Donor Advised Funds

Hebron Alumni Gives Back to High School

Hebron High School opened more than its doors to students in August 1998. It opened a window of opportunity.

The school now has $40,000 worth of new computer equipment. Eight new computers and various software programs allow the students to learn at new levels.

The recently renovated multipurpose computer lab allows art students to access graphics and design programs and gives computer science students sophisticated software with which to work, said Jim Fraser, Hebron High School’s computer network supervisor.

High school students are not the only beneficiaries of this lab, however. Elementary school students and several adults have taken advantage of the lab. Elementary school classes are surfing the Internet and some adults are learning to crunch numbers into computerized spreadsheets. Both activities would not be possible without the new computer equipment.

A 1988 Hebron High School graduate, Todd Apley, made this technological possibility a reality. Apley, a Microsoft software test engineer in Redmond, Wash., wanted to give something back to the school that introduced him to computer science, said Fraser.

Initially, Apley wanted to donate money in the form of an annual scholarship. However, after a recent trip home, Apley realized funds were unavailable for upgrading Hebron High School’s computer lab.

Working under the auspices of the Nebraska Community Foundation, Apley donated $8,000 towards the school’s computer lab renovation. Microsoft and Jeff Raikes, Microsoft’s vice president, matched Apley’s donation for a total of $24,000. The $24,000 donation quickly grew into $40,000 worth of equipment because the school was practically given the software after using Apley’s employee discount, Fraser said. The school even had money left over after the purchase, which was used to buy a scanner, color cartridges and shelves for the lab. The lab renovations were completed in July 1998.

Raikes, a native of Ashland, Neb., launched a program through the Nebraska Community Foundation in which he and his wife Patricia would match the donations of other Microsoft employees who are former Nebraskans to improve their hometowns. Donations from Microsoft employees nearly tripled because of Microsoft’s corporate matching program.

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Nebraska Community Foundation

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