Annual Giving

Annual Giving Q & A

• What is Annual Giving?

  A tax-deductible gift to the School given yearly to meet the cost of our world-class education.

• Why have Annual Giving? Why not just increase the cost of tuition?

  The actual cost of educating each child is more than $18,000 per year, which will continue to rise. Simply increasing tuition will eventually make Community unaffordable for most families. We strive for a community of learners who are diverse in many ways, including socioeconomically. It is actually cheaper for families to meet this cost of education by giving a tax-deductible gift rather than paying more in tuition. For example: assume tuition is $16,000 a year. A family donates $2,000 to Annual Giving, and receives an $800 tax deduction. Their net Annual Giving is now $1,200. Community School has received $18,000 total, but at a cost of only $17,200 to the family.

• Why should I give?

  Students at Community School benefit directly from Annual Giving and other philanthropic donations. Could Community operate on tuition alone? Not without looking significantly different. The School would be less innovative and individualized in our approach to education. Essentials such as class size, faculty and curriculum development, specialty classes, state-of-the-art technology, and athletic equipment – all integral to the unparalleled Community School education – would be affected.

• Will my gift make a difference?

  We ask each member of the Community School family to donate to Annual Giving, realizing everyone has a different financial capacity. Community is grateful for all our donors, and a gift of any size is a show of support. The only gift too small is no gift at all.

• When should I give?

  Solicitations are made in the early fall, encouraging gifts or pledges to be made by December 31. We ask all families, as well as grandparents, alumni and friends, to participate. Gifts given between July 1 and June 30 will be recognized in the Annual Report for that school year.