We believe in the academic ability of individuals with disabilities.
The Maren Fund is a “grass roots” organization that has been like a rolling snowball - growing, expanding and gaining energy. Over the past 14 years we have met a need for parents and children with Down syndrome in the St. Louis region by focusing on their academic development. The important part of all of this is that we use research-based strategies and tactics based on a relationship with The Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County. This all began with our daughter, Annie. As Annie and her friends age, it is easy to identify additional academic supports needed, which inspires us to continue to develop new classes, programs and services. We started with the early years and now provide support through the college years and beyond. Thank-you for your interest in The Maren Fund and we hope you’ll find a way to join our journey!
Julie Williams
Volunteer Executive Director, Founder
The Maren Fund
How we are funded.
The Maren Fund works hard to be fiscally responsible. We survive primarily on donations, grants and tuition.
Tuition
Tuition helps cover our expenses. Our philosophy is that finances should not be a barrier for attending, therefore financial assistance is available as needed and 10% of our budget is set aside for scholarship support. To date, nobody has been turned away because of finances.
Grants and funding
The majority of funds raised or grants received go to support our scholarships and materials for families and incredible, highly-skilled teachers whom we sub-contract. With low staff turnover, our teachers and therapists have longevity with our program, making our classes highly effective.
Volunteers
We rely on administrative volunteer support. The majority of our administrative support is volunteer, keeping our overhead costs down to 4 percent of our total expenses.
Our team.
Julie Williams
Founder & Executive Director
julie@marenfund.org
Maura Foley
Director, Children's Programs and Services
maura@marenfund.org
Shari Max
Program Manager
shari@marenfund.org
Brandie Martine
Administrative Assistant
brandie@marenfund.org
Cathy Busch
Volunteer Bookkeeper
cathy@marenfund.org
Here’s how you can help us.
The Maren Fund is a not-for-profit organization that thrives on donations from supporters like you. Your gift will help us reach new goals and help us continue the growth and development of our programs.
Make a donation.
Your donation will help to support the education we provide by:
Funding our scholarship program for students who cannot afford tuition.
Purchasing class materials and supplies to enhance learning for students and parents.
Financially supporting our teachers and therapists so we can continue to provide students with individualized support.
