St. Michael’s Episcopal School receives and relies on support from parents, grandparents, trustees, staff/faculty, friends, and corporations and foundations. The following outline defines broad categories of support.  All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.

The Annual Fund helps bridge the gap between tuition and the operating budget and is used during the current school year. The St. Michael’s Episcopal School Annual Fund provides annual budget support to the entire School. The Annual Fund is not an emergency fund or for bricks and mortar. Gifts to the Annual Fund create, maintain and support important functions of the School, and are therefore essential to the growth and success of the School. Parents, grandparents, trustees, faculty, staff and friends of St. Michael’s Episcopal School are asked to participate in the Annual Fund. Participation is a chief goal; so while we hope you will be generous in your giving, we hope to count you among those who have given.

 

Our Annual Fund kicks off immediately after Labor Day, and we ask people to make pledges by 15 October. Donors have until June 30 to pay their pledges. Donors may make an annual donation or make a monthly gift.

Many corporate matching gift programs will match your Annual Fund contribution. Please check with your employer’s Human Resource office for information concerning matching gifts.

These contributions are restricted to a specific purpose. Restricted gifts may be designated to areas such as scholarships.

 

Capital gifts support the completion of payment for our latest property acquisitions and buildings (Chapel and Center for Athletics and Performing Arts). 

We ask all families and friends of the school are asked to make a capital gift and to be a part of providing these outstanding facilities for current and future students.

 

Some donors wish to honor others (such as a family member or a teacher) by providing funds for a naming opportunity. Please contact the Headmaster if you are interested in a naming opportunity such as a scholarship, classrooms renovation, etc.

 

Bequests: Many donors who cannot make a major gift to the School during their lifetime are able to provide substantial support through their wills. This also enables donors to reduce their taxable estates.

Life Income Gifts: Many donors would like to make a significant gift to the School but are hesitant to give up the earning power of an asset. Life income gifts offer a way to satisfy both of these concerns: making a substantial gift to the School, and at the same time possibly increasing the earning power of an asset. Such gifts have many tax advantages, depending on the type of gift. Life income gifts can take many forms, including Charitable Gift Annuities, Pooled Income Funds, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts and more.

Other Types of Gifts: Additional types of planned gifts include gifts of real estate, life insurance, works of art, books and other items of significant value.

 

Cash by check is the most common way to make a gift. Cash gifts may be used annually as charitable deductions on your federal income tax return to offset up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income. A donor may carry forward any unused charitable deductions over the next five years.

 

 Appreciated Securities – gifts of appreciated securities such as stocks (including mutual fund shares) and bonds, which have been owned longer than 12 months and would be treated as long-term capital gains, are fully tax-deductible based on the market value of the securities when donated. In order to avoid paying capital gains taxes, a donor must give the security to St. Michael’s Episcopal School rather than selling the security and making a gift of cash. Gifts of appreciated securities are deductible annually up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income on your federal tax return with the same five-year carry-over deduction provision as cash gifts.

 

Real Estate – the same tax advantages that apply to stocks and bonds also apply to real estate. You may give acreage, a farm, lot, house, commercial building or any other kind of real estate held longer than 12 months and receive a charitable deduction for the full market value and also avoid taxes on the profit. Any charitable gift of real estate over $5,000 will require an appraisal to prove the value of the gift. If you are interested in giving real estate, you should consult with the school prior to making the gift.

 

Trust and Other Giving Vehicles – Please check with your tax advisor for more ways to make gifts using charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts.

Matching Gifts – Many employers in our area match donations made by their employees. Some even have programs that recognize employees’ volunteer service. To learn more about your employer’s matching gift program, talk with someone in your Human Resource or Corporate Giving office. Matching gifts can double or triple your contribution to St. Michael’s Episcopal School.

St. Michael’s Episcopal School sponsors fundraising events designed to enable school families as well as friends of the school to participate in events which benefit the school. These events typically include an annual golf tournament and an auction. 

Student groups may (with the Headmaster’s permission) engage in entrepreneurship endeavors such as the Student Council’s Friday Pizza lunches or a car wash to benefit the volleyball team or the choir. In such cases, students provide a service; and parents, other students or the general public may participate by choice.

Entrepreneurship endeavors teach our students to plan, budget and work together toward a common goal.