Giving Committee

The Giving Committee was created in 2023, and went through the funding process for the first time in 2024. Applications were due April 15th, and members of NSNA had the opportunity to rank the applications at the May NSNA meeting after hearing from each applicant.

The groups that received funds in 2024 were:

Emerson Elementary PTO, $1000 towards the purchase of a mat for their GaGa Ball Pit.

Emerson Eken Arts, $1000 towards the 2nd Annual Emerson Eken Art Walk (September 28, 2024).

Friends of Starkweather Creek, $924 towards purchasing native plants for the park at the corner of Commercial and McCormick.

The 2025 grants are going to:

Emerson Elementary PTO: $500

The Emerson Elementary PTO is teaming with the Girls on the Run team at Emerson for their community impact project to repaint the USA map on the Emerson Elementary blacktop. The community impact project will be executed on Thursday May 15th, weather pending. Repainting the map has been on the PTO’s to do list for the last year and the Girls on the Run team decided to repaint the map for their community impact project. The PTO is asking to be reimbursed for the cost of the paint and supplies. Supplies will be purchased May 14th, so our cost is not yet know. This project will be enjoyed by all those the visit Emerson Elementary. The school and MSCR regularly use this space as well as families using the playground equipment.

Madison Public Art Project: $1,000

“The mural, Siempre Aprendiendo, is unveiling May 31st, 2025 at 2200 Pennsylvania Ave. The full project scope can be found here: https://www.madisonpublicartproject.org/siempreaprendiendo This grant request is for funding to complement the mural, once installed, to offer community programming including guided mural tours, Paint in our Pocket Park! days, and a future Aldo Leopold bench making workshop which will offer additional seating in the gardens for the public to enjoy the mural installation. These workshops will be offered for 2025/6. All MPAP community programming is created to support diversity, inclusivity, and equity through public art offering creative and exciting new ways for the community to join together! “

Moms on a Mission Madison: $1,500

Moms On a Mission Madison is a grassroots organization ran by Moms and former moms of East High School students. For 5 years we have been doing violence prevention and intervention outside of East High School by providing snacks and other support for students in order to reduce student contact with police. 

Sherman Middle School: $1,500

I am an 8th grade Special Education teacher at Sherman Middle School. Over the past year I have been working on finding learning opportunities and ways to fundraise to make field trips more accessible for all of our scholars. Many of our students struggle with paying for our field trips, so I have tried to do as much work as possible to lower the costs.  Our end of year field trips are the last opportunities our 8th graders will have to spend time with each other before they transition to high school. While most of them will probably go to East, they may not see each other there, or they may move to another high school. Any funding that can help our students have affordable trips would be a huge help. Our two trips planned will be on June 6 and June 10. The first one will be a walking field trip to Warner Park for the students to take part in a kickball tournament on the baseball field that the Mallard’s play on. They will be tie-dying shirts that will then be personalized for the game. Our second trip will be to Kalahari Resort for the students to enjoy a water park adventure with their peers before their 8th grade promotion.