Great Schools Today. Great Schools Forever.

Great Schools Today. Great Schools Forever. This is the goal of the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation – to provide excellent educational opportunities for all students through our community schools. MBEF’s Endowment is the cornerstone of this mission, supporting and sustaining quality public education here in Manhattan Beach now and for generations to come.

GREAT SCHOOLS TODAY
For almost four decades, the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation (MBEF) has provided critical funding for Manhattan Beach public schools because state funding is inadequate. Since 1983, MBEF’s grants to our schools have directed over $100M in exceptional educational opportunities for Manhattan Beach students that would not be possible without the generosity, time and commitment of all community stakeholders. Today, MBEF grants to Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) fund educators who deliver a vast array of programs that strengthen the educational experience of our students from kindergarten through graduation. MBEF’s investment each year ensures that every student has access to personalized learning in smaller classes, comprehensive support and counseling services, and a strong, well-rounded academic program – with enrichment opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Music, Physical Education, and Reading, Writing & Libraries.

GREAT SCHOOLS FOREVER
Manhattan Beach is one of the first communities in the nation to have established a stable, secure and self-sustaining source of funding for its public schools. Patterned after university endowments, the goal of MBEF’s Endowment is to serve as a permanent fund to enhance and stabilize the long-term growth of MBEF’s annual contribution to MBUSD. History has proven that economic uncertainties remain constant and the best way to prepare for them is through a consistent source like the Endowment. Gifts to MBEF’s Endowment ensure the ongoing vitality of our schools and community.

The Endowment is governed by the MBEFEF Board of Directors who are dedicated to carrying out its mission of supporting Manhattan Beach public schools with a sustainable source of funding. The Endowment’s Investment Committee uses a prudent investment strategy guided by an established Investment Policy to manage growth of the principal. The annual disbursement to MBEF is limited by the Disbursement Policy, which is in line with the prudence standards outlined in the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act of 2006 (“UPMIFA”).

MBEF established the Endowment in 1986 with an initial $10,000. It took nearly three decades before the Endowment crossed $10M and made its first distribution of $116K. In 2021, the Endowment reached $24M and made a milestone distribution of $1M. The Endowment has now disbursed $6.9M in total towards MBEF’s annual grant to MBUSD. The annual disbursement to our schools will continue to grow as the Endowment principal grows. The goal is to reach a point where the annual return on investment is enough to make up for the instability of public-school funding. That’s the power of the Endowment.

YOUR SUPPORT WILL ENSURE GREAT SCHOOLS FOREVER.