FAQ about the Stanbridge Annual Fund
Q: How does a student benefit from contributions to the Annual Fund?
A: Your gift supports the people and programs that make Stanbridge so special: Our staff of talented teachers, counselors, and administrators. Maintaining a maximum student-teacher ratio of 8:1 in all classes so students can receive the individualized attention they need. Support services and resources that many public schools simply don’t provide or can’t afford. Up-to-date technology and accommodations for different learning styles. Enrichment opportunities that include arts, athletics, extracurricular activities, and our renowned experiential program.
Annual Fund donations are necessary because tuition alone does not cover all the opportunities, services, and support students receive here at Stanbridge. That’s why the annual giving campaign is a critical component for virtually all independent schools to thrive. Inevitably, the range of special offerings that we offer our students drives the budget up. So—just as universities and even public schools now do—Stanbridge must ask current parents, alumni families, and outside friends for financial support.
A: Your gift supports the people and programs that make Stanbridge so special: Our staff of talented teachers, counselors, and administrators. Maintaining a maximum student-teacher ratio of 8:1 in all classes so students can receive the individualized attention they need. Support services and resources that many public schools simply don’t provide or can’t afford. Up-to-date technology and accommodations for different learning styles. Enrichment opportunities that include arts, athletics, extracurricular activities, and our renowned experiential program.
Annual Fund donations are necessary because tuition alone does not cover all the opportunities, services, and support students receive here at Stanbridge. That’s why the annual giving campaign is a critical component for virtually all independent schools to thrive. Inevitably, the range of special offerings that we offer our students drives the budget up. So—just as universities and even public schools now do—Stanbridge must ask current parents, alumni families, and outside friends for financial support.
Q: Families already pay a significant amount in tuition. Why should we also donate to the Annual Fund?
A: While tuition at Stanbridge is comparable to most other LD schools in the Bay Area, there is no denying that it is a significant financial investment. Because of that, it may be easy to assume that Stanbridge is rich, the teachers are well paid, and the financial needs are minimal. But as noted above, for the vast majority of independent schools—Stanbridge included—tuition alone does not cover the full cost of educating a child. With the cost of living in the Bay Area among the highest in the nation, the Annual Fund helps ensure we can continue to attract, develop, and keep highly-qualified, talented staff members; continuously maintain and improve our curriculum and facilities; and ensure the financial stability of our program in a dynamic marketplace.
A: While tuition at Stanbridge is comparable to most other LD schools in the Bay Area, there is no denying that it is a significant financial investment. Because of that, it may be easy to assume that Stanbridge is rich, the teachers are well paid, and the financial needs are minimal. But as noted above, for the vast majority of independent schools—Stanbridge included—tuition alone does not cover the full cost of educating a child. With the cost of living in the Bay Area among the highest in the nation, the Annual Fund helps ensure we can continue to attract, develop, and keep highly-qualified, talented staff members; continuously maintain and improve our curriculum and facilities; and ensure the financial stability of our program in a dynamic marketplace.
Q: If Stanbridge was run more like a business, couldn’t the school find ways to charge the full cost necessary to meet the budget and avoid having to ask for gifts?
A: That’s a nice idea, perhaps, but a for-profit business whose mission is to make money differs from a nonprofit school like Stanbridge, whose mission is to provide children with learning differences a “whole school” experience that ensures academic, social, and emotional growth. By nature, high-quality schools are labor-intensive and people-oriented; salary and benefits make up about 70% of our school’s budget. Much would be lost and we would veer from our mission if Stanbridge became “more efficient” by combining classrooms, reducing staff, or cutting programs.
What it comes down to is this: The rising cost of faculty salaries and benefits drives the cost of an independent school education. Stanbridge needs to pay our faculty members enough to cover the cost of living in the Bay Area and support their families within a reasonable distance of the school. To offer competitive salaries and provide the programs we want our children to have, we try to minimize the year-to-year raise in tuition by soliciting current and alumni families, trustees, staff, and friends of the community for Annual Fund support. Further efforts are made to offset tuition increases by applying for outside grant funding and other fundraising efforts, such as the Spring Gala and summer school program.
A: That’s a nice idea, perhaps, but a for-profit business whose mission is to make money differs from a nonprofit school like Stanbridge, whose mission is to provide children with learning differences a “whole school” experience that ensures academic, social, and emotional growth. By nature, high-quality schools are labor-intensive and people-oriented; salary and benefits make up about 70% of our school’s budget. Much would be lost and we would veer from our mission if Stanbridge became “more efficient” by combining classrooms, reducing staff, or cutting programs.
What it comes down to is this: The rising cost of faculty salaries and benefits drives the cost of an independent school education. Stanbridge needs to pay our faculty members enough to cover the cost of living in the Bay Area and support their families within a reasonable distance of the school. To offer competitive salaries and provide the programs we want our children to have, we try to minimize the year-to-year raise in tuition by soliciting current and alumni families, trustees, staff, and friends of the community for Annual Fund support. Further efforts are made to offset tuition increases by applying for outside grant funding and other fundraising efforts, such as the Spring Gala and summer school program.
Q: Does my Annual Fund contribution go toward financial aid?
A: The Annual Fund supports all aspects of Stanbridge—from staff and curriculum, to support services, facilities, and yes, financial aid too. Our financial aid budget is not funded directly through donations, however; instead, we allocate a set percentage of the expected tuition revenue. But without donations sufficient to meet operating costs, more tuition dollars would have to go to operations, leaving fewer dollars for financial aid. Gifts to the Annual Fund make Stanbridge affordable to a wider range of students, bringing our entire school community the many benefits of social and economic diversity.
A: The Annual Fund supports all aspects of Stanbridge—from staff and curriculum, to support services, facilities, and yes, financial aid too. Our financial aid budget is not funded directly through donations, however; instead, we allocate a set percentage of the expected tuition revenue. But without donations sufficient to meet operating costs, more tuition dollars would have to go to operations, leaving fewer dollars for financial aid. Gifts to the Annual Fund make Stanbridge affordable to a wider range of students, bringing our entire school community the many benefits of social and economic diversity.
Q: This information is helpful, but we simply don’t have the capacity to make a significant donation to the Annual Fund. How much of a difference can my gift really make?
A: A donation of any amount is significant! Simply put, Stanbridge has far fewer supporters than a university or a large charity does—fewer than many other local private or independent schools, for that matter. Because the number who will give is small but the need is large, every gift counts more. Moreover, when we can inform outside funders that 100% of our trustees, staff, and parent body support the Annual Fund, that show of support and belief in the school can lead to additional financial support from grant makers. It may sound trite, but it is true: Every gift is an investment in a child’s future here at Stanbridge, and will make a real and significant impact.
A: A donation of any amount is significant! Simply put, Stanbridge has far fewer supporters than a university or a large charity does—fewer than many other local private or independent schools, for that matter. Because the number who will give is small but the need is large, every gift counts more. Moreover, when we can inform outside funders that 100% of our trustees, staff, and parent body support the Annual Fund, that show of support and belief in the school can lead to additional financial support from grant makers. It may sound trite, but it is true: Every gift is an investment in a child’s future here at Stanbridge, and will make a real and significant impact.
Some content above referenced from Gifts That Give Back, © 2003, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 by the National Association of Independent Schools. All rights reserved.
