News + Events
Chandi Hospitality Group and Mountain Mike’s to Host Dine and Donate Fundraiser for SchoolsRule Sonoma County
March 1, 2024
Chandi Hospitality Group plans to support SchoolsRule Sonoma County with a March 13, 2024, Dine & Donate fundraiser at eight Sonoma County Mountain Mike’s pizzerias. On that date, anyone who orders from one of the participating restaurants and mentions SchoolsRule will have 20% of their purchase donated to the fundraising venture.
SchoolsRule Sonoma County is a new fundraising initiative at the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) that distributes money equally throughout the Sonoma County school system, based on enrollment. It works in partnership with the region’s existing educational foundations and school districts to ensure every Sonoma County public school student has someone raising money on their behalf.
“So many aspects of life in Sonoma County improve when every student in every public school has equal access to the same high-quality programs and opportunities,” said Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter. “We’re grateful to our local business partners like Chandi Hospitality Group for stepping up and committing to support Sonoma County’s children.”
Participating Mountain Mike’s locations include:
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Cloverdale: 1143 S Cloverdale Blvd.
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Santa Rosa: 2280 Santa Rosa Ave.
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Santa Rosa: 4501 Montgomery Drive
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Santa Rosa: 3125 Cleveland Ave.
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Rohnert Park: 1451 Southwest Blvd.
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Rohnert Park: 6314 Commerce Blvd.
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Petaluma: 919 Lakeville St.
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Windsor: 6580 Hembree Lane
Staff from the county office will be stationed at the restaurants to thank donors and provide information about the effort.
Since 2007, Chandi Hospitality Group has raised more than $100,000 for nonprofits and local heroes, including educators, first responders and others, the company said.
“For more than 15 years, Chandi Hospitality has been dedicated to the people and communities we serve, and supporting SchoolsRule with critical funds for public schools and students in Sonoma County underscores this long-standing commitment,” said Sonu Chandi, Owner of Chandi Hospitality Group.
Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Launches New Fund to Benefit Public Schools
County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter and the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) are launching a new fundraising initiative in support of all the region’s public school students.
SchoolsRule Sonoma County will work in partnership with many of Sonoma County’s existing educational foundations to raise and distribute money that will benefit students throughout the region.
“Sonoma County has some wonderful education foundations that work tirelessly to support our students,” Dr. Carter said. “But these foundations vary in what they are able to do. Some schools are served by robust foundations with many volunteers and donors, while others might struggle to raise funds with one or two volunteers. Some of our rural schools have no foundation at all.”
Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter unveils SchoolsRule Sonoma County, a new initiative at the Sonoma County Office of Education that will raise money on behalf of all Sonoma County public school students on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at Redwood Credit Union's Cleveland Avenue office in Santa Rosa.
Following a Thursday, Nov. 9, launch event hosted by Redwood Credit Union, state Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire said the new effort would fill a need among those who want to give on a broader, region-wide level.
“Sonoma County is one of the most generous places on Earth, and last week certainly didn’t disappoint. Folks were so incredibly generous supporting Sonoma County students,” McGuire said. “SchoolsRule is a one-stop shop that will uplift the lives of every public school student, in every school district, on every campus, in every corner of this great county for generations to come.”
SchoolsRule Sonoma County is based on a model pioneered by SchoolsRule-Marin, which has been raising funds on behalf of that county’s students for the past 12 years. It will serve as a single conduit for donations from people who want to impact the lives of students countywide.
California Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire discusses SchoolsRule Sonoma County at the fundraising initiative's launch event on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at Redwood Credit Union's Cleveland Avenue office in Santa Rosa.
At the launch event, Redwood Credit Union made a three-year commitment of $50,000 annually to start SchoolsRule Sonoma County on strong financial footing. Its hope is that others will follow this lead and likewise step up. RCU President and CEO Brett Martinez spoke of the credit union’s long-standing support of SchoolsRule-Marin, which to date has raised more than $6 million for programs that benefit Marin County students.
Martinez said he’s been a fan of a countywide fundraising approach since longtime Marin County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke pitched him on the idea more than a decade ago.
“Providing well-rounded educational opportunities for all students is vital to the future of our communities,” said Martinez. “When I learned what SchoolsRule-Marin was doing, I saw it for the amazing idea that it was, and so we made the commitment right then. It’s a gift for us to be able to replicate Marin’s success in Sonoma County.”
Martinez estimated that RCU has given nearly a half-million dollars over the years to support SchoolsRule-Marin.
Martinez said RCU plans to replicate its Marin County program by making a donation to SchoolsRule Sonoma County every time a Sonoma County resident makes a purchase using their RCU credit or debit card, beginning in January.
Redwood Credit Union President and CEO Brett Martinez talks about the credit union's support of SchoolsRule Sonoma County at the fundraising initiative's launch event on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at Redwood Credit Union's Cleveland Avenue office in Santa Rosa.
In addition to Redwood Credit Union, The Press Democrat and parent company Sonoma Media Investments have agreed to support SchoolsRule Sonoma County with a three-year commitment of $25,000 in advertising and marketing as an in-kind donation.
SchoolsRule Sonoma County will work with existing education foundations and school districts to distribute funding in alignment with several priority spending areas. The program is being housed within SCOE to reduce overhead expenses and ensure that donations go directly to benefit students.
“We are excited to partner with our education foundation partners on distribution,” Carter said. “These foundations know their school communities best, and they know best how to spend these dollars. They will help ensure donations help fund high-impact programs in our targeted areas of focus.”
Thursday’s event was meant to introduce SchoolsRule to a handful of key potential partners in establishing this new fundraising effort and was the first phase of public outreach around the campaign. Businesses and individuals willing to commit to fund the effort for three years beginning at $500 annually will be recognized as members of the initiative’s founders circle.
Several businesses and individuals at Thursday’s event committed amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000 over the next three years to support SchoolsRule Sonoma County.
“We’re grateful to report that more than $80,000 in cash contributions have been raised since Thursday, and we look forward to adding more partners. This is only the beginning,” Dr. Carter said.
From left, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter; Mishel Kaufman, executive vice president and chief administrative & risk officer at Redwood Credit Union; Lisa Wittke Schaffner, RCU board member; Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire; RCU President and CEO Brett Martinez; and Matt Martin, RCU's senior vice president of community and government relations, attend the SchoolsRule Sonoma County launch event Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at Redwood Credit Union in Santa Rosa.
SCOE thanks Redwood Credit Union, Grove Street Brokers, Libarle Vineyard, Parliament Brewing Company, Pedy's Pedals, and Sequoia Floral for the goods and services they donated to help make the SchoolsRule launch event a success,
You can find our donor platform on our website as well as instructions on how to sign up for our email newsletter and find our social media. If you are involved with an education foundation and would like to learn more, please email schoolsrulesonomacounty@scoe.org or call (707) 522-3330.
Contact Us
SchoolsRule Sonoma County
c/o The Sonoma County Office of Education
5340 Skylane Boulevard
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Phone: (707) 522-3330