BLACKMAN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan school district has launched a GoFundMe-style fundraising campaign for school upgrades after residents voted against a bond proposal in 2018.
Northwest Community Schools District started the Invest in Northwest donation portal in January, MLive reported. It allows people to pick which projects they want their donations to go to. Projects include new tennis courts, drumline equipment and risers for the choir.
“Sometimes (bond proposals) are successful and sometimes they’re not,” Superintendent Geoff Bontrager said. “But that doesn’t mean that the needs go away.”
The district hopes to encourage people to give by sharing success stories on the website.
Kelly Grygiel is the marketing and communications manager in charge of finding and sharing such stories. She said she hopes the stories show “the community that we’re innovative.”
“Just because we may have failed a bond in the past, it doesn’t mean we’re going to stop improving and moving toward a direction of greatness,” Grygiel added.
The online portal does not have a timeline or total price tag. Some projects have money goals, while others don’t.
Although people are donating through the portal, Bontrager said he’s not against a bond proposal in the future.
