Aurora Schools Foundation

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

Happy Labor Day, Aurora! Have a safe and fun holiday weekend. We can’t wait to see what the remainder of 2026 has in store for our schools!

09/03/2026

🍂 ASF Fall Grant Applications Are Open for Aurora City Schools Teachers and Staff!

Do you have a creative idea that could inspire students, enhance learning, or bring a new opportunity to your school?

Aurora Schools Foundation can help bring that idea to life! 💡

📅 Application deadline: October 1

📣 Notification date: November 15

👉 Start your application now: https://auroraschoolsfoundation.org/educational-enhancement-grant-application/

08/31/2026

There is still time to register! We hope to see you tomorrow, 8/31! Register here: https://portagefoundation.org/events/

Did you know that in Ohio, stepchildren have no automatic legal right to inherit from a stepparent? Unless they've been legally adopted or are specifically named in a formal estate plan, the law simply doesn't recognize that relationship.

Here's what that means in practice: if you die without a will, Ohio's default laws send everything to biological relatives, adopted children, and your spouse. Stepchildren who weren't adopted receive nothing — regardless of how close the relationship was or how long you raised them.

There's another wrinkle blended families often miss, too. Leaving everything to a surviving spouse by default sounds simple, but it doesn't actually guarantee your own biological children are protected. That spouse could later remarry, change beneficiaries, or otherwise leave them out down the road.
None of this is hard to fix. A properly drafted will can name stepchildren directly as beneficiaries. A revocable living trust gives you more control over how and when they receive assets. And updating the beneficiary forms on retirement accounts, IRAs, and life insurance policies can close a lot of these gaps on its own.

If any of this sounds relevant to your family, come learn more at "Will Power: Estate Planning for Real Life," hosted by the Portage Foundation.

Monday, August 31st, 7 PM
Kohanski Center, 119 West Pioneer Rd, Aurora
Free, registration required

We'll talk through what a will can and can't do, clear up some common misconceptions, and cover how your plan might need to change as your family does. Bring your questions.

Register here: https://portagefoundation.org/events/

08/27/2026

✨ ASF Grant Impact Spotlight✨

📚 Harmon Media Center Specialist, Mary L. Beckstrom, used her ASF Grant to bring the Language Arts Festival to Harmon Middle School!

The festival featured Julie Ditchburn Patton, author of Bigfoot is a Jerk and publisher of Bizzare Books, who shared her journey to becoming an author with Harmon students. Students then had the chance to explore their own ideas through a creative, hands-on writing workshop!

08/25/2026

Learn more and get involved! Check out the Citizens Committee for Quality Schools Campaign Kickoff tomorrow, 8/26!

08/20/2026

📚 Happy first week back to school, Aurora!

⭐️ASF is kicking off the new school year with a special Student Spotlight!

📸 Meet Alexandria Kercheff, the talented student photographer behind the new headshots of some of the ASF Trustees!

Thank you, Alexandria, for sharing your time, creativity, and photography skills with ASF. 💚

Rachel Reight Harrod
Elissa Katz
Sarah Gallo
Aimee Miller
Elizabeth Crawford Wolfgang
Jaya D

08/17/2026

💚 Happy National Nonprofit Day!

We are highlighting the upcoming Portage Foundation Community Speaker Series event, WILL POWER: Estate Planning for Real Life—a FREE community workshop that ASF partnered with Portage Foundation on.

We hope to see you on August 31st at 7 pm at the Kohanski Center!

And in the spirit of National Nonprofit Day, here are 3 Fun Facts About Supporting a Nonprofit:

💡 Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs): Individuals age 70½ and older can make tax-free gifts directly from a retirement account to a qualified charity. These distributions are generally excluded from federal and Ohio taxable income, can count toward Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), and may help reduce taxable income and avoid higher tax brackets. QCDs can also provide a tax benefit even for those who take the standard deduction.

💡 Wills & Estate Planning: Charitable giving can be incorporated into your will or estate plan by designating a nonprofit to receive a gift or portion of your estate. It’s a way to create a lasting legacy while supporting a cause that matters to you.

💡 Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs): A DAF is a giving account established through a sponsoring public charity. Donors may receive an immediate tax deduction when they contribute assets and can later recommend grants to eligible nonprofits, with the sponsoring organization managing the funds and approving grant distributions. DAFs can simplify recordkeeping and support long-term charitable planning.

08/15/2026

Sign up is free for this powerful speaker series. Check it out and we hope to see you there!

Join us for “WILL Power: Estate Planning for Real Life” and discover why having a Will matters at every stage of life. Meredith Simmons, estate planning attorney, will explore what a Will can—and can’t—do, dispel common misconceptions, and look at how your needs may change as your life and family evolve. Come with your questions and leave with a better understanding of how a Will can help ensure your wishes are honored.

This FREE workshop is provided through a collaboration with Portage Foundation, Aurora Schools Foundation, and Simmons Law Office, LLC. Seats are limited and registration is required:
https://portagefoundation.org/events/

We hope to see you on the 31st!

08/14/2026

🌟We are proud to welcome three new trustees to the ASF Board, each bringing their own experience and passion for supporting Aurora students. Please join us in welcoming:

💚 Jen Borman
💚 Terry Taylor
💚 Stacy Hostetler

🌟 We are also excited to continue to work with Aurora teachers on grants to help turn their creative ideas into meaningful learning opportunities for our students.

🌟 A special thank you to CommunityFocus for taking the time to interview us and creating this video highlighting what the foundation has been working on and more!

🎥 Watch the full ASF update video on our YouTube page!

youtube.com/