working together for our children
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PTO
Moving forward by developing relationships between the school and its families to create a culture of philanthropy at St. Martin’s.
ad·vance·ment:
ad•vance•ment
a culture of philanthropy At St. Martin’s Episcopal School, our primary commitment is providing a quality education of the whole person in a loving, Christian atmosphere, which fosters lifelong learning. This requires an exceptional faculty, a top-notch curriculum, loving spiritual guidance, and the active participation of our families. Like most independent schools, St. Martin’s relies on philanthropic support from our community to sustain and enhance our excellent programs while advancing the mission of the school. Whether you are a new family, or an alumnus, we welcome you to join us in the life of our school.
a culture of giving
The St. Martin’s Fund
Planned Giving
What it is: The St. Martin’s Fund is an annual giving campaign that raises critical philanthropic dollars to support the daily operations of the school during each academic year. Gifts to The St. Martin’s Fund allow the school to fully live its mission and achieve its vision by providing funds that bridge the difference between tuition and the full cost of a St. Martin’s education. The St. Martin’s Fund is the school’s number one fundraising priority.
What it is: A planned gift is any major gift made as part of a donor’s financial or estate plan. You can donate via a trust, annuity, insurance policy or most commonly, a bequest.
What it provides: A strong
Major Gifts
annual fund is vital to provide the excellent education our families expect and receive. Every aspect of the school is helped by annual fund dollars. This includes not only academics but performing and visual arts, athletics, community service, school trips, financial aid, the library, technology, faculty salaries and professional growth.
Endowment What it is: Functioning much
like a savings account, major gifts to this fund take pressure off the operating budget and create a perpetual stream of revenue for St. Martin’s. Endowment principal remains intact as the school spends a percentage of the interest income.
What it provides: Earmarked as future assets to nurture and fulfill an organization’s goals and aspirations, such as professional development, financial aid, or faculty salaries, an endowment fund is a fundamental cornerstone for the sustained programmatic growth of our school.
What it provides: Depending on the size and designation of the gift, planned giving is for those who truly believe in giving back for the benefit of future generations of St. Martin’s students. Planned giving donors automatically become members of our legacy giving club: The 1959 Society. What it is: From time to time,
the school may conduct a major gifts campaign in order to fund strategic initiatives such as new or enhanced programming, endowment, scholarships, or capital improvements.
What it provides: Major gifts can
be the most transformative type of donation, and can include challenge gifts/grants, gifts for special projects, endowment and restricted grants. Major gifts provided the funds to establish St. Martin’s highly successful drama and public speaking programs, and the initial financial support to add Spanish to the St. Martin’s foreign language offering.
Georgia Private School Tax Credit Program What it is: The Georgia Private
School Tax Credit Program is a way for St. Martin’s families to redirect a portion of their Georgia taxes to St. Martin’s. This is a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for those paying Georgia state income taxes. While participation in this program addresses the school’s need for targeted financial aid funding, it is not considered a donation.
What it provides: This funding goes toward providing financial assistance to incoming St. Martin’s families who are transitioning from public school.
Capital Campaign
PTO Special Events
What it is: Capital campaigns are periodically held to meet new construction and building renovation needs the school cannot pay for out of tuition funds. Usually held once or twice a decade, the gifts are large and may be paid over a multi-year period.
What it is: St. Martin’s Parent
What it provides: St. Martin’s most recent campaign, Time to Grow, raised funds for a new middle school building, significant updates to Warrior Hall, renovation of the library, and refurbishment of elementary school classrooms and offices. The largest donor to this capital campaign was the St. Martin’s PTO!
What it provides: PTO funds support high priority items that fall outside of the school’s operating budget. For more information about the PTO and a complete list of special events and fundraisers, please visit the PTO link under the Support St. Martin’s tab of the school website.
Teacher Organization (PTO) plays an important part in the life of the school. In addition to community building events, PTO fundraising efforts are conducted throughout the school year.
FAQ
Why doesn’t tuition cover all the expenses of the school? As is the case with most independent schools, tuition does not cover the total cost of educating each student. Contributions to the St. Martin’s Fund make up the difference needed to cover the actual cost of operating the school. Augmenting tuition through charitable gifts helps keep tuition at a competitive rate and provides many important programs and improvements that are essential to our mission. Unlike tuition, gifts to St. Martin’s are fully tax deductible.
How does my child benefit from my donation? Your gifts support everything that makes St. Martin’s special. This means small class sizes, attracting and retaining the best teachers, and providing exceptional academic and co-curricular program offerings in a nurturing, Christian, environment. This translates to personalized attention, increased intellectual stimulation, better discipline, and academic credentials that will follow your child throughout their life.
Why do we strive for 100% parent participation in The St. Martin’s Fund? Your gift to the annual fund supports all the things you love about St. Martin’s. The higher the participation, the more we show that the St. Martin’s community is committed to the mission of St. Martin’s and worthy of outside support from grant-making organizations. It is also one of the barometers used to evaluate parent satisfaction by accrediting bodies such as Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Southern Association of Independent Schools. Our school boasts a strong tradition of reaching 100% trustee, faculty, and staff giving and encourages 100% parent participation annually.
How can I make a donation? Donations can be made by cash, check or online via credit card. They may be pledged monthly, quarterly, or in a single payment. Additionally, a gift of securities and other assets can be made by contacting the Advancement Office. Gifts of appreciated securities provide you with a tax deduction for the appreciated value of the stock without incurring capital gains tax. St. Martin’s fiscal year calendar starts July 1 and closes June 30. Matching Gifts: Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match charitable contributions made by their employees. This is an excellent opportunity for donors to maximize their giving. St. Martin’s has a searchable database on our website to see if your company matches gifts. The impact of your gift may be doubled or possibly tripled!
a culture of service PTO The St. Martin’s Episcopal School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) represents a partnership of parent volunteers who support the school’s mission statement by organizing community events, supporting teachers, students and administrators and assisting with fundraising for the student learning experience. From classroom representatives to on-campus event support for book fairs, Cookies and Carols, Veteran’s Day and more to fundraising initiatives such as the Fall Festival and The Fling – there is no shortage of opportunities to get involved.
SOLVE St. Martin’s students are also encouraged to serve through the SOLVE (Serving Others Through Leadership, Volunteerism and Education) program. This school-wide community service program is an outward and visible sign of our inward and spiritual grace. This group hosts a variety of drives by grade level throughout the year.
Advancement Department The Advancement Department cultivates relationships, encourages donations and crafts messages to support the mission of St. Martin’s. In addition to fundraising, the Advancement team works hand-in-hand with a dedicated group of parent volunteers to execute The St. Martin’s Fund annual campaign and plan a golf tournament to support St. Martin’s endowment. Volunteering in these capacities provides a meaningful opportunity for parents to connect with programs directly benefiting the school.
St. Martin’s could not exist without the support of the entire St. Martin’s community, including parents, alumni, students, grandparents, trustees, faculty, staff and friends. The investment from St. Martin’s families over the years has benefited generations of St. Martin’s students. Please consider partnering with us as we continue to build the future of St. Martin’s Episcopal School.
ADVANCEMENT DEPARTMENT EVENTS
Year Round
The St. Martin’s Fund
Fall
Georgia Private School Tax Credit Program
Fall
EC/ES Grandparents’ Day
Winter
Alumni Christmas Social
Winter
Alumni Red and Blue Social
Spring
MS Grandparents’ Day
Spring
Alumni Senior Dinner
Spring
Golf Tournament
3110-A Ashford Dunwoody Road Atlanta, GA 30319
ST. MARTIN’S ADVANCEMENT DEPARTMENT Tracy Ballot, Director of Advancement and External Affairs | tballot@stmartinschool.org Tina Haas, Advancement Manager | thaas@stmartinschool.org Jamie Fencl, Advancement Coordinator | jfencl@stmartinschool.org Kristi Gaffney, Marketing and Communications Manager | kgaffney@stmartinschool.org
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404.228.0727 404.228.0711 404.228.0733 404.228.0719