GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

The Saint John the Baptist Annual Fund

For 160 years, this school has safeguarded the hearts, minds, and souls of our children. Every generation has kept that promise for the next.

Today, full tuition does not cover the full cost. It actually costs about $2354 more, known as “the gap,” to educate a student at Saint John the Baptist. That “gap” is bridged by philanthropy and fundraising. Today, we ask you to consider helping us bridge that gap further.

Your gift reaches what tuition can't: our teachers, our classrooms, our Catholic life. Our goal: $50,000 by May 31, 2027  and more families giving than ever before. Every gift, at every level, keeps the promise.

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Together, we close the gap.

  • The SJB Annual Fund is the school's primary fundraising initiative that directly supports operational expenses. It bridges the $2354 gap between what tuition covers and the actual cost required to educate each student.

  • Most schools have an annual fund.  Saint John’s has been collecting money from various donors, and some of those give each year.  However, this has not been put into a system that the school can rely on as they build their budget.  Instead, we have approached donors year after year, and if there is a change in leadership, some contacts are lost.  This will be a more predictable stream of funds to help our school go from strong to stronger!

  • It ensures the school can maintain its core standards without passing the full cost onto families. Gifts to the fund are used immediately to sustain essential programs, activities, and resources that tuition alone doesn't cover. It also allows us to reduce tuition for those in need, allowing every family to send their child to Catholic school if they choose.

    • Annual Fund: Supports the day-to-day, immediate operational costs of the current academic school year (like faculty salaries, utilities, and classroom materials).

    • Fund-the-Need: Supports one identified need, such as remodeling the cafeteria or installing the Sport Court. Once paid for, that need is complete.

  • Raising tuition to cover the full cost of education would make the school financially out of reach for many families, negatively impacting enrollment. Keeping tuition lower and filling the gap with tax-deductible donations allows Saint John the Baptist to remain accessible while offering donors a way to support the mission directly.

  • Many corporations offer corporate matching gift programs that match their employees' charitable contributions dollar-for-dollar (or more). You can check with your employer's HR department to see if they participate, which can double the impact of your donation to the school.

  • Our primary goal is stability and sustainability for our school. In the past, we relied heavily on a continuous cycle of smaller product-sales and fundraisers to make ends meet. This caused "fundraising fatigue" for our families and unpredictable income for the school. The Annual Fund replaces the clutter with transparency, focusing on direct, tax-deductible gifts so we can plan our budget with confidence.

  • Yes, absolutely! We are incredibly blessed by our parish’s continued commitment. The parish provides a generous annual subsidy to the school, which is already factored into our budget to keep tuition costs down. However, even with tuition and parish support combined, a gap still remains. The Annual Fund secures the final piece of the puzzle.

  • We want to respect your time and your wallet.

    • What is staying: Our major community-building events like our Cadillac Dinner are here to stay! They are wonderful traditions that bring our wider community together and bring in outside donors.

  • Predictable income allows us to manage our school's daily operations much more effectively. A one-time gift is wonderful, but a monthly pledge (e.g., $15, $30, or $50 a month) provides steady, reliable support throughout the entire academic year. It also allows families to make a larger annual impact by breaking it down into small, budget-friendly monthly amounts.

  • A: There is no set amount, and every family's financial situation is different. Our goal is 100% community participation. Whether you can give $10 a month or $100 a month, your participation is what matters. High participation rates show outside foundations and donors that our community is completely invested in our school, which helps us secure larger external grants.

  • Yes. Unlike buying cookie dough or raffle tickets, 100% of your direct donation to the Annual Fund is a tax-deductible charitable contribution. You will receive an end-of-year tax statement from the school.