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Not-so-new NEW 200 Foundation gets new name

As the NEW 200 Foundation made a resurgence the past two years, many people unfamiliar with the organization assumed it was something new.

But the name — which actually stands for the Network for Educational Excellence in Wheaton Warrenville — was misleading, as the nonprofit has been in existence for more than two decades.

Realizing the confusion, leaders of the volunteer-run nonprofit that serves Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 agreed this spring to undergo a rebranding that included a new name: Student Excellence Foundation.

“Even though we have a new name and a new logo we're still focused on improving education experiences for the students in District 200,” said Kristin Chmiel, marketing chairwoman of the Student Excellence Foundation.

Chmiel said the group formed a task force to work on the rebranding earlier this year. The task force reached out to educational foundations in Naperville, Elmhurst, Barrington and other nearby communities to learn how they named themselves and to gather feedback on new name ideas.

“We tried to pick something that we thought incorporated how we wanted the community to perceive us,” Chmiel said. “When we would introduce ourselves to people as NEW 200 people were under the impression we were a new foundation, but with our 25th anniversary next year we didn't want to have that perception.”

Foundation leaders said funding for the organization was on the decline in recent years, as longtime volunteers left when their children grew out of the district.

Pamela Paulsen re-energized the group when she took over as president about two years ago. In 2014-15, the foundation contributed roughly $6,000 toward teacher grants. Now, the group is track to contribute around $60,000 to teacher grants and $5,000 to other educational experiences in the 2015-16 fiscal year.

In addition, the board has grown from four members to 10, new annual fundraisers are in place and new partnerships have been formed with individual and business donors.

“We keep getting people wanting to volunteer, wanting to donate,” said Andy Johnson, who now holds the role of president. “I think (the new name) will just help get people's attention. It's very quick and to the point.”

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