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FAQs and Founders' Club
What’s the Price of Greatness?
- The Annual Fund makes up for the funding gap between current-year operating expenses and the revenue received from tuition and endowment earnings. This year’s gap is approximately $4,500 per student with the operating budget totaling $13.45M.
- The Annual Fund phonathon will take place on Wednesday, October 20th. Parent ambassadors will be calling to ask you to support the Priory. Avoid the call. Donate or pledge now.
- Cecilia Montalvo and Jack Landers are the High School Annual Fund Chairs. High School Class Chairs are: Trixie Putnam and Alison Poetsch, 12th; Cathy Gawne and Karen Gregory, 11th; Cindy Walden and Ann Zeichner, 10th; and Michael and Kim Guthrie, 9th. Greg and Paula Hughes are the Middle School Annual Fund Co-Chairs. Middle School Class Chairs are Kathryn Schreiner, 8th; Greg and Paul Hughes, 7th; and Mary Carusi, 6th.
- The goal is 100 percent participation from Parents, Faculty, Staff and the Board of Trustees.
The "ideal" unrestricted Annual Fund gift depends on each family's means. No gift is too large or too small; all gifts are welcome and tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
- Gifts to the Annual Fund are “Unrestricted” (funds spent based on the operating budget needs.)
Total unrestricted support in 2009-10 was $1.288M with Priory parents contributing more than 60 percent of the funds.
- You can help the Priory raise funds by volunteering: Make Annual Fund calls via phonathon, serve on an Auction committee or lend a hand as a member of the Golf Classic committee.
The Founders’ Club
“Without donations from Founders’ Club families the Priory would be a much different school. There would be drastic cuts to the curriculum, athletics, and financial aid as well as an increase in class size. Founders’ Club is the key to the Priory’s ability to do what the school does so well.”
- Hank Plain, Alum Parent
- Jennie Chiu, Catherine Boyle, Michelle Galloway and Hank Plain are the Founders’ Club Chairs for 2010-11.
- Founders’ Club members consist of Annual Fund donors who are major benefactors to the Priory There are three Founders’ Club levels recognized in the Annual Report:
The Silver Circle includes donors giving $10,000 to $24,999.
The Gold Circle includes donors giving $25,000 to $49,999.
The Platinum Circle is the highest Annual Fund level of giving at $50,000 or more.
In 2009-10, 62 families participated in the Annual Fund at the Founders’ Club level.
All Founders’ Club families are members of the Leadership Circle. The Leadership Circle includes donors who give $10,000 or more annually and lifetime members who have given $100,000 or more. Leadership Circle members receive special recognition in school publications, including the Annual Report, receive periodic correspondence from the Head of School regarding the status of the school, and are invited to an annual Leadership Cocktail Party. Last year Hugh and Laura Cornish graciously hosted the cocktail party and a wonderful, relaxing evening was enjoyed by all.
Other Important Facts
- Methods of giving include cash, checks, Visa and MasterCard credit cards, securities, wire transfers, corporate matching and online giving through the Priory Website.
Matching gift forms are usually available through a company’s Benefits Office. The Priory will process the matching form. The Priory is recognized as a 501C3 charitable institution for tax purposes. The Priory Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 94-1399274.
To give securities please contact Gail Kimball (gkimball@prioryca.org) for instructions.
- Even though we are a Catholic School and a member of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, every dollar you contribute to the Priory, stays at the Priory.
- Why not pay a higher tuition instead of donating to the Annual Fund? Adding the $4,500 gap would set the Priory’s tuition payments well above those of other independent schools in the Bay Area that depend on annual gift support to fund their gap. That would put the Priory at a severe disadvantage in attracting students. Annual Fund donations are tax deductible, while higher tuition payments are not.
- This year the Priory will award more than $1.7M in financial aid to 85 students, 20 percent of the student body. The average financial aid award is $18,000 with the smallest being $5,000.
- 60 percent of the operating budget is allotted to faculty salaries and benefits. Your Annual Fund dollars are spent in this fiscal year and go directly to the instruction our children receive every day.
- Each year funds raised by the Golf Classic and Auction are designated for special projects or needs. These projects sometimes fall outside the operating budget, but they add value to the educational experience at the Priory. Last year the funds raised by the Auction and Golf Classic were $442,914 and $68,500 respectively.
- In 2009-10 total gift support from the unrestricted and restricted Annual Fund gifts, the Golf Classic and Auction equaled $2,013.492.
- We are not currently in a capital campaign. The Golden Jubilee Campaign ended in June of 2008.