Saluting Oklahoma's Local Education Foundations
What is a Local Education Foundation?
A local education foundation (LEF) is a citizen-led, non-profit organization that raises private dollars to complement existing school budgets and encourages community involvement in local schools.
Local education foundations play a vital role in encouraging and supporting academic excellence in public schools throughout Oklahoma. Each foundation is led by a board of directors, which operates independently from its school district yet provides important resources that allow teachers and students to pursue greater educational opportunities.
There are now more than 190 local education foundations in the state, making Oklahoma a national leader in the number of LEFs per capita. Each LEF must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization as defined by the provisions of Title 70, Section 5-145 of the Oklahoma Statues (2005). These statutes set forth the guidelines for the operation and composition of local education foundations.
For more information on local education foundations, contact Karen Rose, director of LEF Outreach, at (918) 743-5533 or e-mail krose@ofe.org.