St. Helena Public Schools Foundation Give BIG!

Volunteer Hub

Everything you need to work with the Foundation, your Parent Group, and Give BIG!: who to ask, where things live, and how to get paid back.

Get reimbursedSubmit a receipt Give BIG!Fundraising site Shared drivesSign in with the Google account you were invited with St. Helena Public Schools Foundationshpsf.org

Quick answers

The questions that come up most.

Someone wants to donate and needs a tax receipt

Contact the Foundation's financial contact: TBD: name / treasurer@ email. The Foundation is the 501(c)(3), so it issues all official tax receipts. Parent Groups don't.

Online donations through givebigsthelena.org get a receipt automatically.

I have a great photo for Instagram / Facebook

Drop it in TBD: media intake folder / form.

Posts to the main accounts are approved by TBD: marketing / social contact. Only share photos of students whose families have approved media release.

I spent my own money, how do I get it back?

Submit your receipt at expenses.shpsf.org. Snap a photo of a paper receipt and you're done.

Typical turnaround: TBD. Get approval from your PG before spending if you can.

A new volunteer needs access to our files

Shared drive access can be granted by your PG President, your PG Secretary, or Michael Rose (Foundation Secretary). Send them the volunteer's email address. Any email works as long as it has a Google account (how to set one up).

Access is granted to your group's shared drive, so everything from past years is right there.

I want to run a fundraising event

Great, extra events throughout the year are encouraged. Bring the idea to the Foundation or the Foundation's fundraising coordinator for approval before you commit to anything.

Event info for tax purposes is collected with a form: TBD: event form link.

Who's who

Every Parent Group fills the same three roles for its school, so you always know who to call. Foundation-level Give BIG! coordinators are listed in the Give BIG! section.

GroupGB CoordinatorTreasurerGB Marketing
SHES / SHPS PG
Elementary & Primary		TBDTBDTBD
RLS PG
Middle School		TBDTBDTBD
SHHS PG
High School		TBDTBDTBD
Foundation BoardTBDTBDTBD

What each role does

  • GB Coordinator: your site's point person for Give BIG!: goals, timelines, updates.
  • Treasurer: tracks your PG's budget, approves spending, and connects with Foundation finance.
  • GB Marketing: gathers photos and stories and feeds them to the Give BIG! campaign.

Foundation contacts

  • Accounts, drives & tech: Michael Rose, Secretary (TBD: email)
  • Finance & tax receipts: TBD
  • General: TBD: info@ email

How the money flows

One campaign, shared across every school.

Where it comes from

Dine & DonatesClif Family, Cook, Ray Ray’s & more
Annual Give BIG! askThe March drive
Fundraising eventsHarvest Festival, Fiesta de Octubre, Country Under the Stars
Corporate givingSponsors & matching gifts
all pooled into
Give BIG!One annual campaign
split into equal shares
Foundation
Pri/Ele PG
RLS PG
SHHS PG
1 share
1 share
1 share
1 share
1 share
All schools
SHPS
SHES
RLS
SHHS

Foundation grants

Requests reviewed by the Foundation Board.

Rolling (under $500)AnnualStudent enrichment

PG budgets

Each Parent Group decides how its share is spent at its school.

ProgramsEventsClassroom support

Give BIG!

The Foundation's fundraising arm. The main drive is in March 2027. Every school site takes part, and the money is split into five equal shares: four schools plus the Foundation.

How it runs

  • Give BIG! is planned at Foundation board meetings. There are no separate meetings.
  • Board reps report back to their Parent Groups.
  • PGs find volunteers for tasks like sign distribution and signing donor letters.

Your school's role

  • Each PG works with its principal, administration, and student leadership to decide what Give BIG! looks like at its site.
  • Tell the board what support you need: handouts, collection envelopes, etc.
  • Extra events all year are encouraged. Get them approved first.

The year at a glance

  1. Nov
    Giving Tuesday email
  2. Dec
    End-of-year donations email · Corporate donor outreach
  3. Jan
    Postcards, posters & donor letters finalized · School Board meeting requestedSchools: finalize handouts & envelopes, help sign donor letters and address envelopes
  4. Feb
    Postcards & letters sent · Corporate outreach · Day-of coverage organized · Editorial Board & School Board meetings
  5. Mar
    Yard signs, posters & banner go upSchools: run your on-site Give BIG! plan
  6. Apr
    Thank-you letters signed and sent
  7. Jun
    Next year's budget approved · Funds distributed

Volunteers needed

Foundation-level Give BIG! roles:

  • Marketing Coordinator Open
    Runs the email campaign (MailChimp or similar) and coordinates social posts. About 2 hrs/week before the campaign.
  • Corporate Donations Coordinator Open
    Organizes outreach to local businesses.
  • Alumni Coordinator Open
    Organizes outreach to alumni.
  • Overall Coordinator Future
    Leads Give BIG! overall.

Interested? Contact TBD.

Where things live

  • Campaign materials, logos, and timelines: the Give BIG! shared drive.
  • Public site: givebigsthelena.org
  • Graphics: the Give BIG! space in Canva.

Google Workspace

The Foundation runs a nonprofit Google Workspace, so files for the Foundation and every PG live in shared drives that stay put when volunteers change.

Who uses what

  • Board officers get an @shpsf.org account. Use it for Foundation business.
  • PG volunteers use their own email. You're invited to your PG's shared drive under that address.

Need a Google account?

Gmail addresses already have one. For any other email (work, iCloud, etc.):

  1. Go to accounts.google.com/signup.
  2. Choose Use your existing email instead of creating a Gmail address.
  3. Verify the code sent to your inbox.

Use that same email when you ask for access.

Shared drives

Each PG has its own shared drive. Keep these there:

  • Budgets & financials
  • Meeting agendas & minutes
  • Event plans & working documents

The Give BIG! shared drive holds campaign info everyone can use.

Good habits

  • Save to the shared drive, not "My Drive." Files in My Drive leave when you do.
  • Share links instead of attachments so everyone edits one copy.
  • Name files with dates: 2026-11-05 Meeting Minutes.
Need access to a drive? Ask your PG President, your PG Secretary, or Michael Rose (Foundation Secretary), and give them the email you want invited.

Canva

The Foundation has Canva for flyers, social posts, and Give BIG! graphics.

How it's set up

  • Each PG has its own designated Canva space to share among its volunteers.
  • Logos, colors, and templates are ready to go. No need to recreate them.
  • Access: TBD: how to get in

Tips

  • Start from an existing template to stay on-brand.
  • Export finished pieces to your PG's shared drive.
  • Send Give BIG! graphics to your GB Marketing person before posting.

Reimbursements

Spent your own money on a Foundation or PG expense? Here's how to get it back.

  1. Get approval from your PG Treasurer before spending, when you can.
  2. Keep the receipt. A photo works.
  3. Submit at expenses.shpsf.org.
  4. Expect payment within TBD.