San Marino Schools Foundation

Home
United States
San Marino, CA
San Marino Schools Foundation

Directions Website Contact the organization

Empowering public education excellence in San Marino Unified School District.

Donations bridge the gap between what the state provides and what an excellent education actually costs.

11/01/2026

Some people leave a mark on everyone they meet. Leslie Mar was one of them.

Leslie, SMHS Class of 2013, embraced all that San Marino High had to offer, filling her years with music, theater, cheer, volleyball and student leadership, and leaving her mark on the school community in so many ways.

After Leslie left us too early, the family and friends who loved her gave about $70,000 in her memory. The first plan was to give it to the high school as two or three scholarships a year, until the money ran out.

Instead, the Mar family chose to endow it with the Foundation, so Leslie's scholarship could last for generations.

Every year, the Leslie Mar Memorial Scholarship honors graduating seniors who, like Leslie, have shown leadership across campus life. So far it has sent $30,000 to 33 seniors, paid straight to their colleges. The fund holds more today than when it started, and it now awards four scholarships every year.

That's the power of an endowment. Their generosity, invested, keeps Leslie's name in the halls and keeps opening doors for students she never knew, who have a stronger future because of her. Learn how endowments work at the Foundation: https://www.smsf.org/endowments.html

Give what works for your family. Participation matters more than the amount.
Donate: https://www.smsf.org/donate/donate.html

10/29/2026

Every January, Jack Nicklaus, winner of 18 major championships, went back to his coach and asked the same three questions.

How do I stand? How do I hold the club? How do I swing?

The best in the game started every season with the basics.

That's how SMSF trustee Alex Watlington opened our student intern leadership meeting. Back to the fundamentals: why the Foundation exists, how it works, how to get involved, and what fundraising really is.

Alex spends his weeks mentoring college students at USC, and our interns got that same mentorship up close. That's the heart of the intern program: San Marino High School students learning how a real organization runs, side by side with people who care about their growth.

Thank you, Alex, for investing in our students. ⛳

Give what works for your family. Participation matters more than the amount.
Donate: https://www.smsf.org/donate/donate.html

10/27/2026

Meet Jason Han.

He grew up in public schools, and nobody ever asked his parents to donate. So when San Marino asked his family to give, his first question was simple: why?

Jason is a business owner, a physical therapist, and spent more than ten years in pro sports, most recently as head of rehab for the Los Angeles Football Club. He and his wife, Dr. Kelli, are an interdistrict family. Their daughter Mia is in fourth grade and their son Maverick is in first.

As an entrepreneur, Jason wanted the numbers to make sense before he gave. So he dove in. What he found: a school district runs a lot like a business. The state sets most of the revenue, and its formula wasn’t built for a district that operates at San Marino’s level. The community and the Foundation help cover the difference, so San Marino schools can keep their tradition of excellence and keep striving to be even better. As Jason puts it: “We’re not just donating. We’re investing.”

But for Jason, it’s not just the numbers. He spent seven years on the U.S. National Taekwondo Team, and his parents gave their time, their money, and a lot of sacrifice to support his dreams. Now San Marino schools are his kids’ world, and he wants to show up for it the same way.

“I give to this Foundation because one day, Mia and Maverick are going to look back and remember that their mom and dad showed up. Just like my parents showed up for me.”

Thank you, Jason.

Give what works for your family. Participation matters more than the amount.

Invest: https://www.smsf.org/donate/donate.html

10/22/2026

“If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re probably not growing.”

Meet Jennifer Chuang, our Programs Administrator and the leader of our Student-Leader Internship Program.

Jenn has spent her career helping young people grow. She has owned and directed her own preschool for two decades, taught master’s-level education courses at Cal State LA, advocated for universal preschool, and served on the district’s Academic Advisory Committee. She’s also a San Marino parent whose own children came through our schools.

In this clip, she challenges our interns to sign up for the things that scare them a little. She promises them a safe place to stretch, with coaching and support even when things don’t go perfectly. She also asks them to speak up. With a small staff and an all-volunteer board, their questions and ideas make the Foundation better.

As Jenn put it, “We wouldn’t even have this program if we didn’t value what you could bring to the table.”

Thank you, Jenn, for growing great students.

Give what works for your family. Participation matters more than the amount.
Donate: https://www.smsf.org/donate/donate.html

10/20/2026

Quick question: could you explain what an endowment is?

If not, you're in good company. It's one of the most powerful ways to support our schools, and one of the least understood. So here's the simple version.

Most gifts are like a basket of fruit. They're shared right away, and they make this school year possible. That's what annual giving does, and it matters.

An endowment is the tree. The gift is invested and kept, not spent. Each year, a portion is granted to the purpose the donor chose, like scholarships, teams or programs. The rest stays invested so it can keep growing for the students who come next.

Plant once. Harvest every year.

San Marino already has two of these trees: one planted in a daughter's memory, and one planted by two students who loved their school. See how endowments work at the Foundation: https://www.smsf.org/endowments.html

Give what works for your family. Participation matters more than the amount.
Donate: https://www.smsf.org/donate/donate.html

10/18/2026

Grab your favorite grandparent. It’s Bingo Night! 🌺

The San Marino Schools Foundation is throwing a party, and everyone’s invited. Kids, bring a grandparent or a grand-friend: a neighbor, a family friend, that special someone who always shows up for you. There’s a seat at the table for every generation.

Join us for Grandparent Bingo Night, with Mrs. Becki Watlington calling the numbers. Expect a Hawaiian buffet dinner, plenty of laughs, and a room full of San Marino families having a great time together.

🗓 Sunday, November 15
🕟 Doors open at 4:30pm, first game at 5:30pm
📍 San Gabriel Country Club, 350 East Hermosa Drive, San Gabriel
🎟 $75 for ages 12 and up, $40 for ages 11 and under (your first set of bingo cards is included)
➕ Extra set of 3 cards: $20

Events like this are what community looks like: grandkids and grandparents, longtime neighbors and brand-new families, all in one room cheering for the same thing.

Save your seat: www.bit.ly/smsfbingo
Questions? Call 626-299-7014

10/15/2026

Elevator pitch time. No notes, no pressure. (Okay, a little pressure.)

At our September intern leadership meeting, our San Marino High School interns stood up one by one and pitched the Foundation to the room. Then they got real, honest feedback from the trustees and staff who mentor them.

What they learned:
💡 Lead with a hook. If the first line doesn’t grab people, the rest won’t matter.
💡 Ask about people before you ask anything of them. Their kids, their story, what they care about.
💡 Believe it out loud. Your passion is what draws out theirs.

A week later, they put it to work, welcoming families at our New Family Mixer. Some even wore “I speak Chinese” stickers so they could welcome families in their own language.

That’s the heart of the intern program. Throughout the year, our interns build skills that last: resumes and LinkedIn, thank-you notes, networking, and discovering their strengths through CliftonStrengths. They help with our social media, staff Foundation events, and connect with families across the community.

As one mentor told them, almost every career involves rallying people around something you believe in. Learn that now, and it opens doors for life.

Proud of every one of you. 💙

10/13/2026

“Fun learning games.” “Big books.” “The best field trips ever.”

Violet (5th grade) and River (2nd grade) from Valentine Elementary had a few things to say to everyone who supports their school. Their words, not ours. 💛

Give what works for your family. Participation matters more than the amount.
Donate: https://www.smsf.org/donate/donate.html

10/11/2026

Retirement planning usually starts with one question: will I have enough?

The question that catches people off guard comes next: what will healthcare cost?

Join us for lunch and an educational seminar on Healthcare and Your Retirement, presented by Vanguard’s Ryan Donohue (Market Director) and Nolan Lynch (Associate Market Director).

What they’ll cover:

Planning for pre- and post-retirement health care costs
Medicare at a glance
How your income affects Medicare
Long-term care cost considerations

Why is a schools foundation hosting a Medicare seminar? Because great schools and a great community grow together. The San Marino Schools Foundation supports our four schools, and that work is carried by the whole town: parents, grandparents, alumni, and neighbors. Many of our donors don’t have children in the district at all. They give because they know strong schools make a strong San Marino.

Events like this are one way we give back to the people who make San Marino what it is. Learning doesn’t stop at graduation. 🎓

📅 Thursday, October 22
🕦 Lunch and networking at 11:30 a.m. | Presentation at 12:00 p.m.
📍 The Barth Room, Crowell Public Library, 1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino

Open to the whole community, no kids in the district required. Bring your spouse, a friend, or the neighbor who keeps asking you about Medicare.

RSVP by Sunday, October 18: [email protected] or (626) 299-7014

10/08/2026

Meet Ender, TK at Valentine.

He loves his friends. He loves his teacher. And he wants you to know his school has a library AND a kitchen. Priorities.

Then his big sister Olivia steps in to close the show:

"Thank you for donating to our school and making our school a better place to learn and grow."

Olivia, that's the whole speech. Mic drop.

Give what works for your family. Participation matters more than the amount.
Donate: https://www.smsf.org/donate/donate.html

Address

1665 West Drive
San Marino, CA
91108

Website

https://www.smsf.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when San Marino Schools Foundation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.