The Annual Fund
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What is the Annual Fund?
Independent schools — that is, schools like Athenian that are non-profit, self-governing and not government supported — rely on more than tuition to provide students with a high quality education. At Athenian, tuition covers approximately 79 percent of the School’s operating expenses each year. Fundraising through the Annual Fund helps make up the remaining 21 percent. Annual Fund gifts help balance the School’s annual budget while supporting faculty salaries and professional development, student scholarships, and special programs like the Athenian Wilderness Experience, athletics, the arts, and more. The impact of gifts to the Annual Fund cannot be overstated. Without Annual Fund support, the special margin of excellence that is evident across all our programs would be greatly diminished.
Thank you to all of the alumni, trustees, parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, corporations, foundations and friends who support The Athenian Annual Fund!
Parent Giving to the Annual Fund
Each year, a dedicated team of parent volunteers provides leadership to enlist parent donations in support of the Annual Fund. Since every student benefits from the here and now dollars raised, their goal is to have every family make a voluntary, tax-deductible contribution. In addition to providing essential funding, parent participation in the Annual Fund is helpful when securing gifts from the many constituents Athenian raises money from annually, particularly foundations and corporations.
Middle School parent Andy Blick and Upper School parent George Day are Co-Chairs of the Annual Fund for the 2006-07 academic year. Along with a committed team of parent volunteers who fundraise in support of school programs, they are committed to funding Athenian's mission. Please help these volunteers as they strive for 100 percent Annual Fund participation!
Frequently Asked Questions about the Annual Fund
Why does Athenian need my donation? Tuition only covers 79 percent of the school’s operating expenses each year and fundraising helps make up the remaining 21 percent. Athenian depends on unrestricted annual contributions from parents, alumni, parents of alumni, trustees, faculty, grandparents, foundations and corporations to carry out the School’s mission.
Why doesn’t tuition cover the cost of educating a child at Athenian? In setting tuition rates, the Board of Trustees endeavors to balance several important priorities, including attracting and retaining a dynamic and diverse faculty and administration, maintaining small class size, being responsive to the financial needs of diverse families, and creating a broad and challenging academic program. At most independent schools, meeting these priorities means setting tuition at a level that leaves a gap in the budget between tuition received and the true cost of educating a student.
How much should I give to the Annual Fund? It is our hope that you will make Athenian a top philanthropic priority. However, only you can determine the right gift for you and/or your family. We are a diverse community and recognize that not everyone can contribute the same amount. With nearly 1,000 donors to the Annual Fund each year, gift of all sizes are valued and each dollar from every donor makes a difference. To view the Annual Fund Giving Circles, click here.
Please direct questions about The Annual Fund to Shoshana Ziblatt '92 in the Development Office at 925-362-7210 or shoshana.ziblatt@athenian.org.
Ways to Give
Making a donation is simple, but the results are profound. You can give in several easy ways:
1. Make a gift online, secured by Verisign. Click here to donate online.
2. Mail a check made payable to The Athenian School to:
Development Office
The Athenian School
2100 Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard
Danville, CA 94506
3. Make a gift of appreciated stock. Contact Shoshana Ziblatt in the Development Office for more information at 925-362-7210 or shoshana.ziblatt@athenian.org or download the stock form here.
Thank you for your generosity! The Athenian School is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, with tax ID number 94-6070808. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
