Join us in our mission to create a brighter future for Dalton’s students. Together, we can inspire excellence, nurture potential, and transform lives. Donate to the Dalton Education Foundation today and be a part of building a stronger, smarter community.
Dalton Education Foundation
For more than 30 years, the independent Dalton Education Foundation has focused on developing, supporting and promoting excellence in the nationally acclaimed Dalton Public School system.
The Foundation leverages private charitable contributions to:
Recognize exceptional teachers
Award classroom grants
Provide college scholarships to Dalton Public Schools students
Your tax deductible contribution of any size is welcome and will be used to pursue academic excellence in Dalton Public Schools today and tomorrow. Donations may be submitted online through the SchoolPay App or by mailing checks to Dalton Education Foundation at 300 W Waugh Street, Dalton, GA 30720.
To get involved with the Dalton Education Foundation, or to make a donation, please contact Don Amonett at Email Don Amonett and 706.876.4029.
You can email the dalton education foundation at Email DEF Dalton.
Online Donations and Support for the Dalton Education Foundation: Investing in Our Future
For donations made in memory/honor of someone or to a specific fund (scholarship, account, …) and if there is not a specific block for that account on the SchoolPay’s webpage for the Dalton Education Foundation, please select the General Endowment block and enter the name or account under ‘Specific Instructions’. That information will be forwarded to the Dalton Education Foundation when information about the donation is submitted.
DEF History
Dalton Education Foundation, Inc, was established in 1987 to promote educational excellence in the Dalton Public Schools through education, recognition and enrichment.
School Finance Changes
Changes in the method of state school financing in the 1980’s led leaders to investigate ways the Dalton schools could continue to offer the highest quality education possible to Dalton’s children.
The idea for an education foundation was born, in part modeled after the highly successful Whitfield Healthcare Foundation that has supported Dalton’s Hamilton Medical Center so effectively.
Over-and-Above Resources
The foundation’s purpose is not to raise money to operate the schools; that is the Dalton Board of Education’s job.
The foundation provides “over and above” resources, both human and financial, to enable our educators to dream dreams about how to build a truly superb school district and then, with foundation assistance, to follow that dream.
Educator Awards
2024 Tom Jones Educator of the Year: Molly Carlson
2024 Hale-Bowen Academic Excellence in Teaching: Dr. Marybeth Brennan
2024 Dale Cook Support Educator of the Year: Irene Jones
Foundation Grants
Charles E. Bowen Leadership and Service Grant
DPS Payroll Deduction Teacher's Wish List
Janice Meadows US History Grant
The Rowena Hyatt Martin Creative Teaching Grant
The Tom Jones Grants for Excellence
The Trammell Scott Grant
Scholarships
Bill & Judy Adams Entrepreneurial
Bettie N. Armstrong Nursing Scholarship
Dale Cook Memorial
Demera Robinson Memorial
Harlan Starr Memorial
James E. Martin Memorial Math
Jim and Nancy Hawkins Future Teacher Scholarship
John Bruner Memorial Scholarship
Karen Lightbody Kirkman Piano
Tanner Karr Memorial Scholarship, DHS Class of 2011
Willisa H. Marsh Scholarship
Wright Business Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship
