COVID-19 Relief Fund

2020-2021 impact update

Supporting Critical Needs

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, we launched the CMS COVID-19 Relief Fund in March 2020 to help extend learning and support critical needs for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students and families. Our primary focus was to help fill technology gaps for students like access to home internet. Through a combination of private and public support, we’ve exceeded our ambitious goal.

More than 2,000 individuals, community organizations, businesses, and public entities have provided the resources needed to fill the estimated connectivity gap in CMS.

Impact by the Numbers

$3.6 million

2000+

12,000

Raised by the CMS Foundation to provide a year of internet service to students without home access

Individuals, community organizations, businesses and public entities donated to help close the connectivity gap in CMS

Hotspots deployed to students through CMS Foundation support since August 2020

connect for tech

Keeping Students and Teachers Connected

As students across the nation engage in remote learning, it has never been more important to have reliable internet service at home. Unfortunately, thousands of students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have not had home internet access. This creates an urgency in our community to ensure that every student, regardless of economic circumstance, has access to education this school year.

Following the school closures in March of 2020, the CMS Foundation raised more than $1 million to purchase 6,000 mobile hotspots for students without home internet. But at the start of 2020-21 school year, an estimated 16,000 households with CMS students still lacked adequate home connectivity.

In response to this need, we asked our community to “Connect for Tech” and close the connectivity gap by helping us raise $3.2 million to cover the cost of internet service for students in need of support during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Jennifer-Parker_04
get to know us

Our People & Priorities

With the help of our dedicated board, talented team, and the local philanthropic community, including generous donors and supportive advocates like you, we develop initiatives and programs that support educators as they foster the potential of nearly 150,000 students in CMS schools.

Board of Directors

Meet our dedicated Board of Directors, making a difference in public education in our community.

Meet Our Team

The CMS Foundation staff team helps ensure that your private investments have a meaningful, sustainable impact.

Fundraising Priorities

As the official nonprofit partner for CMS schools, we raise money to support the district’s highest strategic priorities.

Our Programs

We seed innovative ideas and help expand existing programs to accelerate system-wide transformation.