Oak Park and River Forest High School is moving ahead with a wise plan to add a philanthropic arm to its ambitious and expensive remaking of the physical plant on Scoville Avenue. Last week it set its goal at $10 million in private donations and made a pact with the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, which will serve as its fiscal agent in creating the donor fund.
With a base of alums who have done well in the world after graduating from OPRF, there will certainly be donors large and small who are willing to invest in the school. Building out that database, crafting an ongoing pitch and creating a culture of giving will be useful now as District 200 looks for funds beyond property taxpayers to pay specifically for athletic and arts facilities. This can also be a helpful source of funding for many years to come.
