What is the goal?
Our Annual Fund goal this year is $1,500,000, or 8% of the operating budget. Among current parents we always strive for 100% participation.
Can I restrict my gift? The Annual Fund directly supports the School's operating budget, which touches all aspects of life at Park. There are opportunities for targeted giving, but we ask everyone to make their unrestricted gift to the Annual Fund first. If you are interested in supporting a particular area, please contact Siobhan Quigley, Director of Annual Giving, at 617-274-6023 or Siobhan_Quigley@parkschool.org.
Why should I give?
Tuition alone does not cover the annual cost of providing a Park education to each student. In fact, there is a gap of more than $7,600 between what tuition provides and the actual cost of educating each Park student. A strong, growing Annual Fund decreases the School’s dependence on tuition, and thus allows a Park School education to be more accessible to students from a wide range of economic backgrounds, and enabling the School to attract and retain a superior faculty.
Who contributes?
Each year, we ask parents, alumni, grandparents, parents of alumni, faculty and staff, and other friends of Park to contribute to the Annual Fund. All members of the Park community are asked to help reach the dollar goal needed for the budget and to participate in supporting the School. Through the generosity of our extended community, Park is able to provide an amazing educational experience for its students.
How much should I contribute? Every contribution is important. We ask all members of our community to support the Annual Fund at a level commensurate with their ability to give and their belief in the School's mission. Dedication to excellence carries a high price, so Park urges its families to make the School their top philanthropic priority.
Can my small donation make a difference?
Yes, every contribution to the Annual Fund is important! Each and every gift – your gift – helps to close the gap between tuition and the cost of educating Park students. Without strong Annual Fund participation, Park simply could not be the school that it is today. Park is proud to have a strong history of participation among all constituencies.
What is the difference between the Annual Fund and the Foundations for the Future capital campaign?
Park's Annual Fund is completely separate from the ongoing Foundations for the Future capital campaign. We ask everyone every year to make a gift to the Annual Fund, and Park relies on the Annual Fund every year to fund the daily operations of the School (as the Annual Fund contributes 8% of the operating budget). Annual Fund money goes towards purposes as varied as faculty salaries, financial aid, and facilities renewal and upkeep. The whole community participates in the Annual Fund year to year, including 95% of parents.
The Foundations for the Future capital campaign is a separate fundraising effort for specific capital improvements: the new and renovated classrooms, renovated library, and improved Lower School playground, as well as endowment for faculty compensation and financial aid.
Park would never want someone's consideration of a capital campaign gift to diminish their support of the Annual Fund.
What is the The Charter Oak Association? Park's Charter Oak Association recognizes those who make leadership gifts to our Annual Fund. Dubbed the Charter Oak when Park moved to Goddard Avenue in 1971, the large, red oak tree that stands alone at the edge of Park's playing fields symbolizes the strength of Park School and the values that the School's leadership donors help to perpetuate.
