BHEF Foundation
If there is a statement that defines the mission of BHEF, it is this: “It’s about the Kids!”
In late 2017, members of the community and Benton Harbor alums came together to form a Foundation to raise funding and distribute resources that would support programs that go beyond local and state funding. A Board was formed in late 2017. By early 2018 the Benton Harbor Education Foundation had received the appropriate approval for 501(c)3 status from the IRS and could begin operation. BHEF is an independent Foundation that has a primary mission to support the student population of Benton Harbor Area Schools yet as an independent Foundation it can also choose to support educational opportunities that extend beyond the Area Schools. The BHEF Board is an independent body that drives fundraising and grants funds based on requests from the Area Schools and other requests from the community. By July of 2018, BHEF had access to community funding and began making grants. The BHEF website began running in August 2018 and a multi-source fundraising program is taking shape. The 2020-21 school year marks the starting point that BHEF will begin to have a real impact.