Cape schools foundation hires full-time director

After nine years of fund raising for schools, the Cape Girardeau Public Schools Foundation has shifted directions with new leadership and the possibility of a major capital campaign.

Foundation officials recently announced the employment of the nonprofit organization's first full-time director, former Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau sales director Angie Bender.

Bender, who serves on the foundation board and has been involved in fund-raising efforts in the past, officially took over the director's position Tuesday.

"The foundation has never had a full-time director, somebody to pursue a large fund-raising effort and make money for the Cape School District," Bender said.

According to foundation president Don Zimmer, Bender's starting salary is around $30,000.

Bender said she hopes to build membership in the foundation as well as encourage volunteer participation. The foundation is also poised to begin a new capital fund-raising campaign with the help of a consultant from Colorado.

Assessing needs"One of our main focuses now is to let all schools know we're there for them, even though foundation funds have gone to the high school historically," Bender said. "We're never going to be able to address every single need, but as the years go on it seems like there's more of a need with state cutbacks."

According to foundation spokeswoman Kandee Metje, the fund-raising consultant assessed the school district and community in February and has stated that he thinks the organization could make $100,000 within the next school year.

Metje said the foundation more than likely will hire him by the start of the year. The fee for the consultant's initial assessment was $1,500.

Bender said the foundation could use additional funds in a variety of ways, such as supplies for teachers, computers or scoreboards for athletic fields.

"The consultant thinks there is money out there for this school system. But the plans aren't definite yet about how we're going to pursue this," Bender said. "We're moving the foundation in the direction of raising substantial amounts of money instead of having several small fund-raisers a year."

Cape Girardeau's school foundation was established in 1995.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128