Fresno Unified’s celebration of the recent $20 million donation to its new foundation continued Thursday night at its State of Education Gala at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

The unsolicited donation came from billionaire philanthropist, author, and ex-wife of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott.

“She believes in the work we’re doing here,” Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson said Thursday. That was the message Nelson said he received from a member of Scott’s team. “We didn’t reach out to her. We don’t know her. We don’t have any close contacts with her, and we didn’t apply for the money.

“MacKenzie Scott found Fresno Unified.”

That money was transferred into the “coffers of a brand new foundation” last week, Nelson said, referring to the Foundation for Fresno Unified Schools. It’s intended to serve as a scholarship fund for college-bound FUSD graduates.

Although specific plans for the money have yet to be finalized, Nelson entertained some hypotheticals during Thursday’s Education Gala.

“We’ve never given away more than $165,000 in scholarships. The interest alone — even in a failing economy at 4% interest — $20 million earns $800,000 a year,” he said. “So, quite honestly, you could go six times the (previous) level of scholarships, and we could do that until every single one of us is dead.”

Wendy McCulley, who oversees the foundation as the district’s chief of Engagement and External Partnerships, said Thursday night that there are over 600 education foundations in California, representing roughly 60% of K-12 districts. The district consulted with some of these districts, including one in San Francisco, on the road to building the new foundation.

Since the $20 million was a recent, unexpected development, McCulley told The Bee’s Education Lab that they’re still working on a plan for how that money will be used exactly — for example, whether the district gives out scholarships to entire graduating classes, or to more select students but for all four years of college.

The district also wants to examine ways to support students typically underrepresented in higher education, such as students in special education classes and foster and homeless youth. Regardless, she said, there are more possibilities now with that much seed money.

Thursday’s event only added to the foundation’s coffers. Nelson said the gala raised “five times more than any event” the district has ever put on to raise money for students. The event also received support from 49 sponsors, 32 of which were first-time sponsors, he added.

Among these 49 sponsors was Amazon, which donated $30,000 last month — the district’s “largest single donation ever” prior to Scott’s.

Net proceeds from ticket sales and sponsors for the sold-out gala go toward the scholarship fund, according to district spokesperson Nikki Henry.

The foundation signals a sea change in how the district thinks about investing in their students’ future, Nelson continued to emphasize Thursday.

Nelson said the reason Fresno Unified didn’t have a foundation before now has something to do with the city’s “negative self-image” and high poverty rate, both of which made a “tool of privilege” like a foundation seem out of reach.

The foundation, with its $20 million deposit, is part of the “transformational change” the district is after, he said.

Even the gala — complete with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and violin performances — was “re-imagined” from what used to be an annual fundraising luncheon to an “upscale evening event” at the zoo, district leaders said at Wednesday’s news conference.

Last year’s State of Education event was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic. The focus of Nelson’s remarks last year was largely the district’s struggle with chronic absenteeism. The superintendent shared plans for FUSD to increase attendance rates to more than 90%.

He didn’t revisit the topic this year, however.

Instead, Nelson highlighted notable achievements in the district so far this school year, such as a first-of-its-kind dual-enrollment partnership with a Historically Black College or University in South Carolina, as well as the nationwide trends of declining enrollment and teacher shortages that Fresno Unified appears to have bucked.

Education Lab Newsletter

Get stories that matter on education issues critical to the advancement of San Joaquin Valley residents, with a focus on Fresno. Sign up, and join the conversation.

SIGN UP

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab at its website.