FUNDRAISING

Larchmont Charter School - West Hollywood

Diversity . Achievement . Community .

A member of the Larchmont Schools family

FUNDRAISING AT LCW

Since opening its doors in 2008, Larchmont Charter School—West Hollywood (LCW) has grown to 285 K-5 students, who reflect the full racial, ethnic and socio-economic diversity of Los Angeles and our West Hollywood home. In that time, LCW has become one of the highest performing schools in all of Los Angeles (ranked 18th of 900 + schools) and at the forefront of a new wave of educational reform in the city.

We have created a school environment with a rich, constructivist curriculum. Our principal, Dr. Kristin L. Droege, has recruited high-quality, creative teachers who receive salaries competitive with those of LAUSD. We offer classes that have been cut from many LAUSD campuses -- such as music, art and physical education – and also offer additional classes – such as cooking, gardening and yoga. We have kept our student-teacher ratio low and will continue to do so. We are one of just five schools in the country affiliated with Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard program.

So how have we made these extraordinary things happen?

One major way is through our amazing LCW community and its supporters, who have -- year after year -- donated funds, resources, and time to make up the funding gap that our charter school faces every year.

Where does charter school funding come from?

LCW is a public charter school that offers free education. Like all other LAUSD public schools, charter schools receive state and federal funding. But the state neither provides nor funds a physical site for the school. In fact, charter schools receive only 70 percent of their total budget from the government. That means that the additional 30 percent of LCW’s funding must be raised through donations, fundraisers, and grants each year.

This year, LCW faces a funding gap of about $1,850 per child.

You can help LCW continue to succeed in its mission to build a diverse community with high-achieving students. Here’s how:

--PLEDGE DRIVE: This is the fourth year of our annual pledge drive – and EVERY YEAR we have had 100 percent participation from currently enrolled families. This means that every LCW family gave something. With your help, we know we can be successful again this year!

--FUNDRAISING EVENTS: Our creative parent and business fundraisers are constantly bringing in new funds for the school. Please join us at one of the many events that happen during the school year or think up a new idea and let our principal know. Below, you can read about some of the exciting events we have organized in the past few years. And check our website regularly to find out what is happening each month.

With your gift, our school can continue to provide a constructivist curriculum, inspiring enrichment programs, and a diverse, creative environment that can change the face of public education.

Last November, founding parent Marcelo Ziperovich came up with an idea that raised about $2,500 for LCW and also helped families get prepared for any potential emergency. Ziperovich and his committee assembled emergency preparedness kits, which they sold to our community and distributed to families after a tour of the Los Angeles Fire Museum. Students and parents alike spent hours looking at antique fire engines and equipment, and eventually got to climb into a modern fire engine that had just come back from a fire.

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Maria Alvarado, parent of a third grader as well as the new Middle School office manager, came up with an idea that was as easy as going shopping for groceries. Alvarado got Fresh and Easy to donate $1 to LCW for every $20 spent at their store. Then, in late November, LCW families were invited to F&E to collect other people’s receipts and earn even more for our school. Receipts were eligible until the end of the year.

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Parents of a third grader, Rick Zieff and Alison Stuart, organized a night out at Souplantation, where LCW received 20 percent of full-price meals and drinks bought by anyone presenting our school flyer. More than 50 hungry LCW family members took part!

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In early December, eighteen parent and staff chefs whipped up savory goodies, which were sold at the Holiday Boutique and Bake Sale. To go along with the baked treats, the LCW auditorium was transformed into a one-stop shopping destination, where shoppers could also stock up on holiday gifts. Students donated their time too, with a very popular lemonade stand, a fantastic face-painting station, and a fun raffle, which netted almost $200. Overall, the event made about $5,000.

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In mid-December, LCW partnered up with Veggie Grill on Sunset and sponsored an evening where 50 percent of food and beverage purchases were donated to the school.

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In March 2011, many dedicated LCW student-athletes breezed past the swing-sets and slides at West Hollywood Park, rounding laps for the 2nd Annual LCW Walkathon. Participants from every grade worked hard to fulfill the commitments they made to their sponsors. Some students ran even more laps than they had originally committed to. With good reason: Every class that completed at least 220 laps got an ice cream day! The kids had fun walking, and they raised a whopping $18,763.70!

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A huge percentage of the LCW community also banded together to execute two successful garage sales on two consecutive weekends in April. They got the word out to the population of Culver City and West Hollywood and raised $2,500.

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This past spring, LCW hosted a Speakers Series, which involved inviting several experts to the school to give parents from our community talks on child development, parenting, and early education. The series began with an inspiring lecture by Ruth Beaglehole from the Echo Center (for non-violent parenting) and was followed by Pattie Fitzgerald, a well-known child safety expert who spoke on the subject from a parent’s point of view. The last speaker, Bob Bates, the founder and artistic director of Inner-City Arts, a nonprofit that provides arts education to children, talked on how arts education improves student retention and reduces the achievement gap.

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In May, LCW hosted its 3rd Annual Mompreneurs Evening at Artworks Studio on Larchmont Boulevard. This fundraiser features a panel of moms, many of whom are members of the LCW community, who took their passions and successfully launched their own businesses. The evening included boutique shopping, a raffle, and a silent auction – and it raised $1,300.

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LCW’s biggest fundraiser of the year, next to the Pledge Drive, is Music Night. Last spring, the event took place in early June at the Cabana Club in Hollywood. The night featured such musicians as Jason Falkner (Jellyfish), Lili Haydn, Tony Lucca, Steve McBean (Black Mountain), and Run Devil Run. The rocking evening, which included a silent auction filled with sought-after items, raised more than $28,000.

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