Roots of 25 Years: Annual Fund 2025-2026 - Austin International School

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Annual Fund

Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence, Building the Next 25

This year marks a milestone—25 years of Austin International School growing deep roots in our community. For a quarter century, families like yours have built a foundation that shaped generations of global citizens. Now it's YOUR turn to become part of our "Roots of 25 Years" - leaving your mark on our school's history while propelling us into the next 25 years.

A Year of Celebration & Support

Throughout this anniversary year, we're celebrating with three special events that support our school's continued excellence:

FALL: "Roots of 25 Years" - Annual Fund (November 3 - December 31) Honoring the foundation 25 years of families have built
WINTER: “The Nest We've Built” - 25th Anniversary Soirée (February 20, 2026) An elegant evening celebrating our community
SPRING: "Flying into the Future" - Student FUNd Run (April 2026) Students leading us into the next 25 years

Your Annual Fund Investment Powers This Excellence

Our Annual Fund kicks off this celebration, inviting every family to honor the foundation we've built together.

Your support helps us:

Attract and retain exceptional trilingual faculty who bring our three-language immersion to life;
Enhance specialized curriculum resources across French, English, and Spanish programs;
Ensure students continue to excel academically in three languages;
Develop the cultural competency and global perspective students need to succeed anywhere.

Annual Fund gifts are 100% tax-deductible with no event expenses — every dollar goes directly to supporting the programs, teachers, and daily experiences that make AIS extraordinary.

Make Your Mark: A Legacy in Stone

For every $150 you contribute, you receive a personalized brick at the front entrance to Adelphi. Inscribe your student's name in stone and create a legacy that lasts - a cherished tradition since our 20th anniversary. Higher giving levels include multiple bricks plus special recognition, or purchase individual bricks separately for each child.

Double Your Impact

Don't forget to check if your employer matches charitable gifts — it doubles your impact at no cost to you! Many companies match employee donations dollar-for-dollar, instantly doubling your contribution. Check your eligibility and maximize your support for AIS.

Opening Minds, Opening Doors

When you invest in Austin International School, you're supporting an education that opens minds and doors—to French universities, American colleges, Spanish-speaking opportunities, and careers that span continents. You're helping us maintain our distinctive approach while evolving to meet tomorrow's global challenges.

What is an Annual Fund?

The Annual Fund is a yearly fundraising effort that supports AIS's general operations and growth. As an independent school receiving no government funding, AIS relies on tuition, activities, and generous donations to meet our operating expenses. Your contributions to the Annual Fund provide essential support that helps maintain our excellent programs while ensuring a balanced budget and sustainable future for our school.

What is Annual Fund Money Used For?

The Annual Fund helps us invest in our most valuable resource—our educators. These funds allow us to attract and retain exceptional teachers while maintaining low student-to-teacher ratios. The fund also supports essential student services, including additional supervision and new staff positions. For perspective, a 1% increase in teacher salaries requires an additional $10,000 yearly, while a 1% increase in staff benefits requires $3,000 yearly. Every contribution helps ensure we can continue providing the highest quality education for our students.

Why Not Just Raise Tuition?

At AIS, we value cultural and socio-economic diversity and strive to keep our unique education affordable for as many families as possible. Additionally, Annual Fund gifts offer advantages that tuition doesn't: they're fully tax-deductible and may qualify for employer matching. For example, if you're in the 33% tax bracket, a $1,000 donation effectively costs you $670 after tax savings. Many employers will match your gift, potentially doubling your impact - a $100 gift becomes $200!

Why is 100% Participation Important?

When our whole AIS family joins in, we show the world we're in this together! Full participation from our board, staff, and parents creates a powerful ripple effect - your gift can unlock additional funding from foundations and corporations that want to support thriving schools. Through matching grants, a $1,000 donation could become $1,200 or more. Plus, you get tax benefits while helping AIS grow - that's what we call a win-win! When everyone participates, even with modest gifts, we demonstrate to potential funders that AIS has a committed community ready to build an even better future for our students.