Second Time’s a Charm: History of the Hopkins Education Foundation

Recently, the HEF board hosted a very special guest – Jim Shirley (pictured), one of the founders of HPEF, our precursor organization. The communities that comprise our Hopkins school district have traditionally been staunch supporters of public education, generous with tax dollars and supportive of operating levy referenda. But some changes happened in accounting and the allocation of tax dollars in the early 1980s that left our district with unanticipated budget challenges. 

Founder Jim Shirley

A handful of parents and community leaders, including Jim Shirley, decided to form Hopkins Public Education Foundation (HPEF) to try to raise private funds to support our schools. Over the next several years, through outreach to their friends, neighbors, and colleagues, they raised about $40,000 (over $150,000 in today’s dollars). The detailed records of how much they raised and how they spent the funds are buried in someone’s file cabinet or destroyed, but based on memory, activities included providing early Apple computers for classrooms, a Math Jamboree, an MS Read-a-Thon, and a stop-smoking initiative.

HPEF struggled to gain significant traction, and after about five years, closed its doors. As Jim Shirley said, “It was a good idea but ahead of its time. Our community just wasn’t ready.”

1995 - HEF Founded

Another group of parents and community leaders decided to build on the idea of HPEF and form the Hopkins Education Foundation (HEF).  Their proposal was embraced enthusiastically by the school board, and they went to work on the details and the required paperwork. Thirty years ago, in 1995, HEF officially launched. 

First HEF logo

Initially, the goal of HEF was similar to that of HPEF – to help with budget challenges and maintain class sizes and education quality. Over time, the HEF mission evolved to focus on cultivating innovative ideas from teachers and staff that might spark learning advances and enrich our students’ experiences. Rather than simply supplementing the school district budget, HEF wanted to develop pilots and fund small projects that might make a big difference. 

That approach – funding ideas proposed by those closest to our students – has endured throughout our 30-year history. In 1995, the time was right for HEF, and we’ve been on a consistent trajectory of growth and impact ever since.

Our First Gala

Our 26th gala, now Royal Bash, will be held this Saturday, March 1.

Our founders’ network was strong, and within a year HEF was able to fund a $20,000 grant for LifeLabs (life skills for high school students). In its first five years, HEF awarded nearly $150,000 in grants, ranging from physical activities like a climbing wall and a teen trek to arts and literature curricula to a program supporting international understanding. And, in 2000, HEF hired our first paid staff member, a part-time executive director. In that same year, HEF upped our fundraising game, hosting our first annual gala at the Minneapolis Golf Club. We raised $73,000 with the theme “Great Schools Need a Strong Foundation.” Such an appropriate theme.

2005

The STAR Fund

By 2005, we surpassed $1 million in grants awarded to the District for a wide variety of projects, big and small. During our second five years, we funded amplification systems for all elementary school classrooms (“A Sound Investment”).  A special STAR Fund was also created and paid for Learning Resource Teachers for our youngest students to make up for budget cuts. We enhanced the core curriculum with additional books, reading and writing workshops, and advanced teacher training. And HEF paid for several science and robotics initiatives, laying the groundwork for our ongoing investment in STEM education.

2007

Logo redesign

At the 2007 Gala, we launched the second prong of our funding approach – the Special Appeal.  Our regular grant cycle (now called Spark Grants) focuses on proposals by teachers and staff.  Our Special Appeal funds a “big idea” jointly developed by our HEF board and staff and the district’s leaders. Over the years, we’ve sponsored Special Appeals focused on technology introduction, STEM education, enhanced reading curriculum, mental health, career preparation, and outdoor activities.

2010

2-Million 2-Gether

Celebrating raising $2 million for Hopkins schools.

In 2010, our board recognized the need to respond to a changing economic landscape and demographics in our district. We rebranded our gala as the Royal Bash, moved the venue from downtown to an in-district location, lowered the price of admission, and encouraged more casual (but still party) attire. It worked. In 2012, we celebrated “2-Million-2-Gether,” surpassing $2 million in grants awarded. We held a community event at Tuttle’s Bowl to mark this big milestone. In the fall of 2013, we built on the idea of a community-building event, launching the Rock-n-Royal back-to-school celebration in downtown Hopkins.

2025 - HEF’s 30th Anniversary

30 years of HEF

Another rebrand in 2024 brings us to our latest logo.

And here we are, still, after 30 years. We’ve awarded more than 600 grants, and we’re fast approaching $4 million in grants awarded. We’ve celebrated our 20th and 25th anniversaries. This year, we are celebrating not only the 30th anniversary of HEF but also our 26th Gala / Royal Bash. We can all be proud that the ideas and dedication of a few visionary parents in the 1980s and 1990s have delivered such a wealth of benefit to our students and to all of us who are part of this organization.