Wishlist faqs
Your Bell Wishlist Questions, Answered
What is the Bell School Wishlist, and how is it different from other fundraising initiatives?
The Wishlist is a unique “targeted” fundraising campaign for the following school year. It differs from other fundraising efforts in two very important and related ways:
It allows you to decide how you would like your financial contributions to support Bell. You are able to select activities or programs that your child will participate in, or that support your family values, like extracurricular scholarships.
It is the primary operational fundraiser for the next year. It supplies funds for the essential materials and supplies for many classes (art, music, STEAM, library, technology, Mandarin, PE) and extracurricular activities.
How does the Wishlist work?
There are more than 30 areas that you can donate money to. Each item/wish has a total amount requested.
You decide which wish(es) you would like to grant and how much you would like to give to each. Your money cannot be moved to another wish and must remain part of the budget for that specific wish.
A few wishes (grade-level residencies) can only be granted if they receive full funding. If full funding is not received, you will be contacted to redirect your contribution to another item or to the school-wide Maintain Bell Excellence general fund.
The principal has discretion over the Maintain Bell Excellence Wishlist item to supplement areas as necessary.
Where do the wishes come from?
All wishes were approved by the Local School Council (LSC) based on projected funding needed for the 2026-2027 school year and were generated by Bell teachers, staff, and administration.
Why should I donate money to the Wishlist?
Bell’s annual CPS budget only covers basic staffing needs (not all). Everything else, from curriculum to paint in the art room and books in the library, and even additional staffing, is paid for by Friends of Bell, school fees, and building rentals. The Wishlist is a large portion, approximately 33%, of the operational budget, outside of staffing, for the school year. It funds all the activities that make Bell, Bell. This is your chance to reflect on your child’s interests and direct your donations to the areas that are important to your family.
What do other schools do?
Some schools qualify for Title 1 Federal funds (about $1m on average a year) that Bell does not qualify for due to demographics. Those funds come with heavy restrictions on their use, which would not allow us to fund residencies and other unique programs, even if we qualified for them. Similar schools to Bell must also fundraise to meet operational needs.
What are the grade-level residencies?
First through sixth-grade teachers work together to define an experience, usually with the help of outside vendors, to supplement learning in a fun and untraditional setting. The goal is to be exposed to new experiences and skills outside of the classroom.
1st: Opera-Matic partners with schools to create multidisciplinary arts activities over four weeks that model participation in social change through creative play.
2nd: The Chicago Experience field trip supports the unit on the history of Chicago with visits to downtown sites on a guided trolley tour.
3rd: The Theatre six week residency teaches students basic drama skills and brings stories of tolerance and ethical decision-making to life onstage for families.
4th: The Fine Arts residency focuses on expanding students’ understanding of Mandarin culture through learning folk dances and the stories behind them over 10 weeks, culminating in a performance for families and other students.
5th: Local percussionist Jeff Handley brings music, history, and culture together in the World Music residency by showing how musical influences from around the world permeate popular music today.
6th: Second City brings its popular improv workshop to sixth-graders to teach both teamwork and developing individual skills.
Who decides the grade-level residencies? Can we change them?
The teachers and admin collectively decide, as a grade, with input from the administration, to keep the residencies diverse throughout a student's Bell journey. Feedback should go back to the teachers if there is interest in making a change. Significant changes to a residency would require approval from all donors to that residency (e.g., a vendor could change from Second City to Improv Olympics due to logistics, but a change to the residency itself would require approval).
What if a Wish is only partially funded?
Only the grade-level residencies require full funding to be implemented. The principal has discretion over the Maintain Bell Excellence Wishlist item to supplement areas as needed and could choose to divert funds if it is close to being fully funded. Otherwise, if full funding is not received, you will be contacted to redirect your contribution to another item or to the school-wide Maintain Bell Excellence general fund.
Residencies that do not achieve full funding will not take place. Other Wishlist items do not require full funding. Those areas will have less budget to work with next year and will need to make difficult decisions.
What if my child’s grade-level residency has already been funded?
There are many options beyond grade-level residencies that can be funded for each grade. Consider your child’s interests and your family values. You can donate towards special classrooms, scholarship funds, or extracurricular clubs that could be relevant to your child today or tomorrow. Another option is donating to the Maintain Bell Excellence general item, which allows the Principal discretion in applying the funds.
What happens to any leftover money for each Wish?
If there is leftover money at the end of the year, it is rolled into the following school year within the same Wishlist item. E.g., If Music has $100 left, it will be available for the Music teacher, and ONLY the Music teacher, to use the following year. Residencies have been budgeted to the correct amount, and funds will be used in that academic year.
Ok, I’m ready to donate. What do I do?
View the Wishes and donate online
You may also fill out the Wishlist Checklist form and write a check made out to “Friends of Bell” for the total amount of your Wishes. Return the form and check to school via backpack mail or send it to the school’s address listed on the form.
While the simplest way to make a wish come true is to donate yourself, there are ways to make your donation go even further. For example:
Send to friends and family interested in supporting Bell.
Check with your human resources department to see if your company has a “Matching Funds” program.
The last day to donate to the Wish List is May 14, 2026. This allows administration to determine which items for the 2026-2027 school year will be funded through the Wishlist and to plan the school budget accordingly. Although the Wishlist will officially close, donations to the school-wide “Maintain Bell Excellence” general fund are always gratefully accepted.
Are donations tax-deductible?
Yes, all donations to Friends of Bell are tax-deductible. Friends of Bell is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. You will receive a “Thank You” email, which will serve as your tax receipt.