So...What Counts?
Stone Community,
Earlier this week I shared with you a long blog post titled, “So...What Is An Annual Fund?”. That blog was written to build common terminology and invite conversation about fundraising in the Independent School world. Today, I’m sharing with you the second “FAQ-style” email of my three Annual Fund blog posts: “So...What Counts?”
In this blog post, I’m zeroing in on Stone by sharing ways that our Annual Fund creates real impact, by sharing the different ways we recognize and celebrate all gifts. Again, these conversations are the trickiest and most complex to foster in schools: my intention is to be transparent and to welcome conversation as we formalize our development work here at Stone; my intention is to align everything we do to the values stated explicitly in our mission -- empathy, ethicality, and gratitude.
Yet again, today my only ask is this: that you spend three or so minutes to read below, and that you reach out directly to me with any questions, comments, or ideas.
And without any further ado: “So...What Counts?”
Okay. You’re Planning On Asking Us For Support. What Does a Gift To the Annual Fund Impact?
In a word: everything.
In 2017, we didn’t offer much in the way of “program” -- our program was whatever we were able to accomplish M-F, 8-3pm at six barnwood tables in an old house. Today, we couldn’t possibly be more different -- today, Stone is loud, energetic, in a near constant state of evolution, and is fueled by our students’ endless imagination and by our capacity to say “Yes”. Today, a Stone student might give a formal presentation about Wordsworth and Coleridge in the morning, spend break running our in-house coffee shop, use the programming language Python to track and graph projectile motion on Earth, jump on a midday Google Meet to collaborate on a #NewVoterDrive, spend the afternoon designing visualizations of carbon climate data, then head down to Penn Manor for an afternoon L-L cross country meet.
The reason our students have so many opportunities every single day to pursue such rich, complex work? The Annual Fund.
So, The Annual Fund is the difference between “Stone in 2017” and “Stone in 2022”?
Exactly. The Annual Fund allows us to say “yes” to the imagination of our students and the imagination of our faculty. Put slightly differently, the Annual Fund powers all of the “features” which make Stone...Stone.
And Most Importantly, The Annual Fund Allows Us To Say “Yes” To All Students While Still Supporting Our Faculty:
Over six admissions cycles, we have never once turned a single student away for financial reasons and we don’t ever intend to do so. A gift to the Annual Fund says that you believe Stone should remain “Need Blind”; a gift to the Annual Fund is a statement from our entire community that Stone must remain accessible to everyone, and that we must prioritize faculty compensation if we want Stone to remain Stone.
All of which is to say: this isn’t a fund to raise money for buildings or stadiums. Every single dollar of the Annual Fund supports our students, and in so doing supports our faculty.
So My Gift Impacts Programs At Stone, and It Impacts Students. Brass Tacks: What Counts As A “Gift”?
I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but it really is true: every single dollar counts, every single dollar creates impact. As you consider a gift to Stone, we just ask that you consider a gift that is meaningful to you and makes sense for your family. To frame your thinking, we -- like most independent schools -- designate different “giving levels”
“Partner”: Up to $500
“Supporter”: $500+
“Collaborator”: $1000+
“Innovator”: $2500+
“Designer”: $5000+
“Benefactor”: $10,000+
“Leader”: $25,000+
Do You Recognize All Gifts?
We do, and we recognize different gifts in different ways! Any gift of any size welcomes you to the “Stone Supporters’ Club”. Gifts at and above the “Collaborator Level” will be celebrated with a permanent space on our Stone Supporters’ Wall (when it’s completed), as well as occasional “gear drops”, and a quarterly investor letter. Gifts at and above the “Designer” Level also include membership to the Head’s Circle, which includes invitations to unique events throughout the school year (for example: we celebrated our Head’s Circle most recently with a special catered event in Susan Gottlieb’s studio and garden this past summer).
Got It. So What’s Next?
Just like last time: nothing quite yet -- I have a final blog post to share with you, a blog post which will explain The Qualls Family Challenge, and in that email I will discuss very specifically how to get involved.
Between now and then, you can always email me at simpsonm@stoneindependent.org.
Between now and then, know how grateful I continue to be for your time, your patience, and the many ways you choose to support us.
With so much appreciation for your time,
Mike Simpson
See also: So…What Is An Annual Fund?; How To Support the Annual Fund;