4. Expansion strategy, 
5. facilities planning, and
6. long-term enrollment growth initiatives

• Goal #1: Launch and complete two major fundraising campaigns (End-of-Year and Spring) with a combined target of $150,000 raised and 25% increase in recurring donors.
• Goal #2: Secure three new community or industry partnerships that enhance student opportunities and expand RSV’s visibility as a career-connected school.
• Goal: Establish a three-year expansion and facilities readiness plan to support enrollment growth from 65 (current) to 130 (fall 2027) students and maintain long-term sustainability.

Discussion: Review the 25-26 "committee charter".

• Board Representatives: 2–3 members to provide oversight and ensure alignment with governance and strategic goals.
• Staff Representatives: Include a teacher and operations team member for insights into daily school functions.
• Leadership Representatives: Executive Director or their designee to connect growth plans to executive priorities.
• Parent/Community Representation (optional): To provide community insights and build broader stakeholder support.

Discuss: Recruitment of Parent/Community representatives?
 

• Recap of action items and final remarks.
• Confirmation of the next meeting date