In the Fall of 2022, the Foundation discontinued a membership cost with a focus on inclusivity for all West Campus families. Given this loss of approximately $5,000 every year, we hold various fundraisers and have a simple yet effective strategy and follow-through for bringing in those dollars. Additionally, with the loss of Title I funding, we are working closely with the West Campus administration to identify where we can help fund activities, supplies, and more.

The Foundation’s Frequently Asked Questions aim to address the questions that have come in from West Campus families over the years. For further inquiries, questions, or concerns, please contact the Foundation Vice President, John Avila, at vp@wc-fe.org.

What are the Foundation’s fundraising goals?

The Foundation’s fundraising goals are to:

• Provide Value: Provide and reinforce the value that the Foundation provides.
• Strategize and Organize: Lead and organize all events – fundraising or otherwise – taking into account the board fundraising goals and within the umbrella of fundraising. Have a more integrated fundraising plan and roll-out. Collaborate with and connect to other entities (clubs) who are also fundraising (e.g., have a shared fundraising calendar).
• Communicate and Engage Effectively: Identify, understand, and support all of the WC community stakeholders. Engage and get and act on feedback. Get more feedback (especially student feedback!) and parent input. Be more transparent with what we spend and how much we raise/spend/need.
• Advocate for and Increase Funding and Non-Financial Resources, as Appropriate: Increase funding that makes most strategic sense and collaborates across WCHS Administration, School Site Council, and WCFE. Diversify fundraising strategies and implementation. Continue advocating for the needs of the community with the school and district, to help supplement but not replace the funding that has been sourced otherwise. Actively increase non-funding resources (e.g., volunteer hours) to meet the school’s needs.

For the 2025-26 academic year, our goal is to raise $50,000 – this includes amounts to be raised through the Gala and fall fundraisers. This year’s budget is here.

Together, we can achieve our fundraising goal and support the growth and enrichment of our students’ learning experiences.

How are donations spent?

The 2024-25  overview here provides some insight into how the Foundation spends contributions that come through direct donations, fundraisers, and grants. Specifically, examples of how some of the money that was spent in 2024-25 year include: classroom supplies (teacher requests), journalism software for student-run newspaper, The Chronicle, teacher appreciation events and coffee and snacks in the staff lounge, contributions to each class/year, and school events like the Pancake Breakfast.

Specific 2024-25 teacher/classroom reimbursements were for printer ink, classroom art project, foam sheets for the students to construct their (AP Calculus) 3D model for a volume with a known cross section project, printer for the classroom, external hard drive for contents so that a retiring teacher could transfer files over and retain for current and future WC teachers, refillable dry erase pens, algebra tiles, compasses, scissors, presentation clicker, washable markers, book stand, paper clips, and counselor tools for students experiencing anxiety.

For 2025-26, we aim to use the money like in previous years, but also add on some other expenses like the student planners and more. West Campus lost Title I funding for 2025-26, so the Foundation is working closely with administration to cover funds where needed. Here is a link on the budget spend for 2024-25.

What about the funds raised last year through the Gala and other fundraisers? Shouldn’t that cover the 2025-26 school activities?

The funds raised through the 2024-25 Gala and other fundraisers have helped us greatly. And they are being used partially for last year’s and partially for this academic year’s expenses. However, as the teachers, staff, clubs, etc. have ongoing needs every year, the Foundation aims to continuously raise funds for both expected and unexpected expenses. We also aim to carry over a certain dollar amount every year; in this year’s budget, for example, we estimated that the minimum dollar amount to be carried over is $36,000 but the ideal budget amount at the start of every year would be $46,000.

I want to volunteer and contribute. How do I do that?

There are multiple ways to contribute to the West Campus community.

To volunteer, you can visit our page on volunteering here and contact Sophia Munoz, our Membership Director, at membership@wc-fe.org.

To donate, you can visit our page here and donate directly. The Foundation is a 501(c)3, so please reach out to John to make sure you get a donation receipt.

Looking for budget-friendly options? Consider monthly recurring donations. With a school year of 10 months (from September to June), contributing just $20 per month adds up to $200 for the 2025-26 annual fund! We deeply appreciate any amount you can contribute.

I would like my organization/employer/small business to contribute. How do I do that?

If you work for the State, you can also donate through United Way/Our Promise.

We offer sponsorship levels for those local businesses and individuals who want to sponsor.

For more information about the sponsorship levels or if you work with an organization that runs a donation matching program, please reach out to John.

What fundraising events do you have planned?

This Fall, we will repeat the Back to School Fundraiser, and the pie and olive oil fundraisers from 2024. We have received a lot of positive feedback since starting these fundraisers, so we’re hoping to increase our sales this year! There may also be a personalized ornament fundraiser.

Additionally, our big event of the year – the Gala – will be February 21, 2026. Please save the date!

For inquiries about the Gala, please reach out to John.