Who we are...
The McKinley Education Foundation (MEF) was formed in 2006 to offer the people of McKinley County an avenue through which to support the teachers in the Gallup-McKinley County School District. The articles of incorporation were developed and filed with the New Mexico Secretary of State Office. Once that was approved, the application for nonprofit tax exempt status was filed with the Federal Internal Revenue Service. MEF became a recognized nonprofit tax exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.
The MEF is a private, non-profit corporation with a Federal IRS 501(c)(3) [our EIN can be provided if you want or need to verify our current IRS status] tax exempt designation, meaning all donations to the foundation are tax deductible. The sole purpose of the foundation is to raise funds to support educators in the classrooms throughout the GMCS district. This will be done via fund raising activities through direct donations, grant writing and administering the Hiroshi Miyamura and Juanito Sherman scholarship funds. These two scholarship programs were adopted in 2010 and 2012 respectively by the MEF board of directors. Past recipients of the Hiroshi Miyamura scholarship award can be viewed here. Whereas the list of students and years for the Juanito Sherman scholarship award is located here
The MEF board is currently made up of dedicated volunteers with diverse backgrounds and various levels of education. While several of the current board members were or are affiliated in some way with the Gallup-McKinley County School System, this Board of Directors is solely responsible for the direction and operation of the Foundation. Please note we are always on the lookout for new board members, if you are interested please send us your contact info by clicking on the Contact Board button bar below. Someone will respond to your request via email.
Anyone interested in evaluating mini-grant applications that has a background in common core standards and how they relate to teaching in the Gallup-McKinley County School District is welcome to join. In October of every school year we evaluate applications and score each one against a rubric, then issue mini-grants to teacher projects that have exceeded a designated "passing" threshold. You can join as a volunteer or as a member by simply contacting the current board members. Click the button below and send your contact info to us.
The MEF follows a national trend toward supporting schools from outside the confines of the school district itself. Our foundation is separate from the school district and therefore not subject to the same pressures and regulations that might hamper certain types of activities designed to assist educators and help enhance student achievement.
Our first fundraiser was held in April, 2007 and we subsequently awarded seven $200 grants to eight teachers from seven schools. Go to Past Grant Recipients to see who has received grants in succeeding years. Selected Projects are now awarded $750 per grant depending on available funds supporting this program.
DONATIONS ARE WELCOME
Empowering Futures: Support Students and Educators at GMCS Today!
All donations directly support GMCS District educators. Send your checks or money orders to the address below. All checks and money orders should be made out to "McKinley Education Foundation", please indicate "MEF Main Fund" on the memo line of the check or money order. Donations to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are tax-deductible according to IRS guidelines:
Sending US Postal Mail - |
Make Donation through Paypal - |
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McKinley Education Foundation |
In 2025, individuals aged 73 or older with traditional IRAs can reduce their tax burden by utilizing Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs). This allows them to direct funds from their IRA accounts straight to a qualified charity, satisfying their Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). This method is beneficial as it not only lowers the taxable income by excluding the QCD distribution from being taxed, but also fulfills charitable intentions without needing to itemize deductions. Each eligible individual can donate up to $108,000, while couples can combine their efforts for a total of $216,000. Thus, QCDs serve as an effective strategy for charitable giving while enhancing tax efficiency.
Please consult your tax accountant or preparer to see if you’re eligible to use the Qualified Charitable Donation (QCD). See IRS Tax Tip 2022-171, November 8, 2022 for further details. Please contact us (or your IRA bank account Custodian or Trustee) using the online form to exchange and provide the necessary bank account information to complete the QCD donation transfer.
We appreciate the support from all donors and would like to recognize the following list of local area benefactors:
- Gallup McKinley Association of Education Retirees
- Butler’s Office Equipment & Supply
- Lebanon Lodge of the Masons
- Murphy Builders
- PEO Chapter T
- Wal-Mart