| The 2009/2010 Annual Fund |
By now, many of you have received a letter from Rich asking you to donate to Summit's Annual Fund. If you have already made a pledge, I would like to sincerely thank you.
Many of you were in attendance at our September 17th Parent's Night and heard me speak about the relevance and importance of giving to the Annual Fund as best we can. I feel the message bears repeating.
Summit's Annual Fund, like the Annual Fund of every independent school, is a vital portion of the school's current operating budget. It pays for things like teacher salaries and educational expenses in the present. These donations do not contribute to an endowment or a long-term capital campaign.
The tuition each of us pays for our children to attend Summit is designed to cover about 85% of the operating budget; the other 15% is generated primarily by Annual Fund giving. That 15% is about $3,000 per student. Summit also runs an Annual Event and some smaller fundraisers that contribute, but it's mostly the Annual Fund.
The reason that independent schools are set up this way is to make the school more inclusive to a broader student base by allowing those of us who can give a little more (or a lot more), to do so, which makes the school more affordable to the ones who can't. It also allows for a nice tax deduction, where tuition itself is typically not tax-deductible.
In the past, we have been very fortunate that over half of what has been donated has come from a small number of very generous families. Beyond that, Summit's "Leadership Donors", those who give $1,000 or more to the Annual Fund, are a vital piece of the school's existence. They are a group that we hope to honor, and frankly to expand. Our Leadership Donors will receive special recognition and receive an invitation to an event hosted by Summit to show our appreciation.
I also know that a lot of us are not in a position to write a check to Summit for $1,000. My request is to do what you can. We've tried to make it easier as well, by providing the following options:
- Payments can now be made on the Summit web site with your credit card using PayPal.
- You may also pledge now and supply your credit/debit card information and we'll deduct a pre-set amount each month per your instructions.
- You may also pledge now and simply set a payment schedule to make your donation.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact Cary Hewitt, Director of Advancement, at CHewitt@summitmontessori.org or me, brian@calare.com anytime.
Thanks and Happy Halloween!
Brian Poitras
Development Chair, Board of Trustees
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