2024 Annual Report
July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024
Dear GFPE friends, partners, and supporters,
It is a great honor to work with you to support educational excellence for students in Georgia. Your support is profoundly impacting students in Georgia’s K-12 public school system by providing funding outside of the constraints of federal, state or local funding to Georgia schools and school districts.
We’ve awarded more than $21 million in grants to Georgia schools and districts since 2017 and continue to maintain our commitment year after year to support Georgia’s students. This year we launched a school fundraising program to engage school districts in fundraising for the PEACH Education Tax Credit to fund innovative projects in their districts. Through their efforts and other contributions through the tax credit, GFPE awarded more than $1.5 million in grants thanks to PEACH Education Tax Credit contributions.
We partnered with the College Football Playoff Foundation to create the Georgia Teachers Initiative (GTI), a program that deepens the work of empowering teachers and inspiring our community to support the education workforce. Those interested in supporting GTI can contribute through the PEACH Education Tax Credit.
We are thankful to Georgia lawmakers for protecting and expanding this tax credit program that spurs innovation in Georgia schools and prepares our K-12 students for an optimal life. As you read about some of the stories of how we support Georgia’s public schools, you’ll see that together, we’re creating a better future for the 1.8 million students in Georgia’s public schools.
With gratitude,
Kenneth Mason, Board Chair
Paige Buzbee, GFPE Executive Director
GFPE Board | |||
KENNETH MASON | JODIE SNOW | DAVIS KNOX | |
Ann W. Cramer | Matt Donaldson | Drew Echols | |
Walt Helms | Al Hodge | Robert “Buzz” Law | |
Shaunae Motley | David Nuckolis | Alicia Reno, Ex Officio | |
Paula Weeks | |||
| Our Impact For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, GFPE invested nearly $5 million in the following projects: | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Expenses | ||
| Administrative Expenses | $ | 644,961.21 |
| Grants* | $ | 4,969,010.07 |
| TOTAL | $ | 5,613,971.28 |
CELEBRATING, FUNDING, AND EMPOWERING THROUGH GEORGIA TEACHERS INITIATIVE
Through the Georgia Teachers Initiative, GFPE is awarding Teacher Grants for Innovation between $500 and $2,500 to Georgia public school teachers with an innovative project designed to improve learning outcomes and make a measurable impact on students' lives. Read about all the grants awarded across the state that are bringing creative classroom ideas to life by visiting www.georgiateachersinitiative.org/grants.
SUPPORTING EDUCATION WITH LICENSE PLATES
Did you know a portion of the funds generated through sales and renewals of “Honor Educators” license plates benefit GFPE? When you purchase this specialty plate, you are showing your support of public education in Georgia and helping GFPE fund public education initiatives such as the Teacher of the Year program, rural education, and grants to Georgia’s state schools for blind, deaf, and hard-of-hearing students.
Advancing Public Education with PEACH Education Tax Credit Dollars
Donations to the PEACH Education Tax Credit provide funding for GFPE’s Innovative Education Fund, which awards grants to public schools, school districts, and nonprofit organizations partnered with these entities to implement or expand innovative programs improving outcomes for Georgia students. This year 15 projects across the state received a total of $287,723 to implement or expand innovative programs improving outcomes for Georgia students. Read about some of the funded projects below and see the full list of projects here.
Thank you to our 2023-2024 PEACH Education Donors | ||
Adams Holding Company | White Star Supply Co (BRAD SHANKS) | Turner & Assoc CP PC |
FUNDING INNOVATION TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HALL COUNTY AND GAINESVILLE CITY SCHOOLS
To combat the state-wide teacher shortage, University of North Georgia, in partnership with Hall County School District and Gainesville City School System, created the Teacher Candidate Residency Program, which allows UNG seniors enrolled in a teacher preparation program to be hired by one of the school districts as full-time teachers. The teacher candidates gain income and work experience, and the school systems have the opportunity to bring in new teachers who are passionate about what they are doing. The program successfully placed 46 teacher residents in classrooms that would be otherwise filled by long-term substitutes, and the students in these classrooms showed similar assessment outcomes to students in classrooms with veteran teachers. This program shows promise that teacher residents may be an effective long-term solution to the teacher shortage.
OTWELL MIDDLE SCHOOL, FORSYTH COUNTY
Otwell Middle School used its Innovative Education Fund grant to transform its media center into an Innovation Lab to serve as a learning hub for the school community that encourages teachers and students to connect, collaborate, create, and contribute. The school established “Sic ‘em Studios”, a student-led recording studio inside the Innovation Lab where students have created podcasts and video productions focused on students, faculty and staff, and school events. So far “Sic ‘em Studios” has provided 55 classes and more than 600 students with project-based, authentic learning experiences.
SCHOOL FUNDRAISING FOR PEACH
Schools can now actively raise funds through the PEACH Education Tax Credit and use those dollars to support their innovative projects. Through our new school fundraising plan partners program, schools can actively raise funds for innovative projects that directly benefit their students and community. In Dougherty County, 4C Academy has already seen success in becoming a school fundraising plan partner. The school has raised $290,000 for innovative projects and is on its third fundraising campaign, with a goal of $441,000 for a new set of projects. With 29 school fundraising plan partners, 4C Academy is just one example of the impact this program can have on schools across the state. Watch Chris Hatcher share more about being a School Fundraising Plan Partner.
"We love the PEACH Education Tax Credit. It's very simple and incredibly impactful and allows us to connect with local business partners who are interested in keeping their Georgia tax dollars working locally to prepare our students for careers in Albany."
-Chris Hatcher, CEO 4C Academy
Thank you to our Donors $100,000 & Up | ||
| $10,000 - $99,999 |
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| Signal Machine | Athens Research & Technology Inc | John McDuffie |
| $5,000 - $9,999 |
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| C and K Paving Contactors Inc. | Bishop Clean Care, Inc. | Kelly R Speir PC |
| $1,000 - $4,999 |
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| Bonnie Kelly | Mark Scott | Richard Buss |
| $50 - $999 |
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| Ronald Fallon | Lisa Collins | Michael Carr |