A goal of $50,000 for 2012-2013 toward expanding minds and broadening perspectives

The Logic behind Fundraising

A message from our head of school, Christophe Bonnet

In a private independent school there are three major sources of income:

1. Tuition
2. After school activities and summer camp
3. Fundraising

Clearly we must raise money in order to operate at the same level without having either to raise the price of after school activities and/or increase the cost of tuition. Because we value diversity – both cultural and socio-economic – we aim to keep the school affordable to as many parents as we can. Raising tuition above the inflation rate is not a desirable option if we want to fulfill our mission.

So we NEED to fund our budget through fundraising.

Fundraising in general and the annual fund in particular help finance the daily operation of the program. The funding is part of our operational budget. That is the reason why we have an annual fund.

Why does fundraising makes sense financially for both the school AND the parents?

Fundraising allows us to leverage the community engagement with corporate and foundation donors. There is a “multiplicator” effect: For every dollar raised within the parent community we can raise an additional amount from outside sources. Last year, for every dollar we raised we got $0.20 additional money. In other words, we get “free money”.

For example, to finance $60,000 of our budget we could either increase tuition by $60,000 or raise $50,000 from the community and $10,000 in matching funds. Fundraising makes financial sense for you as parents as well since, for many of you, your contribution could also be tax deductible. For a $100 contribution, you might get a $20 deduction in taxes. The true cost for you is then $80. The true value of your $100 contribution for the school is $120.

	Tuition increase	Annual Fund
Amount needed in budget	$ 60,000	$ 60,000
Amount paid directly by parents	$ 60,000	$ 50,000
Matching contribution by corporations or foundations	$ 0	$ 10,000
“ True “ cost to parents (after tax)	$ 60,000	$ 40,000
Average cost per family	$ 600	$ 400

As you can see, it is a win-win.

Finally and very importantly, your contribution – to a level that is meaningful to you and your family – is a way to demonstrate your support to the school. It is a way to show that you respect and support the work done by the faculty and administration. It is a way to show that you belong to the AIS community.

Your contribution goes beyond funding a budget. It is funding the vision that a school is first and foremost a community – a learning community.