What is Saint Matthew's Fund?
Saint Matthew's Fund (SMF) is a yearly fundraising initiative that provides vital support to the Saint Matthew's Episcopal School operating budget. We are an independent school that relies on the generosity of its constituents. Thanks to the support of our school community, SMES has been able to shape and expand our excellent academic programs, recruit and retain quality faculty and staff, stay ahead of the curve on technology in education, and develop a unique learning environment.
How can you help?
Any size gift is appreciated. Gifts to SMF allow the school to start new programs and strengthen current ones. Your gift also helps assure that we can maintain or exceed our enrichment programs, professional development, technology improvements, and purchase new curriculum. Participation by the entire SMES Family is key to our continued success. We invite you to get involved and share with your family members. Gifts can be a one-time donation or a monthly pledge. All gifts to the school are deductible for federal income tax purposes.
The impact of a gift: No matter how small the donation, it makes an impact. Below are examples of how your donation can help our budget.
Cost to run the school: Running a school comes with many expenses. These expenses include:
Excellence Gap: What is the Excellence Gap?
The Excellence Gap is defined as the amount of budgeted expenses that are not covered by tuition, fees, and “other income.” Other income is defined as income from our auxiliary programs such as hot lunch and extended care. All other operating expenses are covered by our Fundraising Initiatives. Why is it important to cover the Excellence Gap? This year, the school expects to spend approximately $1,500 more educating each student than a family pays in tuition. Covering the excellence gap is the best way to prevent increases in tuition, while continuing to educate our children by nurturing the mind, heart, and soul in a Christian Environment.
FAQ:
Why not just set tuition high enough to cover expenses?
As an independent school, SMES meets our budgetary needs from tuition, charitable donations, and fundraising. Gifts to the SMF are unrestricted and allow the us to use the funds in the area most needed during the school year. SMES is a non-profit organization, and while we are associated with St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, we are two separate financial entities. If we chose to raise tuition, we would exclude a number of students. We want SMES available to as many families as possible, regardless of their socioeconomic status.
How much should I pledge?
Gifts to the Saint Matthew’s Fund can range from ten dollars to thousands of dollars. Large gifts are wonderful, but smaller gifts add up. A high percentage of parent participation is ideal. We encourage every family to participate, and we hope you will participate at a level that is personally meaningful to you. Remember that your gift, along with others, directly enhances your child's education. Please prayerfully consider your financial support of the Saint Matthew’s Fund. The only gift that is too small is no gift at all.
Are there tax benefits when I give to SMES?
Yes! SMES is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and charitable gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed.
What about matching gifts?
Many companies match employee contributions to non-profit organizations such as SMES. We encourage donors to check with their employers to see if this plan is available. The SMES EIN number is 72-0571489. Please contact SMES if you have any questions.
Who can donate?
Anyone! We encourage families to share this with extended family and friends.
Where does the money go?
The number one question we get is: where does the money go? We are not fundraising for next school year; we are fundraising for right now. All of the income from our current year's fundraisers is put into the general fund for our day-to-day operations. Our ultimate goal is that we continue on a path of improvement and end the year with a surplus. We have many goals for our campus, classrooms, and more, but the only way we can achieve those goals is through our fundraising efforts. There are times where we are approached by donors who are willing to donate money for a specific cause, these are restricted donations. Some of our more recent restricted donations are visible today through the cover on the greenspace (2022), metal picnic tables (2023), Promethean Boards in all classrooms (2021-2022), and more. These types of donations allow for wonderful contributions to our school but should not be confused with a donation to the Saint Matthew’s Fund or other fundraising efforts.