Nonprofit that funds school events, activities is seeking board members
The Burlington Township Foundation’s future could be up in the air if volunteers don’t soon step up to serve on its board of directors.
All of the foundation’s board members are stepping down after the current school year, and the organization is struggling to recruit new members.
The foundation cannot exist without a board, said current board member Greg Komiskey, who serves as the foundation’s gaming treasurer.
“It’s important for us to plan a path for the future,” Komiskey said.
The nonprofit foundation was established about 12 years ago. It funds school activities and supports extracurricular programs for students in the township.
Komiskey said the foundation donates between $40,000 and $50,000 to the district every year. An additional $20,000 to $30,000 is raised for Project Graduation, an annual party for high school graduates that is explicitly drug- and alcohol-free.
Members of the foundation also raise money for events like end-of-the-school-year “fun days,” Komiskey said.
The organization is also comprised of family associations for each school, in addition to subgroups that provide supplies and support for specific programs and sports teams within the school district.
“The Burlington Township Foundation’s success is vital to our school community,” Superintendent Mary Ann Bell said. “The donations raised provide for field trips, fun days and books and supplies every year.”
“The foundation is the essence of what makes Burlington Township a big town with a small town feel,” she added.
Komiskey said he is planning to retire from the five-person board because his job requires frequent travel. He said he still plans to help, but just not as a member of the five-person board.
“Now we’re at a point where some of the people at the foundation (on the) board level have been there awhile,” Komiskey said.
Traditionally, all of the board members have been parents of students attending the township’s public schools, but Komiskey said serving on the board could be a good volunteer opportunity for retirees or businesspeople.
“This is a community organization,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be parents of students.”
Raising awareness of the group outside of the school community has become a priority for the foundation.
“That’s been our biggest challenge — getting the word out outside of the school district community,” Komiskey said. “Just getting the word out is huge for us.”
Komiskey said the foundation has been trying to reach out to more people through social media and by contacting local businesses and the news media.
All of the family associations and subgroups, which include Band Parents, Football Parents and Theater Parents, also have a board of directors.
However, Komiskey said those groups would not be able to operate in the same way without the foundation. He said the foundation has a state gaming license, which allows it to hold bingos, raffles and other fundraisers.
The foundation’s five board positions are president, vice president, secretary, financial treasurer and gaming treasurer. All positions are unpaid.
For more information, visit the foundation’s website at www.sites.google.com/site/burltwpfoundation/home. Those interested in serving on the board should contact board President Jody Kruse at gkomiskey@burltwpfoundation.org.
