Ways to Support St. Mary’s Catholic School
Funding for St. Mary’s School is derived from three major sources: Tuition/Fees, Parish Investment, and Development and Fundraisers. Tuition and Parish support accounts for the majority of income to the school system, however, Development and fund-raising efforts are necessary because these revenues alone do not cover the cost of each student’s education. Development efforts account for the balance of financial support of our schools. This area includes other gift opportunities such as the Marathon, Night of Knights Auction, SCRIP Program, Tuition Assistance, Scholarships and Endowment donations and Capital improvement restricted gifts.

We celebrate and sincerely appreciate the generosity of our donors. Your commitment and philanthropic support have enabled St. Mary’s School to ensure the excellence in education you have come to expect.

Methods of Giving:
Contributions are accepted through a variety of means including cash gifts, employee matching gifts, securities and planned gifts that encompass gift annuities, life insurance and bequests, and gifts-in-kind.

Cash Gifts
Cash gifts can be made in the form of a check or charge. You may also wish to pledge your contribution over a period of time. Contributions to the school are accepted on a fiscal year basis. Pledge payments should be completed by June 30 to be included in the current fiscal year and Annual Report.

Bequests
The simplest and most common form of a planned gift is a bequest made through a donor’s will. Making a gift through a bequest provides the donor the advantage of having gift and estate taxes reduced or avoided. Distributions can be made either as a specific dollar amount or as a percentage of the estate.

Employee Matching Gifts
Many companies will match the contributions their employees make to tax-exempt institutions. This match can double the amount of your gift. St. Mary’s School will offer gift recognition for the amount of your gift plus the match and the name of the company. To get started ask your employer for your company’s matching gift form and include it along with your gift.

Gifts-in-Kind
St. Mary’s School welcomes donations and services that in turn will benefit our schools. The donor, through an appraisal, record of purchase, or billing statement determines the gift value. Gifts should follow the gift acceptance guidelines.

Life Insurance
Designating St. Mary’s School as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy benefits the students while providing substantial tax benefits to you, the donor. The premiums are tax-deductible if the school is selected as both the owner and the beneficiary.

Memorials
Gifts may be pledged to memorialize and honor a member of your family or loved one. Gifts may be pledged in memory of an individual and / or sponsorship of a scholarship or program. All gifts will be recognized in the Annual Report and the family or person informed that a gift was received.

Securities
Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds are excellent ways to give particularly if they have appreciated in value. Transferring gifts to the school can bring the donor tax savings by providing a deduction for the full fair market value of the stock when the gift is made. (Stocks generally must have been held for more than eighteen months.) Another advantage with the donation of a security is the exemption of capital gains taxes afforded you.