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WMU Music Department hits donation milestone
The music department has raised over $13,000 in donations and grants under Lindsey Pogmore’s leadership
WINFIELD — The Winfield-Mt. Union music program recently hit a new milestone on donations received through the Donors Choose fundraising platform. Currently, they have raised just over $12,500 worth of donations of music equipment through the platform.
Band Director and WMU alum Lindsey Pogmore has also written several grants to raise funds for the music program, totaling over $7,000.
“I think economics in general have changed since I was a student at WMU many years ago,” Pogmore said. “I remember my experiences in music as some of the ones that shaped my direction in life. I want to do whatever I can to help ensure that the program here stays strong, and that WMU students continue to be able to have the same experiences that students in bigger or more affluent schools can have. We are all really proud of our program here, and hope that we are able to continue to see growth and support.”
When Pogmore first returned to the building in the fall of 2014, teaching as the elementary general music teacher and choir director, she said she found that while there were a few good resources for the students, there weren't a lot of resources that really excited the students.
So, in her second year of teaching at WMU, she did a few Donors Choose projects to provide a class a set of Orff instruments, small bell sets and xylophones that are a more comfortable size for children to use.
These projects, according to Pogmore, were funded largely by parents and people she knew in the community.
The Orff instruments have been in use consistently ever since and are still very much enjoyed by WMU students.
In the fall of 2021, Pogmore became the band director at WMU, and realized in this role that the musical resources available were mostly wearing out from age and normal wear and tear. After making a list of all the things she felt would benefit the kids the most, she set to work figuring out how to make it happen for her students.
“One of the coolest things about Donors Choose specifically to me,” noted Pogmore, “is that donations may come from people we know, people who have some type of connection to Iowa or to Music, or from total strangers. I’ve received donations from the WMU community, which is fantastic, as well as from families of WMU alumni, former teachers in Iowa, and from all over the United States.”
At the end of each Donors Choose project, Pogmore writes a thank-you note to those who have contributed to let them know how the project has impacted the music program. She feels incredibly lucky that the program has had so much success from this platform.
One of Pogmore’s most recent campaigns on the platform was wrapped up at the beginning of this month.
Thanks to her 32nd successful campaign on Donors Choose, WMU band now has a Martin Acoustic guitar to use for performances in the community.
“With this high-quality guitar, our music program would be able to support students who have an interest in learning guitar and performing for people at school, in the community, and elsewhere,” Pogmore explained the campaign.
“In the past, we have performed at senior centers, adult congregate meal sites, and for some local businesses,” she stated. “The ability to take a guitar along with us to accompany our singing would be a huge benefit and allow us to go to more places where we would otherwise have to find a way to run our sound system for accompaniment.”
According to Pogmore, the program decided to pursue a Martin guitar purchase specifically in hopes that it would last a long time.
“There are others that are less expensive, of course, but we feel that the quality of this instrument justifies the additional expense, and that it will last much longer than a lower quality instrument,” she explained.
Donations to fulfill this project of over $800 came in from Iowa, Missouri, and New York and gift matches from the Allstate Foundation.
Nancy Smith Leach from Missouri donated to the campaign in memory of her late husband John R. Leach, a 1964 WMU graduate.
“I loved the community and the school district, so I am happy to support you in your efforts to help the kids,” Donor Barbara Kelly from Iowa wrote with her donation on Donors Choose. “As a retired AEA consultant, I am glad that I was able to help.”
“Thanks SO much for supporting this project!” Pogmore wrote in her traditional note of gratitude to her donors at the conclusion of yet another successful fundraising venture. “We are SO excited about this project, and about having this exciting addition to our program! We hope to get this put to use right away for our first concert this winter! We are all excited about music and are encouraged by your generosity!”
Only a few days after the Martin guitar campaign wrapped, Pogmore was blown away once again by donors’ generosity as they quickly funded just shy of $400 for jazz band music, just over $1,000 for new bells, and $176 for new reeds.
To make the most of her fundraising campaigns Pogmore currently has three others running on Donors Choose while the Allstate Foundation continues to match donations.
According to the Allstate Foundation, they began matching donations Aug. 31 and will continue to match them as long as funds remain for qualifying projects.
Through the Donors Choose platform, the music department has received other items such as a brand-new drum set, new percussion mallets, a case for transporting cymbals to events and competitions, new music, new rack for moving chairs when setting up for concerts, stools for trombone players to use in jazz band, instrument repair kit, as well as reeds for all of the woodwind players to ensure that no student is turned away from being able to participate in band due to ongoing expenses.
Southeast Iowa Union Reporter AnnaMarie Ward made contributions to this article
