By Sarah Shaffer
September 15, 2026
Now is the time to apply for a teacher donation from the Greater Denfeld Foundation!
The Greater Denfeld Foundation does more than just give out scholarships for students; they also give out funds to teachers and staff to help enhance in-class educational experiences. Every year teachers can put in a request for funds from the Greater Denfeld Foundation to support their students’ specific needs. This can range from equipment and supplies for class or funds for extracurricular activities.
These donations are made possible through the Greater Denfeld Foundation Memorial Fund, supported by the generous legacy gifts of Harry Fisher/Class of 1955 and the Steve Anderson Memorial Funds. Proceeds are then used to support educational activities that wouldn’t otherwise be available – but get students excited to learn. The deadline for 2026 applications will be October 1st.
One teacher who was able to use these funds is Jill Lofald. Ms. Lofald was an English teacher at Denfeld for 31 years. She retired from teaching several years ago but just this past spring retired from coaching the Denfeld Speech team. Additionally she is now in her third term representing District 4 on the Duluth School Board.
Ms. Lofald reached out to the Greater Denfeld Foundation seeking funds for the speech team. “The fund has been such a gift for our team,” said Ms. Lofald. She was able to use the funds to purchase research materials or to help students with buying clothes to compete in, or with hotels & food for out-of-town competitions.
As for the application process, Ms. Lofald says it is relatively easy. When she first started applying to the fund, the application was on paper, but these days the application process is more straightforward. Teachers apply for funds through the same portal that students use for their scholarships, filling out a short form – and then waiting for a reply. Funds are distributed about a month after the application deadline. At the end of the school year recipients complete a follow-up form, detailing to the Greater Denfeld Foundation how the money was used and what impact it had on the students.
Now is the time for Denfeld High School teachers and staff to apply for these funds to support their Denfeld students! Be sure to find the APPLICATION and complete it by the October 1st deadline. The instructions for the application are found HERE and teachers will need the access code provided in the email from Principal Tusken. The Greater Denfeld Foundation is eager to support a wide variety of projects to support students’ educations and to help foster creative and exciting learning environments. It is proud to support the dedicated educators who teach at Denfeld and is excited to see what this new year will bring. Questions about the application process should be directed to greaterdenfeldfoundation@gmail.com.