Founding board member and past president Michelle Frisco has launched a fund to boost support for grants to educators. The Presidents Fund is currently offering a 25% match on all gifts to the Mardi Lowry McDonough ’87 Student Opportunity Fund & Grant program. It’s a great way to extend the impact of your support for students.
As her time volunteering for the Education Foundation Board comes to a close, founding board member and past board president Michelle Frisco knows she and her fellow volunteer leaders have made a difference simply by showing up—collaborating with district representatives on providing funding for areas of greatest need; meeting with community members to share the foundation’s mission; reviewing and selecting grant proposals; helping to choose the annual inductees into the Maroon & Gray Society; and much more.
Even with years of service to the nonprofit she helped to establish, Frisco wanted to do something more. “For ten years, I’ve been working to help the foundation grow; before I step down from my board position, I want to make sure I walk the talk and take a leadership role as a donor,” she said.
Frisco and her husband Steve Savitski have two children: Ian graduated from State High in ’23 and is starting his junior year at Penn State; Katherine will be a sophomore at State High in 2025-26. They value the exceptional academic experiences their kids enjoyed in the district as well as the opportunities they pursued in extracurricular activities and athletics.
“We are fortunate that our kids have been part of such a high-quality school district that prioritizes student opportunities both inside and outside the classroom,” Frisco said. “Without the foundation, the district was already strong. It’s been incredibly meaningful for me as a parent to contribute to expanding that success through foundation funding, especially in areas like mental health and the grant program. Making a significant financial contribution was the next logical step as I finish my time on the board, and I suspected other past presidents would be interested in joining me, especially in the 10th anniversary year.”
Frisco and Savitski, as well as every past president and board member, have been consistent annual donors to the Education Foundation since it began. In fact, most board members give multiple times a year, supporting the Maroon & Gray Celebration, Centre Gives, and contributing to various foundation funds. Frisco approached the past presidents about ramping up their support.
“I had already decided to launch the fund with a $10,000 gift in honor of the 10th anniversary, and all the past presidents were eager and excited to join me,” she said.
The President’s Fund is currently offering a matching opportunity for contributions to the Mardi Lowry McDonough ’87 Student Opportunity Fund & Grant program, in which it will extend gifts by 25%. For example, a gift of $100 becomes $125 with the President’s Fund match.
“We continue to see growing interest in the grant program among our educators across all schools in the district,” Frisco said. “In fact, we’re now receiving proposals for more than we can fund. Our goal is to shore up the funding that’s available so we can help make more of those proposals a reality.”
To take advantage of the 25% match from the Presidents Fund, give online at scasdfoundation.org by selecting the Mardi Lowry McDonough ’87 Student Opportunity Fund from the campaign drop down menu. Your support will benefit students in the 2025-26 school year.
