DONATE

Elkhart Community Schools is grateful to be part of a generous community that is supportive of the district in many ways. We're often asked by people and businesses how they can support our students, teachers, and programs through donations. Sometimes community members have an item that may be useful to our students' learning process, and sometimes community members use their own social circles to coordinate group donations of items. Wherever your heart lies, there are many ways to support Elkhart Community Schools' students, staff, and programs!

If you are seeking a way to give back, the following are some of the more common ways that people help ECS students, teachers, and programs through donations.

What is the Elkhart Education Foundation?
Elkhart Education Foundation is the nonprofit arm of Elkhart Community Schools. EEF works to provide exceptional learning experiences for ECS students by providing educational enrichment, school supplies, and raising private dollars to support the work that is happening in ECS.

Can I donate to a specific school?
Yes! Elkhart Education Foundation has established a charitable giving option called Elkhart FUNDamentals that allows individual or corporate donors to select a specific school. For additional information, visit: https://www.elkhartedfoundation.org/elkhart-fundamentals/

What else does Elkhart Education Foundation do for Elkhart Community Schools?
EEF supports ECS in many ways! Here are a few:

Educational Enrichment Programs, like Summerscape
Elkhart FUNDamentals, a building-specific grant program
Schoolhouse Supply Store, the only local school supply store open to ALL ECS staff to help support student learning

How can I get involved in the Elkhart Education Foundation?

Visit the Elkhart Education Foundation website to see the MANY ways you can get involved in supporting Elkhart students!
Visit their Get Involved page to learn more!
Follow Elkhart Education Foundation on social media! Like, comment, and share EEF posts to help build awareness!

Additional Ways to Donate

Athletics

One way that our students can be supported is through the support of athletic programs. Typically, individuals and businesses will support a specific sport, initiative, or athletic items through monetary donations. To make a donation to ECS Athletics:

Send a check made out to Elkhart Athletics, with the intended use written in the memo, to Elkhart High School, Attn. Athletic Department, 2608 California Road, Elkhart, IN 46514

If you have questions, please contact ECS Athletics at 574-262-5643 or email Brian Buckley at bbuckley@elkhart.k12.in.us

Donations to Athletic programs can also be made through the Elkhart Athletic (Booster) Club or the Elkhart Education Foundation.

Thank you for supporting ECS student-athletes!

Backpacks/School Supplies

Each year, ECS is very fortunate to receive a large number of backpacks with supplies, in addition to loose school supplies, at the beginning of the school year. There are two ways that backpacks/school supplies can be donated to ECS students.

Directly to ECS, distributed to students in need through building social workers
- Contact ECS Student Services at 574-262-5725 or email Natalie Bickel at nbickel@elkhart.k12.in.us
Directly to Elkhart Education Foundation, who houses a year-round school supply store open to all ECS staff
- Contact Elkhart Education Foundation at 574-295-4920 or make a monetary donation directly through the EEF website

Thank you for supporting ECS students!

Clothing

While most ECS school buildings do not have extra storage room for clothes closets, the need for clothing for our students always exists.

If you would like to donate clothing to an ECS school, we encourage you to reach out to a school social worker to see if they are in need:

School social workers (click for full list of social workers by building)

With the exception of undergarments, clothing can be used but we ask that it is clean, free of holes, and in fair/good condition. All types of clothing are welcome, including business attire for our high school students to use for internships and job interviews.

Thank you for supporting ECS students!

Coats/Cold Weather Gear

Indiana is home to harsh winters and with children outgrowing clothing, sometimes the need for coats and winter gear may be too much for families. If you would like to organize a coat drive/donation:

Contact ECS Student Services at 574-262-5725 or email Natalie Bickel at nbickel@elkhart.k12.in.us

Coats and winter gear are distributed to students through building social workers and nurses.

Thank you for supporting ECS students!

Corporate Donations

One of the best ways for local businesses and corporations to support education in Elkhart is through corporate donations. Sometimes these donations are intended for a specific use and sometimes general donations are given to be used where they are most needed. Corporate donations allow for a larger, greater impact to more students.

All monetary donations can be routed through the Elkhart Education Foundation, ECS' fundraising partner, and distributed as the donor wishes. Contact Elkhart Education Foundation at 574-295-4920 or make a monetary donation directly through the EEF website. If there is a specific intended use, please be sure to note it on the submission.

Thank you for supporting ECS students!

Elkhart Area Career Center

There is no better way to learn than through hands-on learning! The Elkhart Area Career Center is home to 30+ programs that encourage students to get hands-on with their learning. While much of the hands-on equipment at the EACC is modern and continuously updated thanks to support from local colleges and businesses, many local businesses opt to support EACC students through awards/incentives. This might include things like a professional set of knives for culinary students, professional tools for construction trade students, professional automotive tools for automotive students, a professional computer for a graphic design student, or a professional camera for a photography student - the opportunities to support and equip EACC students as they take the next step in their careers are nearly endless.

Another way that community members often give back to the EACC is through the donation of old vehicles. An old vehicle can provide automotive students with invaluable experience, whether it's fixing what's under the hood or buffing out and repainting the exterior.

If you would like to make a donation to the EACC:

Contact the Elkhart Area Career Center at 574-262-5558 or email Denice Ludlow at dludlow@elkhart.k12.in.us

Thank you for supporting ECS and EACC students!

Employee Appreciation

ECS is committed to creating an environment where all staff feel heard, appreciated, and valued. As a non-profit, taxpayer-funded organization whose job is to educate students, we are very limited on additional funds when it comes to providing employee incentives or gifts to our 1,800+ staffers. To help our staff feel valued by the community, we always welcome donations from organizations in an effort to lift up our employees in appreciation for the hard work they do every day. These donations support events like our District-wide Employee Appreciation Night, Employee/Teacher of the Year Banquet, employee lunches, door prizes at employee events, and gifts for employee recognition.

If you or your organization would like to support ECS staff:

Contact ECS Human Resources at 574-262-5804 or email Leslie Crothers-Wood at lcrotherswood@elkhart.k12.in.us

Donations to support ECS staff recognition can also be made through the Elkhart Education Foundation - please note the intended use on your submission.

Thank you for supporting ECS' hardworking staff!

Food Service

At Elkhart Community Schools, we know that good nutrition and learning go hand in hand! Sometimes, through no fault of their own, students end up with overdue lunch balances, which can create a hardship for families. Paying off overdue lunch balances is a great way to make a meaningful impact on the lives of students!

If you would like to help eliminate students' overdue lunch balances:

Contact ECS Food Services at 574-262-5551 or email Pam Melcher at pmelcher@elkhart.k12.in.us

Donations to eliminate overdue lunch balances can also be made through the Elkhart Education Foundation - please note the intended use on your submission.

Thank you for supporting ECS students!

Hygiene Items

ECS students begin learning about personal hygiene during the later years of elementary school, but the reality is that many ECS students do not have access to the basic items they need to establish good hygiene. As students age into middle school and high school, good hygiene practices becomes even more important.

There is a need in each of our buildings for hygiene items for students. These include:

Bedding - twin sheets, pillows, blankets
Body mist/spray (please no overly strong scents)
Deodorant
Hair brushes/combs
Hair products
Feminine hygiene products - pads, tampons, period undergarments
Lotion (please no overly strong scents)
Mouthwash
Shampoo/conditioner
Shaving products - cream, lotion, razors
Soap
Socks - all sizes
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Undergarments - all sizes
Undershirts - all sizes

All donated hygiene items should be in new and unused condition.

If you would like to donate hygiene products to ECS students:

Contact ECS Student Services at 574-262-5725 or email Natalie Bickel at nbickel@elkhart.k12.in.us

Donated hygiene items are distributed through school social workers and nurses.

Thank you for supporting ECS students with this important need!

Music/Performing Arts

Elkhart Community Schools is home to over 20 award-winning music programs and ensembles at the high school level, as well as bands, orchestras, and choirs at all three middle schools with formal programming beginning in sixth grade. ECS' strong music programs have a long legacy rooted in the Elkhart community, once known as the "Band Capital of the World." Still home to multiple band instrument manufacturers, Elkhart remains a key hub for music and musical instruments, as evident by the strong music programs at ECS.

The support of student-musicians often lends itself to donations in the form of musical instruments. When instruments are donated, we work closely with our instrument partners to clean and recondition the instruments, so they are ready for a student.

Monetary donations are also appreciated and can be used to support student-musicians with instrument repairs, uniforms, and band trips.

If you have an unwanted old instrument that is still in working condition (or you believe may be easily repaired), we would be honored to restore the instrument and help it find a new musician!

Contact ECS Music at 574-262-5444 or email Kyle Weirich at kweirich@elkhart.k12.in.us

Donations to support ECS Music programs can also be made through the Elkhart Education Foundation - please note the intended use on your submission.

Thank you for supporting ECS student-musicians!

Other Donations

From time to time, individuals and organizations reach out to the district with unique donations.

These might include nostalgia-based items like historical school documents, old yearbooks, and old clothing items. They may be things that are more practical like backpack lights for students who walk to school, medical books for our students in health and public safety, pieces of plywood for our student-artists, or salon hair supplies for our cosmetology students. Donations may even be things that are special treats for our students, like stuffed animals, books, or tickets to an event. We are so thankful for the many generous ways our community supports our students!

If you'd like to make a donation, or partner with ECS on a donation drive, please contact the ECS Communication Department via email to be put in touch with the right department/person to facilitate the donation - communication@elkhart.k12.in.us

Thank you for supporting ECS students, staff, and programs!