Welcome to NovatoSpirit!

NovatoSprit provides athletic activities to disadvantaged kids in Novato to improve their physical and mental health.

NovatoSpirit is a 501c3 nonprofit program that was formed to offer athletic scholarships to kids from families with financial needs, enabling them to participate in professional recreational programs in our Novato community.

Did you know that 35% of all schoolchildren within the Novato Unified School District (an estimated 2,800 kids) are disadvantaged? These 2,800 Novato kids are likely candidates for a NovatoSpirit scholarship.

Kids from families with financial needs have less access to wholesome activities because they are too expensive for their families to afford. The kids’ resultant inactivity puts them at risk for obesity and increased problems with chronic diseases, such as diabetes.

At NovatoSpirit we award scholarship funding to athletic programs that help our kids. We emphasize physical fitness, self-discipline and restraint, patience, dedicated practice and respect for others. To apply, kids must be 7-18 years old, live in Novato and/or go to a Novato school. Scholarships are for selected martial arts programs, dance classes, and soccer.

The story of NovatoSpirit’s success with kids has been told in a newly published book called Movement for Kids: The Story of NovatoSpirit, available on Amazon.com.

 
Checks can be made payable to NovatoSpirit
Please mail them to:
The NovatoSpirit Scholarship Program
936 7th Street,
Suite B, PMB 236
Novato, CA 94945
    Download scholarship forms in English
Download scholarship forms in Spanish

For more information, please contact:
NovatoSpirit Executive Director Marian Schinske
Phone: (415) 892-5118
Email: marianschinske@gmail.com
         

Can you help our kids? Here’s what your help will do:

• $100 will enable a child to play soccer
• $500 will enable a child to dance—ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, urban, and other styles
• $1000 will enable a child to practice karate or tae kwon do
Donations of any amount are much appreciated and are tax-deductible.

NovatoSpirit has been nominated for several prestigious awards:

  • The Bay Citizen’s “Citizen of Tomorrow Award,” which recognizes people in the Bay Area who improve their communities, solving challenges in creative ways. Marian Schinske is seen as helping low-income youth overcome financial barriers to wholesome after-school activities that provide vigorous exercise in Novato, where residents struggle with high rates of obesity and diabetes.
  • The California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports “Spotlight Award.”  This nomination recognizes our “efforts to positively impact the physical activity, fitness and well-being of California 's children and youth.”
  • The Beryl H. Buck Award for Achievement in Marin County . 
  • APPLE Family Works “Volunteer Family of the Year Award.”  A NovatoSpirit Board Member and her family were nominated for their work helping kids in the NovatoSpirit program.
  • The Heart of Marin Awards, “Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence Award.”  This award ceremony, celebrating more than 100 nonprofits and volunteers throughout the county, is hosted by the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin.  NovatoSpirit has been nominated for this award each year since 2006.
We thank all individuals in Novato and beyond for supporting NovatoSpirit.
To honor your privacy, we are not naming you here.
NovatoSpirit kids appreciate you!
We appreciate the support of these charitable organizations:
• Hennessy Advisors, Inc.
• Indian Valley 4-H Club, Novato
• JP Morgan Chase Foundation
• KWMR Radio of West Marin
• Novato United Methodist Church
• Rotary Club of Ignacio
• San Geronimo Valley Presbyterian Church
• The Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership—The Marin Human Race
• The County of Marin, as requested by Supervisor Judy Arnold
• The County of Marin, as requested by Supervisor Steve Kinsey
• The Cowgirls Foundation
• The Jewish Community Endowment Fund
• The John and Nancy Bates Foundation
• The John Brockway Huntington Foundation
• The Maier Family Foundation
• Marin Charitable
• The Meridian Health Foundation
• The Sundt Foundation
• Umpqua Bank
• Unity in Marin
       
We are grateful for the support and/or encouragement provided by these Marin County businesses, organizations, and leaders:

• Ahmad Anderson, President, Novato Youth Football and Cheer
• APPLE Family Works
• Balancing Element, Inc.
• Bobbie Bukzar, graphic designer
• Brandon Mead, logo designer
• Brian Hollander, DDS, MS, periodontist
• California State Senator Mark Leno
• Catlin Fuller I, LLC
• City of Novato Parks & Recreation Department
• Embroideme
• Five Little Monkeys
• Ghirardo CPA
• Great Donuts
• Home Thrift Mortgage
• Ito’s White Tiger Kenpo Karate
• Jade Paterson, computer setup and repair
• Jan La Torre-Derby, Superintendent Novato Unified School District
• Jan Ta School of Dance
• Jessica Hotchkiss, event planner
• KWMR, West Marin Radio 90.5 FM
• Kyung Ki Tae Kwon Do
• Larry Aronson, DDS
• Love 2 Dance
• Mahr Elder, DDS, MD
• Marin Advocates for Children (CASA Marin)
• Marin Community Clinics, Novato
• Mark Lawler, MD
• Mary’s Pizza Shack
• Mayor Madeline Kellner, Novato
• Meridian Sports Clubs, Rolling Hills
• Multicultural Advisory Commission, City of Novato
• Nancy Derham, DDS
• Napoli Pizza & Pasta
• NKB Media Services Inc.
• Novato Advance
• Novato Human Needs Center
• Novato Toyota
• Novato Youth Center
• O21 Fitness
• Peet’s Coffee & Tea
• Perry & Perry Family Dental Practice
• Project Avary
• Scully’s Bakery & Café
• Sentimental Journey Antiques
• The Creekside Bakery
• The Republic of Tea
• The Strike Zone
• Theresa Fischer, accounting
• Tom Riley, Cal Capitol Group
• Trader Joe’s
• UPS Store, Novato
• William Buzbuzian, DC, LAc, chiropractor