Annual Fund 2008-09

10th Grade Giving Tree Campaign

Dear fellow 10th Grade Parents,

Every year, about this time, you get bombarded with letters, e-mails and calls about the Annual Fund.  2008 is no exception and you may already have heard from one if us!  This year, in order to help you appreciate why this appeal is so incredibly important for the Laguna community, we have built a terrific website and put together the ultimate "Annual Fund  Q & A".  The idea is that we can take a more hands-off approach, allow you some space to decide on your own what your family's commitment to the Annual Fund will be and give you a one-click way to do it.  Hopefully the Q & A below will address any questions you have  but do feel free to let us know if there is anything else we can help clarify.

When you are ready to donate, just click on the "Give Now" link in the top corner of the page. You can make your gift or pledge online, using PayPal, a Credit Card, check or several other options. 

Help us reach our own goal of 100% participation from the 10th Grade Class this year. Thanks from us all for your support! 

Richard Weston-Smith
Tom Pickett
Brett Hodges
Class Captains 2008


ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ANNUAL FUND, 
BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK!

Q:  What is the Annual Fund?

A:  The Annual Fund is just that – an annual campaign to raise money for Laguna to help the School meet its annual operating costs.

Q:  Meet its operating costs? What, are you kidding?  With all the tuition I pay – it still doesn’t cover the operating costs?

A:  No, the tuition doesn’t cover all the operating costs of the School.  You see, the School tries to keep tuition as “affordable” as possible and one of the ways Laguna keeps tuition down is by relying on the Annual Fund to help pay for the difference between the tuition collected and the costs of operating the School.

Q: Why doesn’t the School just charge what it costs and not bother me with the Annual Fund?

A: There are really two reasons:
  1. Because tuition payments are not tax deductible but contributions to the Annual Fund ARE tax deductible.  If the School were to raise tuition to cover the costs of operating the School you would be paying higher tuition (as much as $2,500 per year higher – ouch!) and Uncle Sam wouldn’t be giving you some help for your “generosity.” 

  2. By raising the tuition, the School would probably lose some families for whom that additional tuition is unaffordable.   If the School loses families, then the total tuition dollars to the School goes down which means that tuition for remaining families has to go higher ... which means we lose more families which means that tuition has to go higher, etc., etc. 
Q: Okay, I think I get it – the Annual Fund is actually a good thing for our School Community so how do I figure out how much to give?
 
A: Every family has to decide how much to give and it’s a very personal decision, however, to help you determine what you might want to give, here are some guidelines:

-       I suggest you think about Laguna as one of the top three charitable organizations you support and, ideally, the #1 charitable organization you support.

-       The School operates at a shortfall of approximately $2,500 per student so a gift of $2,500 covers the shortfall for at least one student.

-       If you are able to make a gift in excess of $2,500 for each student you have enrolled in the School, you are helping make Laguna more affordable to those families who are on some level of financial aid.  This, in turn, helps keep more students in our school which helps maximize our total tuition dollars and makes our school community larger and more diverse. This is good for the students, the faculty, and all of the families in our community.

-       Keep in mind that your gift to the Annual Fund is tax deductible (consult your tax advisor, of course) so, if your tax rate is 35% then your gift of $10,000 is really only “costing” you $6,500 so you’re “saving” $3,500 and think about what you can do with that extra $3,500! 

-       You don’t have to pay your gift all at once (although the School appreciates it when you do!)  You can make a pledge and make payments during the course of the School year.  As long as the pledges have been collected by the end of the year, you’ve helped the School meet its annual operating costs!  However, keep in mind that your gift may be tax deductible (consult your tax advisor, of course) so you may want to make your gift by December 31st.
 
Q:  Thanks for your “guidelines” on gift amount (particularly that last one about my “saving” money by giving – I need to spend a little time thinking about that one) but what if I can’t make such a sizable gift to the Annual Fund?  I guess my participation doesn’t really matter that much if I can’t give a lot of money – right? – maybe I should wait until I can afford to make a sizable gift?

A:  No – it’s very important that you participate at some level.  When the School approaches foundations about grants to the School, one of the many criteria considered is the level of support the School receives from its community.  The higher the percentage participation, the more favorably the School is looked upon by foundations.  Our goal with the Annual Fund is to raise as much money as possible for our school and, equally importantly, is our goal to have 100% participation by the Laguna Community.  If you need encouragement, please know that 100% of the faculty and staff and the Board of Trustees typically contribute to the Annual Fund!  If they can do it – we can do it as well!

Q:  Okay – I’m convinced – how can I make my pledge or gift?

A:  Click on the link to the right and you’re as good as done!

Campaign Progress
$344,142.00 raised towards $450,000.00 goal!
Thank you, donors!
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