The Guilford Fund For Education was established in 2006 with seed money from The Guilford Foundation. Founders Dan Smith, Leslie Krumholz, and Joe Goldberg recognized the need to foster innovation and excellence in learning for all Guilford Students. As a partner to Guilford Public Schools (GPS) and other nonprofit organizations that work with the young people of our town, GFFE connects with educators and opens doors to novel learning paths and ingenuity in the classroom. Since its inception, GFFE has invested over $660,000 to benefit Guilford’s youth.

In the fall of 2024, GFFE joined forces with The Guilford Foundation as a donor-advised fund. This allowed the organization to retain its autonomy in funding decisions that supported its mission while leveraging TGF’s operational expertise. The decision was a win-win for both organizations, given their shared commitment to investing in youth and education.

“We’re dedicated to supporting our educators and students by providing funding to bring creative ideas to life. Our organization has grown and significantly increased its impact over the years. With that said, our scale has become too big to manage as an all-volunteer organization,” explained Meg Teape, GFFE Co-Chair.” This collaboration is the perfect solution. It allows us to leverage TGF’s administrative resources and expertise, which frees our team to focus on grantmaking and fundraising to spark learning in Guilford.”

Outwardly, there will be no difference in how GFFE operates. Through the work of an all-volunteer Advisory Board, GFFE gives educators and students an avenue to explore, experiment, and bring fresh educational ideas and experiences to youth by funding proposals that fall outside of an organization’s budget. The organization will maintain its website, promote grant opportunities, review grant applications, make funding decisions, and organize its iconic spelling bee (adult and kid) and bee ball (basketball) events. TGF will manage the grants distribution process, utilizing technology to streamline the process.

GFFE grant priorities are STEM, humanities, visual or performing arts, cultural awareness and social justice, special education, physical health and social/emotional wellness, and anything that enhances the learning experience. Examples of more well-known GFFE grants include The Witness Stones Project (Adams Middle School), the International Baccalaureate Program (Guilford High School), Robotics (Adams and Baldwin Middle Schools), Makerspaces (all four elementary schools), and the Pollinator Garden (Guilford High School).

The Guilford Fund for Education ultimate goal is to encourage and deepen a community-wide enthusiasm for excellence in education, ultimately creating a stronger Guilford

For more information about the GFFE, visit gffe.org