Bellevue Schools Foundation Executive Director

Organizational Overview

The mission of the Bellevue Schools Foundation (BSF) is to promote and fund the best possible learning opportunities for ALL students in Bellevue's public schools. Founded in 1979, BSF is the first foundation in Washington State dedicated to supporting public K-12 education. For over four decades, we have served as the bridge between community generosity and student opportunity, investing more than $25 million in Bellevue's public schools.

Our work is grounded in these core convictions:

• Education is a foundation for opportunity, growth, and success in life.
• Every child in the community has a right to the best education available anywhere.
• Structural and systemic inequities perpetuating discrimination must be dismantled.
• Continuously pursuing innovation and best practices are essential for Bellevue's schools to provide world-class education.
• Strong, healthy schools contribute to a strong, healthy community.
• Community support is essential to schools providing the high-quality education all children deserve.

The Bellevue School District is a large, diverse, and high-performing urban district serving over 19,000 students. More than 100 languages are spoken across the district, and 42.5% of students speak a first language other than English. To ensure all of these students are able to achieve their full potential, BSF makes targeted investments in programs and supports that public funding alone cannot provide, such as early learning access, student wellbeing and belonging, enrichment, computer science integration, and resources for teachers, district leadership and systems.

Snapshot of 2024–2025 Investments in Action:

• Mental Health Screening:
  School-based counselors screened 7,013 students for mental health needs
• 1:1 Therapy: 530 students received 1:1 therapy
• Expanded Computer Science Programs: 76% of 4th graders expressed interest in taking CS classes in middle or high school
• Full-day Preschool: 28 preschoolers from low-income families attended full-day preschool; every family reported greater self-sufficiency
• National Board Certified Teachers:
  Bellevue is one of only four districts in the nation where 40%+ of teachers hold this distinction
• Empowerment Workshops: 400 students participated in an empowerment workshop through the BOOM program

In the 2024–2025 fiscal year, BSF granted over $1 million to support the Bellevue School District, with a goal to grow that investment annually in the years ahead. Our work is made possible by a generous community of individual donors, corporate partners, and public grants. Each Spring, we bring that community together at Spring for Schools, our annual fundraising gala.

We are a close-knit, collaborative organization with a growing staff team. Our 15 board members are deeply committed partners in this work, united in purpose and invested in the students and community they serve. Our partnership with the Bellevue School District and its visionary superintendent is a genuine source of energy and inspiration.

After 45 years of investing in Bellevue's students, BSF is ready for its most ambitious chapter yet. The next Executive Director will step into a role with deep legacy, a ready platform, and a community whose philanthropic potential has only begun to be tapped.

• Fundraising and Donor Development: Leading BSF's fundraising program, from building and managing a moves management system to developing a diversified, long‑term fundraising strategy with clear growth goals that meaningfully grows revenue over time.
• Community Presence and Relationship Building: Serving as BSF's trusted representative across the Bellevue community, showing up consistently with civic leaders, corporate partners, and peer organizations, and engaging authentically across the diverse communities that make up Bellevue's philanthropic landscape.
• District Partnership and Institutional Navigation: Cultivating a close, productive partnership with the Bellevue School District and its superintendent, positioning BSF as an indispensable ally to the district, and navigating a large public institution with confidence, credibility, and…