What is the Annual Fund?The Annual Fund is the school’s yearly fundraising campaign in which each family is asked to make a contribution to the school’s current operating budget. Like most not-for-profit independent schools, MP&MS relies upon your gifts to “bridge the gap” between income and the actual cost of operating the school. Why doesn't tuition cover all operating costs?Tuition is set at a rate to meet the most basic needs of the school and to maintain affordability. If tuition were increased to cover the actual costs of all programs, many families would not be able to afford to send their children to MP&MS. With a drop in enrollment and loss of tuition income, the school would be forced to cut back programs and services. Moreover, the school’s capacity to create a learning environment representative of the economic and ethnic diversity of the greater community would be drastically undermined. Why not rely upon external sources to support the school?MP&MS does seek and has received corporate and foundational support for targeted projects, but most foundations and corporations do not fund general operating expenses (except through matching or donor-advised gifts). Nonetheless, foundations and corporations look for strong internal institutional strength before committing their limited charitable resources. Consistent participation in the Annual Fund helps provide the proof of internal stability that external funders require. Why is it important to make an annual gift?Tuition levels are established based on the assumption that we will have strong annual giving support. Additionally, full participation by parents, faculty, Board members, alumni and friends sends a powerful message of commitment to the community at large, including the foundations, corporations and businesses to which we apply for support. Your contributions comprise as much as 10 percent of our annual operating budget without continued support many of our programs would have to be cut back. What will the money be used for?Contributions to the Annual fund go directly into the school’s current year operating budget to cover a broad range of expenses including, but not limited to: teacher salaries, program support, professional development, facilities upkeep, arts programs, athletics, technology and Financial Aid. What are matching gifts?To encourage philanthropy and support their communities, many companies offer programs that fully or partially match charitable donations of their employees. Simply obtain a matching gift form from your employer and send it to the Development Office with your gift. We will complete the form and return it to your employer who completes the match. How do I make gifts of stock?Often, a gift of stock brings the donor greater tax savings than a cash gift. You avoid paying capital gains taxes on the donated stock and receive a charitable deduction for its full fair market value. Please contact the Development Office for brokerage information. Please help us make a difference. Our goal is 100 percent participation! If you would like to help or would like more information, please contact Judy Regalia at 415.924.2608.
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