The goal of the Greene Education Foundation is to provide some of the additional resources needed to facilitate and supplement quality educational programs for all our students. The foundation will also support enrichment activities and scholarships that enhance the educational experiences of students from all levels of academic ability. In addition, the foundation will assist the county’s school personnel in remaining current in educational practices and research, through instructional resource grants and professional development grants.

By establishing the Greene Education Foundation, we hope to encourage community investment in our public schools. We envision this foundation as a partnership between the community, businesses, school personnel, and parents, to mutually support the best learning environment and opportunities possible for our county’s children, now and in the future. Through this foundation we will attempt to meet the challenges our county school district faces with its growing enrollment and limited funding.

Education foundations are "privately operated, nonprofit organizations established to assist public schools" and who qualify as charitable organizations, "different from school districts, public institutions or local governments" (Clay, Hughes, Seely & Thayer, 1985). A public school foundation "is designed to augment, supplement, or complement programs and activities currently being provided by the district" (McCormick, Baver & Ferguson, 2001).

Greene Education Foundation, Inc. received its 501 (c)(3) status on April 21, 2006 GEF has a board of directors who serve three‐year terms and are elected by board members. Officers are appointed by the board of directors and include president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

Greene County is one of the smallest counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We have a small business community, limited tax base, and very tight annual budget that supports a fast‐growing county with vying needs. As our population continues to expand, bringing more children into our school system, we anticipate that the needs of our school district will continue to increase. Without additional sources of funding, many of our children and their educators will be unable to take advantage of educational opportunities, enrichment programs, and professional and technological advancements.

About one‐third of the children of Greene come from economically disadvantaged homes. Thirty‐two percent qualify for free and reduced price lunches.

Our hope is that the Greene Education Foundation will provide some of the additional resources needed to facilitate and supplement quality educational programs for all students. The foundation will also support enrichment activities and scholarships that enhance the educational experiences of students from all levels of academic ability. In addition, the foundation will assist the county's school personnel in remaining current in educational practices and research, through instructional resource grants and professional development grants.

By establishing the Greene Education Foundation, we hope to encourage community investment in our schools. We envision this foundation as a partnership between the community, businesses, school personnel, and parents, to mutually support the best learning environment and opportunities possible for our county's children, now and in the future. Through this foundation we will attempt to meet the challenges our county school district faces with its growing enrollment and limited funding.

It is worth noting that the organization is not a school itself, but a nonprofit dedicated to education. The members of the organization are dedicated to equal education for all, and no member has been affiliated with any organization known to promote racial segregation or actions or policies of that kind.

GEF would like to build a foundation that in the coming years would continue to build a partnership with the business community and county residents for the common goal of enriching children's education and help them lead productive, responsible adult lives. As the county grows, GEF would like to have more businesses involved in supporting the foundation, with volunteers, funds, and in‐kind services or goods. GEF hopes that through the efforts of this foundation, teachers would feel supported and appreciated, and they would experience working in a mutually supportive environment that values education.