Annual Fund

Q

What is the Annual Fund?

A

The Annual Fund is a yearly fundraising campaign created to eliminate school-wide fundraising sales, institute a significant means for generating income, and to assist with special projects directly benefiting the school.

Q

What does the Annual Fund support?

A

The Annual Fund supports our students in ways that impact them every day. STM is a non-profit organization that relies on tuition income, fees, parish subsidy, fundraising events, such as the Spring Auction and Race for Education, and annual contributions to pay for school operations. The Annual Fund helps to bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost to educate each student at our current level.

In the past Annual Fund gifts have been used to purchase Active Boards for classrooms, enhance the school’s literacy library, provide professional development for our teachers, improve technology, provide scholarships to deserving students, and to provide the seed money for an endowment to assist in providing for the long-term financial support of our school.

Q

Why not fundraise by selling “stuff”?

A

People have told us they feel compelled to purchase items that they do not want. We have also heard that while some people want to support the school, they do not because they “do not want to buy stuff.” So, rather than selling “stuff,” the Annual Fund is a vehicle through which parents and others can make 100% tax deductible contributions to support our school.

Q

Why not just raise tuition rather than solicit donations?

A

If parochial schools relied solely on tuition income, the tuition would be beyond the means of most families. Annual giving enables the entire community—-parishioners, current parents, alumni parents, alumni, faculty, staff, relatives, and friends—-to help support Catholic education at a level that they feel comfortable.

Q

Is money the only way that I can help STM’s mission?

A

No. While monetary donations are necessary for STM to achieve its mission, you can also support Catholic education through the gifts of prayer and/or service.

Q

How can I donate to the Annual Fund?

A

Checks: Please make your check payable to St. Thomas More Cathedral School and mail to:

Development
St. Thomas More Cathedral School
105 North Thomas Street
Arlington, VA 22203

Please visit Faith Direct to make a donation online.

St. Thomas More Cathedral School is a 501 (c)(3) entity and your gift is entirely tax deductible