It started the way real change usually does—quietly. A counselor called. A student needed clean clothes and a plan to stay in school. Then another call. Then a teacher asked for a small grant to spark a big idea. Then a business offered to help. Little by little, the phone kept ringing and our community kept showing up.
For 13 years, Jodi Lunt stood at the center of that movement. She listened, organized and pointed every gift toward a student’s need. Under her leadership the foundation grew from a good idea into a reliable engine for help. Since 2012 our community has invested $64,335,775 in students and classrooms. Annual funding grew 10.5 times—from $885,709 to more than $9 million a year. Most of that momentum arrived in the past six years. That is what happens when people trust the work and a leader keeps it focused.
The impact is not abstract. It looks like a pantry pack tucked into a backpack so a student has food for the weekend. It looks like a shower and a warm washing machine in a Teen Resource Center before first period. It looks like a safe bed at the Teen Living Center when life gets complicated and school needs to stay steady. It sounds like laughter on a Unified Sports field where students in specialized education programs and their peers play on the same team and feel the same pride.
In Jodi’s tenure our community funded $11 million in spaces that remove barriers to learning, built 10 Teen Resource Centers, launched a 16-bed Teen Living Center, delivered 1 million+ Pantry Packs and provided $1.1 million in scholarships through 933 awards. Last year alone the foundation invested $9,263,782, served 15,690 at-risk students with immediate, dignified aid and helped fuel classrooms with 4,222 teacher grants. Every dollar stayed local and followed the need into classrooms, centers and direct relief.
Those numbers are remarkable for any nonprofit—especially a school foundation. But the real story is simpler. Neighbors chose to be the connection. Jodi kept the work clear and moving. Kids had what they needed to learn and finish strong.
Today we celebrate that legacy with gratitude as Jodi retires. We also honor the community that made it possible—the counselors who flagged a need, the donors who acted, the volunteers who packed pantry packs and showed up when it mattered.
Looking ahead
We are pleased to share that Kara Toone, our former assistant director and grants writer, has been named foundation director. Kara has helped secure critical funding, deepen partnerships and keep the mission pointed at students. She knows the programs, the schools and the standard Jodi set—move fast, be kind, measure impact.
With Kara at the helm, the foundation will carry this momentum forward. We will strengthen teen centers, support teachers with quick-turn classroom grants, grow scholarships and meet basic needs so students can stay in class and graduate. The work remains the same and the future is bright.
Jodi’s leadership built a foundation that our community trusts. Kara’s leadership will build on it. To everyone who has invested time, talent and treasure—thank you. Together we will continue to be the connection for Davis students.