General Information: Fundraising at Trinity Episcopal School
Fundraising at Trinity Episcopal School
Trinity Episcopal School receives and relies on support from parents, grandparents, trustees, staff/faculty, friends, and corporations and foundations. The following outline defines broad categories of support. Any and all fundraising activities must be approved by the Head of School and coordinated through the Advancement and Communications Office. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
Annual Fund
The Annual Fund helps bridge the gap between tuition and the operating budget and is used during the current school year. The Trinity Episcopal School Annual Fund, created by the Board of Trustees, provides annual budget support to the entire School. The Annual Fund is not an emergency fund or for bricks and mortar. Gifts to the Annual Fund create, maintain and support important functions of the School, and are therefore essential to the growth and success of the School. Parents, grandparents, trustees, faculty, staff and friends of Trinity Episcopal School are asked to participate in the Annual Fund. Participation is a chief goal, so while we hope you will be generous in your giving, we hope to count you among those who have given.
Trinity’s Annual Fund kicks off immediately after Labor Day with all pledges due by December 31. Donors have until June 30 to pay their pledges. Donation forms can be obtained online under Ways to Give and from the Advancement Office.
Many corporate matching gift programs will match your Annual Fund contribution.
Restricted Gifts
These contributions are restricted to a specific purpose. Restricted gifts are not considered part of the Annual Fund that includes, by definition, unrestricted gifts only. The Angel Fund and Faculty Enrichment Fund are examples of popular TES restricted funds.
Capital Gifts
Capital gifts support building construction and endowment to achieve long-term goals such as expanding financial assistance, professional development for teachers and land acquisition. Such are the goals of Trinity’s second capital campaign effort – Advancing Our Vision, a Campaign for Trinity Episcopal School.
Early Trinity parents and extended family provided the funds to purchase the property and build our existing building. Current and future students of Trinity will benefit from established endowments and continued expansion of the physical facilities which enhance the quality of education at our School.
All families and friends of the School are asked to make a capital gift. New families are asked to participate via the New Parent Campaign, which runs concurrently with the Annual Fund.
Pledges to Advancing Our Vision are payable over four years.
Please let us know if you are interested in a naming opportunity at Trinity Episcopal School. Such opportunities exist for scholarships, classrooms, etc.
Planned Gifts
Bequests: Many donors who cannot make a major gift to the School during their lifetime are able to provide substantial support through their wills. This also enables donors to reduce their taxable estates.
Life Income Gifts: Many donors would like to make a significant gift to the School but are hesitant to give up the earning power of an asset. Life income gifts offer a way to satisfy both of these concerns: making a substantial gift to the School, and at the same time possibly increasing the earning power of an asset. Such gifts have many tax advantages, depending on the type of gift. Life income gifts can take many forms, including Charitable Gift Annuities, Pooled Income Funds, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts and more.
Other Types of Gifts: Additional types of planned gifts include gifts of real estate, life insurance, works of art, books and other items of significant value. Receipt of all such special gifts is dependent on the review of Trinity’s Development Committee.
In 2005, Trinity Episcopal School established Via Trinitatis, the way of the Trinity, to recognize those who include the School in their estate plans. Members who leave a gift to Trinity in their wills help ensure the future of our School.
Ways to Give
A. Cash by check is the most common way to make a gift. Cash gifts may be used annually as charitable deductions on your federal income tax return to offset up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income. A donor may carry forward any unused charitable deductions over the next five years.
B. Appreciated Securities – gifts of appreciated securities such as stocks (including mutual fund shares) and bonds, which have been owned longer than 12 months and would be treated as long-term capital gains, are fully tax-deductible based on the market value of the securities when donated. In order to avoid paying capital gains taxes, you must give the security to Trinity Episcopal School rather than selling the security and making a gift of cash. Gifts of appreciated securities are deductible annually up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income on your federal tax return with the same five-year carry-over deduction provision as cash gifts.
C.Real Estate – the same tax advantages that apply to stocks and bonds also apply to real estate. You may give acreage, a farm, lot, house, commercial building or any other kind of real estate held longer than 12 months, and receive a charitable deduction for the full market value and also avoid taxes on the profit. Any charitable gift of real estate over $5,000 will require an appraisal to prove the value of the gift. If you are interested in giving real estate, you should consult with the School prior to making the gift.
D. Trust and Other Giving Vehicles – There are also ways to make gifts using charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts. If you would like to explore these possibilities, please check with your tax advisor.
E. Matching Gifts – Many employers in our area match donations made by their employees. Some even have programs that recognize employees’ volunteer service. To learn more about your employer’s matching gift program, talk with someone in your Human Resource or Corporate Giving office. Matching gifts can double or triple your contribution to Trinity Episcopal School.
Special Trinity Episcopal School Funds
Angel Fund – The Angel Fund is a discretionary fund that exists to assist those within the Trinity family (parents, students, etc.) with special needs. Examples include emergency dental work, glasses, medications and summer camp scholarships.
Faculty Enrichment Fund – We value the skills, gifts and passion for teaching our Trinity faculty bring to this community. When occasions for recognition arise (holidays, Staff Appreciation Week, end of the year), we encourage you to express your – and your child’s – appreciation through notes, hand-made gifts and/or contributions to our Faculty Enrichment Fund. This fund allows faculty and staff to attend conferences, and purchase books and classroom materials that enhance the program and their teaching.
Financial donations made to the Faculty Enrichment Fund in honor of a specific Trinity Episcopal School (TES ) employee are considered contributions to the School, and are to be used to the extent possible based on the donor’s original intent. Gifts to the Fund are received, receipted and acknowledged by the TES Advancement Office. Since these gifts are made to the School and the donor receives a tax benefit, all items purchased with such funds are considered property of the School.
Appropriate expenditures will be for professional development, classroom supplies, equipment, books and other pre-approved expenditures. The Head of School and/or an appropriate designee from TES will administer the Fund.
Endowment Fund – Endowed funds are funds given to invest in the future of an institution. Endowment fund principal is invested and the interest generated is then used to provide support for Trinity as needed, to increase financial assistance, to enhance professional development for faculty/staff and to build the facility maintenance pool. Trinity families have established named scholarship funds to assist with financial aid and faculty enrichment. Strong endowments make a strong institution.
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