Upcoming SEF Roundtable – Grant Writing 101: Tips, Tricks & Resources

SEF Roundtable Grant Writing 101

Come join us for an interactive session to learn about grant writing! Whether you’re brand new to grants or have written some before for your PTA or other organization, this roundtable is a chance to learn, share ideas, and build your confidence.

We’ll cover the basics of grant writing, ways to strengthen your grant applications, and how to tell a story in a way that connects with funders.

We’ll talk about:

  • Grant writing basics
  • Helpful tips & tricks for stronger applications
  • How to develop and tell your grant story
  • Grant tools, funding resources, and where to look for opportunities
  • Open discussion, questions, and shared experiences

Presenters:

Susan Salop and Lauren Ledbetter, Sunnyvale Education Foundation Board members

Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026

Time: 5:30-7:00pm

Location: Sunnyvale School District Office 819 W. Iowa Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Light refreshments and drinks provided

RSVP/Contact: RSVP requested but not required at info@sunnyvaleeducationfoundation.org

Hot Off the Presses – The 2024-2025 SEF Annual Report

As 2025 comes to a close, the Sunnyvale Education Foundation (SEF) would like to share our Annual Report and express our gratitude for your continued support. Amid ongoing federal, state, and local challenges impacting our Sunnyvale School District community, SEF has remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting programs that make a meaningful difference in students’ lives.

This year, SEF focused on meeting the most pressing needs across all ten Sunnyvale schools, empowering more than 5,550 Sunnyvale School District students through meaningful educational opportunities and support for basic needs. As we look ahead, we invite you to contribute to our “wish list”  and help us continue this vital work:

 

SEF Wish #1: Give Students Transformative Educational Opportunities

Your support helps fund experiences that spark curiosity, creativity, and confidence – opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. Through hands-on learning, arts and music programs, STEM enrichment, and meaningful experiences beyond the classroom like field trips and school garden programs, SEF empowers students to discover their talents, explore new possibilities, and imagine brighter futures.

Donate HERE to provide transformative learning experiences for Sunnyvale students.

 

SEF Wish #2: Feed Students

This year, SEF launched the Feed SSD campaign to address food insecurity by providing grocery store gift cards to families before school breaks — times when students are especially vulnerable. Thanks to generous donors, we have already supported hundreds of students and their families, with another distribution planned ahead of the upcoming end-of-year break. More than nourishment, these gifts deliver dignity, relief, and reassurance to families facing uncertain times.

Donate HERE to help feed Sunnyvale students and families in need.

 

SEF Wish #3: Make Your Gift Go Farther with Corporate Matching

Did you know that many employers offer corporate matching gift programs that can double (or even triple!) the impact of your donation at no additional cost to you? Together, your gift and your employer’s match can reach more classrooms, support more students, and create an even brighter future for Sunnyvale students.

Your belief in our students means so much. Thank you for being such an important part of this work.

Wishing you and your family a joyful holiday season and a hopeful New Year.

URGENT! Your Help is Needed – Sunnyvale Feeds SSD

Families in our school community are facing an urgent food shortage, and we need your support right now. Every dollar helps put meals on the table for those struggling to make ends meet. Sunnyvale Education Foundation is working together with the Sunnyvale School District to distribute grocery gift cards to students facing food insecurity, especially during the upcoming school breaks.
The need for your support of Sunnyvale School District students is immense and growing:
  • 23.3% of our students rely on Free and Reduced Lunch, though more families qualify but remain unidentified.
  • Almost half of the 5,618 enrolled students in our district are categorized as socioeconomically disadvantaged.
Donating today directly helps our students in our community. All funds raised in this limited-time campaign will go towards grocery gift cards, distributed by SSD, in support of enrolled students with the most significant needs. With your help, we can approach this unprecedented food emergency with compassion, generosity, and urgency.
To donate to this campaign by check, make check payable to Sunnyvale Education Foundation with “Feed SSD” in the memo line and drop off or mail to: Sunnyvale Education Foundation, 819 W. Iowa Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086.

If you are a corporation or another organization that would like to contribute or partner with us, please reach out to  info@sunnyvaleeducationfoundation.org  and a member of our team will get back to you.

Join Us at Our October Roundtable and Go Beyond the Classroom

🌱 Join us for Sunnyvale Education Foundation’s October Roundtable: Beyond the Classroom: The magic of gardens, field trips, and touching grass.

Our October Roundtable will feature speakers who will share why field trips matter for our students, present two models for bringing garden learning to your school site, and share a resource to quickly identify quality field trips and assemblies.

Speakers will include:
🌱 Giselle Serafin, Science Department Chair, Columbia Middle School
🌱 Eileen Bloom, Bishop Garden Lead, Living Classroom
🌱 Cortney Jansen, Sunnyvale Education Foundation

Attendees will also have time to discuss in small groups ideas for taking learning outside the classroom walls and expanding access to experiential learning in our school district. You will also have an opportunity to dialogue with staff from the Sunnyvale School District. Sunnyvale Education Foundation’s “Roundtables” bring voices from across the district together to discuss critical issues in education and learn from one another and we hope you will join us.

Light refreshments provided.

Come to SEF’s 2025 Showcase – “Walking on Sunshine”

We cordially invite you to Sunnyvale Education Foundation’s 2025 Showcase, Tuesday May 6, at 5:30PM in the Sunnyvale Community Center Ballroom! This year we’ll be “Walking on Sunshine” as we celebrate Sunnyvale students and SEF’s programs that support them.

Get Tickets to Walking on Sunshine

This year’s SEF Showcase will feature performances, artwork, projects, student and teacher testimonials and more from students in Sunnyvale schools that SEF’s programs have engaged, inspired, encouraged, and empowered. Our students are proud of what they have accomplished and we’d love to share their joy and achievements with you.

We’re always thankful for the support we receive from families like you to fund great programs for Sunnyvale students like performing arts, STEM, science camp at Walden West, and more. If you would like to make an additional contribution, you can do so on when you purchase your tickets or on the donate page on our website.

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, May 6!