ANNUAL FUND FIRST 2011-2012
The Annual Fund supports our greatest priorities; our students and faculty. The resources required to provide an exceptional St. Andrew’s education come from two sources: tuition and charitable contributions. Tuition provides the majority of the money necessary to operate the school. The remaining funds needed this year—$740,000— or 5% must come from the Annual Fund. This is an opportunity for parents, alumni, and grandparents to support teaching, exploring and learning – what goes on at our school every day. 100 percent of St. Andrew’s teachers, staff, and board of trustees contribute to the Annual Fund, an incredible testimony to their commitment to the school they serve! Help us GROW the Annual Fund today!
FOR MATCHING GIFTS - St. Andrew's EIN number is: 74-6003626
Gifts to St. Andrew’s come in many forms. Through our many parent volunteers, who give so generously of their time and energy, we enhance our students’ education and experiences at St. Andrew’s. And thanks to the financial generosity and support of our families and community, St. Andrew's students continue to thrive under the extraordinary leadership and expertise of our esteemed faculty and benefit from a diverse and challenging curriculum. With the support of our community, our students are connected to life and all the richness it has in store for them.
Financial gifts from St. Andrew’s supporters provide the only non-tuition source of income for the school. As an independent school, St. Andrew’s receives no financial support from federal, state, or local governments, or from the Episcopal Diocese. Tuition and fees do not cover all of the school’s operating budget, thus requiring us to seek funding from other sources. We depend heavily on a strong Annual Fund to maintain operations as well as additional contributions to various Capital projects, our critical Financial Aid Program, and the Endowment Fund. Estate gifts to The Bailey Society additionally support the school.
During the 2010-2011 school year, the Development Office went through a transformative audit that brought about new changes for the staff, offices and campaigns for the school. The main goals for this effort were to reduce the number of "asks" the school makes of families, to facilitate and improve efficiency and focus in our selected fundraising initiatives, and to continue our strong, community-centered fundraising culture that provides much-needed financial support for the school.
St. Andrew's has moved from hosting three fundraising events (Fall Concert for the Endowment, Family Fair for Financial Aid and Spring Fest for Financial Aid) to ONE fundraising event. This new fundraising initiative is a hybrid of all three previous events that will retain the concert format but solely support the financial aid program. This "Concert for Financial Aid" will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2012 at the Moody Theater (ACL Live venue) at the W Hotel. Sponsors and guests will be treated to a fabulous menu, awe-inspiring auctions and a show to remember at the best live venue in town - ALL for an important cause! The goal for this event is to net $300,000 for St. Andrew's Financial Aid Program.
Family Fair, in its 25th year, will remain as a community event on Saturday, May 5 but it will not be a fundraiser (the silent auction component will be absorbed by the concert) and Spring Fest, a relatively new event for St. Andrew’s, will become the Upper School Spring Social (to replace the traditional Upper School Winter Social) on April 19. Both events will continue to be valued treasures for our families and wonderful opportunities for new families at St. Andrew’s to be welcomed into this school community.
By removing a fundraising event from the fall, the school family will better focus on the Annual Fund First Campaign – a top priority every year, with the hope that all families will participate and join in supporting St. Andrew’s. The Annual Fund supports the programs and priorities that directly affect our students; the $740,000 goal bridges the gap between what tuition pays and what it actually costs to operate the school. The Annual Fund is the first and most important gift we ask of all our families, alumni, trustees, faculty/staff, grandparents and friends as it directly impacts the day-to-day functionality of the school.
In addition, the Development Office staff has grown and titles have changed. Molly Sherman, who has been the Director of Development since 1995, begins a new position as the Director of Major Giving. In this position, she will focus on managing the capital campaigns, relationships, and other initiatives involving the solicitation of major gifts. Catherine Herter, Director of Annual Fund and Special Events since 2003, will now serve as the Director of Development and Communications, managing office staff and strategies, the annual fund, special events, and the production of school publications, communications and marketing materials. Jim Heck continues his work with alumni relations as Dean of External Affairs and Alumni Relations and Jenny Morgan will remain in charge of the creative side of the communications, web, and marketing efforts. Brenda Hansen will continue as the administrative manager of the office and we have added a fifth member to our team, Allison Brubaker, who is the Annual Fund Coordinator. Allison comes to St. Andrew’s from the Development Office at the U.T. McCombs School of Business where she managed the Annual Fund. Prior to that she worked in the SMU Development Office while attaining her M.B.A.
It is with great hope and faith that we move forward with these initiatives at St. Andrew's. We invite you to explore the many opportunities that are available for you and we look forward to your involvement! For general support information or details about St. Andrew’s Annual Fund, Concert for Financial Aid or general Communications inquiries, please contact Catherine Herter, Director of Development & Communications at 512-299-9809. For more information on supporting St. Andrew's through gifts to capital projects or the endowment, or for information about including St. Andrew's in your estate planning, please contact Molly Sherman, Director of Major Giving at 512-299-9808. If you are interested in learning more about our Parents’ Council volunteer opportunities, please contact Parents’ Council Co-Presidents Patty Loose or Kimberley Ezell.