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Mary Puskas, executive director of the LOSD Foundation, Kevin Robertson, a foundation board member, and John Stirek, foundation president, are trying to raise the visibility for the Stafford Society Endowment Fund. Stirek and his wife Kate provided a $250,000 matching gift — one of two given — to the endowment hoping to encourage others.
Staff photo / Vern Uyetake / Lake Oswego Review |
John Stirek, a 1978 graduate of Lakeridge High School, considers himself lucky to have had the education that he received in Lake Oswego and wants future generations to have the same opportunity. Stirek and his wife Kate Stirek hope to ensure this goal by giving a $250,000 matching donation to the Lake Oswego School District Stafford Society Endowment Fund. Another donor, who chose to remain anonymous, donated a second matching gift of $250,000.
“I’m passionate for public education and the opportunity that a great academic experience can provide you,” said Stirek.
For Stirek, strong teaching and coaching made the difference. His favorite teacher was English teacher Letty Owings, who challenged Stirek, though he referred to himself as “not naturally a good writer.”
“You hated her at the time, but then you thanked her later,” he said.
He was also strongly influenced by his football coach Tom Smythe, who he said emphasized a good work ethic. From him, he learned that “effort can overcome a differential in talent.”
Stirek is now president of western operations for Trammell Crow Company, a real estate development and investment company. He married Kate in 1989, and they moved back to Stirek’s hometown in 1991.
They have two children – Samantha, a recent Lakeridge graduate, and Alexa, who is a sophomore at Lakeridge.
Stirek just assumed responsibilities for top post of the LOSD Foundation as president for the next year.
“This is (also) an opportunity for me to make a statement while I’m president,” he said.
Stirek hopes to leverage more donations through his gift.
The total matching gifts of $500,000 line up with a second mission of the foundation, now in its 25th year, to turn up the volume on a message to donate to the endowment fund. The fund has existed quietly for more than 12 years, but the foundation board says that now is the time to prioritize long-term funding of the district.
Foundation board member Kevin Robertson took leadership of the program in 2008.
“This is really a situation that is absolutely necessary because of school funding,” he said. “We’re at the point now where we want to work on a more permanent solution that will sit alongside the campaign.”
The goal is to raise a total of $1 million in donations to the fund in the next year.
“I think every school district should be doing exactly the same thing to build an endowment so they can come up with a permanent solution to the unevenness of the state school funding,” he added. “This isn’t only something we can do. Anyone can do this.”
Like the annual campaign, the endowment fund’s goal will be to fund teachers.
Similar to other endowment funds, people may give cash gifts to the Stafford Society, but most will give in the form of an estate gift, such as naming the endowment fund as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or an IRA. A donor could also give appreciated stocks or property.
“We provide all kinds of information for donors (on the website) to help them throughout that process or they can use their own professionals,” said Robertson.
Gifts to the endowment fund will be held and managed by the Oregon Community Foundation.
In an endowment fund, the earnings are distributed each year but the principal stays put making the future more secure. The LOSD Foundation hopes to give its first endowment gift to the district this year.
Without the new matching challenge, the endowment fund currently holds $120,000 in principal and another $120,000 in future gifts. But in addition to the goal of raising $1 million this year, Robertson said that his long-term goal is to raise $100 million.
“What school foundations are realizing is that they’re here to stay and that to be a complete foundation they need an endowment component,” said Mary Puskas, executive director of the LOSD Foundation.
Still at its inception, the Stafford Society has formed two different levels of membership. Founding members have made a gift of cash or securities in the amount of $20,000 over a three-year period. The first founding members are: The Rotary Club of Lake Oswego, David and Debbie Craig and Liz and Dennis Hartman.
Charter members will have donated future gifts of $40,000 or more in the form of estate giving. The first charter members are: David and Alexandra Cook, Anne Woodbury and Jeff and Jan Thede.
“(These) donors do not have children in the district right now,” said Puskas. “This is truly a gift to the future.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the Stafford Society Endowment Fund is encouraged to contact Puskas, at 503-534-2106.
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