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What is The Gap? |
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At St. Joseph
Montessori School (SJMS), as at most private schools, our
tuition revenue covers between 75% and 80% of the cost of
operating the school. We make up the difference — The Gap as
we call it — through a combination of grants, auxiliary
program revenue, reimbursement for administrative services
from the State of Ohio, investment income from our modest
endowment, and most importantly, fundraising. |
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What is The Annual
Fund? |
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The Annual Fund is
the cornerstone of fundraising at SJMS and specifically
targets The Gap. Other fundraisers throughout the year have
a specific purpose: Techno Trek supports technology
equipment and education, Celebrating Children supports
Tuition Assistance and Winter Festival supports Family
Association events and special projects. The Capital
Campaign will raise money to expand and renovate our
facility, whereas The Annual Fund’s sole purpose is to
eliminate The Gap: the difference between tuition revenue
and the cost of operating the school. |
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What does The Annual
Fund support? |
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Your Annual Fund
gift is helping us to achieve our mission — a commitment to
a “learning environment that respects the uniqueness of each
child in reaching his or her full potential.” Recognized by
the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon school in
1994 and 2004, SJMS consistently demonstrates a commitment
to excellence in learning. Your annual fund gift directly
supports the attributes that make SJMS one of the greatest
educational assets in central Ohio:
• Low
student-to-teacher ratio
• Specialized
instructors in Montessori education, foreign language,
music, art and physical education
• Need-based
financial aid which enables us to remain an economically
diverse community
• Professional
development for staff
• Up-to-date
Montessori materials in every classroom |
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What is the goal of
The Annual Fund? |
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Each year, the Board
of Trustees sets a goal for the Annual Fund based on The
Gap. This year, the goal is $55,000, up $10,000 from last
year’s goal due to increasing operating costs. Equally
important is our participation goal: 100% participation by
the SJMS community including families, alumni, Board of
Trustees, faculty and staff. Broad participation is critical
to our ability to attract other financial resources. |
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Why should I give to The Annual Fund? |
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Making a meaningful
gift to the Annual Fund is one of the most important ways
you can express your support for our school and your belief
in our mission. “Meaningful gift” is defined as what your
family can afford; for some families this is $5, while for
others it may be $50, $500 or $5,000. |
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The only gift that is too small is no gift
at all! |
