Halo Fund

Your gift supports the people and programs that make ASA so special. This means talented teachers.  Small classes. Reading and math resources that many public schools simply can’t afford. Up-to-date technology. Accommodations for different learning styles. And exceptional offerings in everything from the arts to athletics.  

While your child is in school, all this translates into more personal attention, increased intellectual stimulation, better discipline, and more rigor. In the future, it will mean greater credibility behind the academic credentials your child will possess throughout life.  

Gifts are necessary because tuition gives your child access to more than you’re paying for. That’s why schools need endowments, auxiliary money making activities such as summer camps, and, yes, fundraising.  Inevitably, the special offerings that prepare students for the 21st century drive the budget up. So—just as universities and even public schools now do—ASA invites parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends for financial support.

A for-profit business, whose mission is to make money, is not an appropriate model for a school, whose mission is to provide children with a great education. By nature, high-quality schools are labor-intensive and people oriented; on average, salary and benefits make up about 70 percent of a day school’s budget.. These schools cannot get more efficient by combining classrooms or reducing staff. 

What it comes down to is this: The rising cost of faculty salaries and benefits drives the cost of independent school education. ASA needs to pay its faculty members enough to enjoy middle-income lifestyles and support their families within a reasonable distance of the school. To offer competitive salaries and provide the programs you want your children to have, ASA has to raise tuition, offer those summer camps and auxiliary programs, and ask you for an annual fund gift.

It’s easy to overestimate how affluent schools are. If they charge $18,000 or more for tuition and enjoy attractive facilities, you may naturally assume that a school must be rich, the teachers are well paid, and the financial needs are minimal. But for the vast majority of independent schools like ASA, tuition does not cover the full cost of educating a child. At most day schools, tuition pays only 80% to 90% of the costs.

Your gifts help ASA offer the financial aid that supports a diverse and talented student body. True, many schools do not fund financial aid budgets directly through donations. Instead, they usually allocate a set percentage of the expected tuition revenue. But, without donations sufficient to meet operating costs, more tuition dollars would have to go to operations— leaving fewer dollars for financial aid. Your gifts make the school affordable to a wider range of students, bringing your child the many benefits of social and economic diversity. 

In any school that’s more than 10 or 15 years old, parents of previous generations of students gave the money to fund the resources your child enjoys today. As the saying goes, all children are warmed by the fires built by others. Correspondingly, it’s up to today’s parents to help make sure that the school exists for children 10, 20, and 30 years from now. It’s a pay-it forward situation—you’re paying dues to the future. But there is also a more self-serving motivation. Your generous investment in the enhancements of tomorrow will build the school’s long-term  reputation which will always benefit your child as an adult. 

Of course. Many people take pride in the recognition that comes with appearing on the list of the school’s supporters. Others enjoy being involved in fundraising activities because it lets them make social contacts.  Some view giving as a way to become active stakeholders who help  their school achieve goals. And finally, unlike tuition payments, gifts to independent schools are tax deductible.

ASA has fewer supporters than a university or a large charity does. Because the number who will give is small but the need is large, every gift counts more. This reasoning leads many families to make their children’s school their philanthropic priority. They know their gifts are an investment that truly pays off.

That is an independent choice for every family. We encourage each family to make All Saints Academy a philanthropic priority. By our example, we teach our students -- our future leaders -- the value of giving generously to help others. There are giving levels to suit each individual's comfort level.

Everyone who believes in inspiring independent thinkers, principled leaders, and humble learners. First, we ask every member of our internal community (Board of Trustees, Faculty, Staff, Administration, and Current Parents) to demonstrate faith in our mission by making a Halo Fund gift.  We also invite our school alumni, parents of alumni, and grandparents to join us in this initiative.  Then, we turn our attention to local, State, and federal grants and other donation sources. In short, your giving inspires others to give as well, and allows All Saints to secure additional funding.

ASA launches our Halo Fund effort at the beginning of the school year and we focus most of our fundraising effort in the fall.  As the year moves forward, you may receive a few frequent reminders encouraging calendar year end (December 31) and fiscal year end gifts (June 30) to support the Halo Fund.

We would love to help you learn more about our Halo Fund and why it's so important. You can contact Sophia Coyne at (863)293-5980 ext. 2292 to continue the conversation about giving to ASA and how your partnership helps us inspire independent thinkers, principled leaders, and humble learners.