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Contact Us

U-46 Educational Foundation
355 E. Chicago St.
Elgin, IL 60120
foundation@u-46.org

Foundation Coordinator
Alaska "Jean" Bednar
847-888-5000, ext. 5040
alaskabednar@u-46.org

Learn more about the U-46 Educational Foundation by reading our latest newsletter or catch up on past newsletters. Or, watch our latest YouTube videos and follow us on Facebook

U-46 Educational Foundation

Board of Directors

The U-46 Educational Foundation Board of Directors ensures that the mission of the Foundation is supported in everything we do. That means following the vision that was imagined for us:

Expanded opportunities for all U-46 students in a changing world.

The Foundation's volunteer board consists of up to 18 passionate community members who are dedicated to helping students succeed in life by supporting the advancement of public education in School District U-46.

Interested in joining our board? Click here to learn more.

Officers

Board Members

Ex-Officio Board Members

President Emeritus - Sue Rakow

Sue Rakow, who passed away in 2025, was President Emeritus of the U-46 Educational Foundation.n — Sue Rakow, U-46 Educational Foundation President Emeritus, 2015 - 2025

The U-46 Educational Foundation was founded in 2007 by a group of dedicated community members whose mission was to acquire and dedicate resources that could be used to enhance the quality of education for U-46 students. One of the dedicated group was Sue Rakow, who has had the title of President Emeritus of the Foundation for many years now, although she left the Board more than a decade ago. We want to acknowledge the recent passing of our past member, Sue Rakow, and the indelible mark she left on our School District, being one of the founding members of the U-46 Foundation. Her passion for education and the Arts is what brought her to support the Foundation, and those effects are still rippling through the U-46 community today. We hope to continue to honor her legacy for many years to come.

Annual Report 2025

Latest News from the U-46 Educational Foundation

El Trote de las Calacas / Skeleton Trot 5K - October 10, 2026

On Saturday, Oct. 10 at 9 a.m., the popular El Trote de las Calacas (the Skeleton Trot), a USTF-certified race, will once again get underway amid music and fanfare as participants enjoy a 5K run/walk and celebrate the Hispanic culture, all while raising funds for a worthy cause.

The race, now in its third year, is hosted jointly by the U-46 Educational Foundation and the Gail Borden Public Library Foundation in an effort to raise funds to serve the area's children.

event information

register for the 5k

College Scholarships

The U-46 Educational Foundation Online Scholarship Application has now closed

THANK YOU to all the seniors who logged on to the U-46 Educational Foundation Online Scholarship Application and applied for any of the 12 scholarships available. We appreciate the effort you've put in to writing your essays and filling in all the information required. Now it is time for us to score them!

If you are applying for the Dual Language Portfolio Certification scholarship, don't worry, the application will still be available to you.

NOTE: if you have sent an email to foundation@u-46.org describing a problem you had submitting your application, we are monitoring that inbox and will be checking up on each situation, and letting you know the status as soon as possible. Thank you for being responsible and seeking help with this. We will get back to each of you as we have answers or follow-up questions.

Scholarship notification emails begin with the Superintendent Scholarship winners, followed by all remaining scholarships. It takes time for our volunteers to read and score each application, so be patient, and watch your inbox beginning at the end of March, through April. Good luck everyone!

U-46 at Windy City Bulls Game

The Windy City Bulls mascot interacts with the crowd during the game

Thank you to all who purchased tickets and came out to the Windy City Bulls game on Friday, Feb. 6 to see the Bulls defeat the Long Island Nets in an exciting come-from-behind victory! The U-46 Educational Foundation raised $1,500 thanks to the 300 people who purchased their tickets as part of our fundraiser.

Funds raised for the U-46 Foundation help provide scholarships, resources, and opportunities, such as classroom enhancements, academic programs, and enriched extra-curricular activities that are not covered in the traditional U-46 budget.

U-46 Teachers grant recipients have begun receiving their items

Teacher Grant recipients for the 2025-26 school year were all notified last fall, and have started sending in their wish lists and receipts for the supplies, projects, or programs they dreamed of bringing to their classrooms.

U-46 Foundation Teacher Grants are awarded each year for supplies, equipment, programs, clubs, and more - things that show innovation and creativity in teaching tools and help foster well-being and confidence in our students.

This video shows how the Foundation's teacher/staff grants made an impact for a South Elgin High School social worker, whose Foundation grant covered the cost of much-needed supplies for the school's Essentials Exchange.

Ways to Give

Looking to make a donation? Please consider the U-46 Educational Foundation!

Your gift to the U-46 Foundation helps fund grants and scholarships that benefit staff and students alike! Donations are accepted year-round of course, but we hope you'll think of us for GivingTuesday or when making end-of-year donations.

Donate Now

Printable Donation Form, Mailing * 355 E Chicago St., Elgin, IL 60120

REMEMBER - a donation made by 12/31 lets you meet year-end tax deadlines while also helping the Foundation continue the good and necessary work supporting U-46 students and staff.

Apply for a KCT Affinity Card

Thanks to our partner, KCT/Consumers Credit Union, every time you shop with a U-46 Credit or Debit card, KCT donates a portion of your purchase to the U-46 Foundation.

So you can show your support while you shop, whether from home, around town, or around the world.

Switch to a card with purpose!

Sign up for a

U-46 Credit or Debit Card

with KCT today

Remember U-46 in your Planned Giving

Larry Phillips Create your legacy with a planned gift to the U-46 Educational Foundation.

Help support U-46 students and teachers for generations to come with a gift that costs you nothing today.

You can choose to leave a legacy gift to the U-46 Educational Foundation through your will or trust. Or name the U-46 Educational Foundation as a beneficiary of your 401(k), IRA, 403(b) or other qualified retirement plan, supporting students and teachers long after your own lifetime.

Donate Your Car

Join the Legacy Society

Supporting Students. Transforming lives.

Many U-46 alumni, retirees, and friends came from humble beginnings but made a better world for themselves, their families, and their communities through hard work and perseverance. For several, their experiences at U-46 had a major impact on their success.

The U-46 Educational Foundation Legacy Society

As a testimony of their gratitude, these individuals have generously provided or plan to provide gifts to the U-46 Educational Foundation through bequests, trusts, and other planned estate gifts.  The U-46 Educational Foundation Legacy Society was established to recognize and honor those individuals. Members of the U-46 Educational Foundation Legacy Society share a common bond of philanthropy and vision for the future needs of U-46 students.

Meet the U-46 Educational Foundation Legacy Society Members

Become a Member

Become a member of the U-46 Educational Foundation Legacy Society by naming the U-46 Educational Foundation in your will.  After taking care of your family, leave the Foundation a certain dollar amount or percentage. You can also name the Foundation as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, retirement account, or pension plan. Inform us of your plans through this simple on-line form, and your Legacy Society membership will be complete.

Create a Legacy

If you desire, choose a name for your gift. It can be named to reflect your values or to honor or memorialize a loved one. Do you want your gift to be used to help a student attend college? Should it be used to advance the arts or science? Do you want your gift to benefit early education? Whatever your philanthropic objectives, the U-46 Educational Foundation can work with you to ensure that your gift is used according to your goals.

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of E.C. “Bud” Wilson, who had served as the president of the U-46 Educational Foundation since 2015. Bud passed away on Sept. 14 at the age of 93.

While his leadership of the Foundation began in the last decade, he had been involved for nearly 60 years in work to support public education in the state’s second largest school district.

The father of six graduates of U-46, he served for 12 years on the U-46 Board of Education during the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, including some time as president. He was also a founding member of the Citizens’ Advisory Council (now called the Community Advisory Council), a Districtwide parent organization that has successfully pushed for new education policies and initiatives.

In 2014, Bud joined the board of the U-46 Educational Foundation, a non-profit organization that expands opportunities for U-46 students beyond what is possible with tax dollars. The next year, he was named as its president. Under his leadership, the Board developed a new strategic plan and hired its first full-time coordinator.

“He has been involved in education all his life, and U-46 was very near and dear to his heart,” said Foundation Coordinator Jean Bednar. “Bud was an engineer, and he applied that approach to getting the gears in place for the Foundation. His vision was that the Foundation oversee sizable endowment funds that would provide much-needed programming and supplies, as well as scholarships, for U-46 students well into the future. Now it's the legacy he has left us - to continue that work he started. But we will certainly miss his leadership.”

In addition to his contributions to U-46, Bud and his late wife, Marilyn, also a busy civic volunteer, inspired two of their six children, all college graduates, to become teachers and school board members, including former U-46 Board Member Amy Kerber.

Amy said her father often told her and her siblings to live their values and that “you can’t complain about a problem if you are not willing to roll up your sleeves and become part of the solution.”

Bud was recognized at the 2020 Distinguished Service Awards Program by the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association. The statewide program honors those who have enhanced public education and conveyed its importance to the community on behalf of their schools and districts.

Donate Through Employee Giving

Employee Giving Campaign

Did you know that the Foundation has invested more than $1 million in U-46 students, teachers, and staff through grants and scholarships since 2010? Together, we can continue to fund programs and services beyond what is possible through the District budget. Your donations enrich and change students’ lives.

Choose a yellow button below to continue!

Make a One-Time or Recurring Donation Using a Credit/Debit Card Make a One-Time or Recurring Donation Using Payroll Deduction

If you prefer to make your donation by check, please send it to: U-46 Educational Foundation, 355 E. Chicago St., Elgin, IL 60120.

Include your name and address so we may send you a receipt for your tax-deductible donation.

Foundation News & Resources