WMS Annual Fund
Washington Montessori School
New Preston, Connecticut
As is true for all independent schools, tuition alone cannot cover the programs that make WMS an exceptional place to learn.
On average, we must raise 10% of our annual operating budget, and we ask parents, grandparents, alumni, faculty and staff, parents of alumni, and friends of the school to help bridge this gap. Your gift to the WMS Annual Fund is part of a community-wide investment in the education of each WMS student, as well as an affirmation of those dedicated teachers and staff to whom we entrust our children every day.
Please remember that annual giving is 100% tax-deductible, and that gifts of all sizes, whether $20 or $20,000, help ensure that WMS and our students continue to flourish in this changing world. Our leadership level of giving is $5,000 and higher.
For your children, this is where it all begins, and we believe a WMS education is an investment with endless returns.
Thank you.
Your Annual Fund Gift Directly Benefits Our Students
- Supporting our outstanding staff and their professional development.
- Providing tuition assistance and scholarships to families who need it, thereby ensuring a diverse community of families and students and affirming our commitment to a mission of diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Maintaining the health and safety of our children and teachers, which includes everything from campus safety to counseling support.
- Expanding and maintaining our outdoor classroom and enrichment opportunities.
- Funding special programs in the arts and sciences to enhance our curriculum.
- Ensuring that our technology and training are adequately updated for new ways of working and connecting, and that there is equal access for students and teachers.
- Supporting our athletics program, from P.E. programs to Middle School sports and competition.
Opportunities to Direct Your Gift
Your annual fund gift can be used to support our school’s areas of greatest need, or you can choose to direct it to a program of particular interest to you.
WMS Community Partnership Program
This program provides Middle School education to 6 graduates of the Children’s Community School (CCS) in Waterbury, CT each year. The children who come to our school have been identified as potential academic and social leaders within the CCS community. Our school’s partnership with the Children’s Community School dates back to 1995 and is a significant part of our mission.
The goal of this partnership is to provide a WMS education to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds, so our students benefit from a variety of perspectives and opinions, thereby enriching not only our own school community, but the larger community as well. All gifts to this program will support the cost of educating WMSCPP students. This includes tuition, transportation to and from school, and expenses for materials and activities.
When WMSCPP students enter eighth grade, attention is given to planning their next step into high school, so they may continue to thrive at their next level of education.
WMSCPP Fundraising
Please join us in supporting the ongoing viability and sustainability of the Washington Montessori School Community Partnership Program, an integral part of our mission as a school and community.
You may contact Trish O’Reilly, Director of Development, to contribute to this program or simply make a gift to the WMS Annual Fund and choose the WMS Community Partnership Program as your area of interest.
Thank you for your deep support and for being a part of the change we all wish to see in the world.
Our partnership with the Children’s Community School has been a core part of the WMS mission for nearly three decades.
Other Ways to Direct Your Gift
Area of Greatest Need
Arts and Enrichment
Athletics
Facilities and Grounds
School Safety
Teacher Professional Development
Tuition Assistance
WMS Community Partnership Program
Giving FAQs
With so many charitable organizations that need support, why give to WMS?
Vibrant and healthy Montessori schools are an engine for positive change – for your child and for the world. When you invest in your child’s Montessori education from early childhood to middle school, the impact is profound and lasting, as these are the years when your children are forming who they will become.
A gift to WMS is also a gift to the future – your child and your child’s classmates will shape the world in powerful ways. As Maria Montessori put it, “The child is a hope and a promise for humankind.”
If we pay tuition, why does WMS need to fundraise?
In the United States, no one truly pays full tuition at independent schools and colleges. As is true for many independent schools, what is raised by tuition and fees covers, on average, about 90% of our operating budget. We rely on annual fundraising to make up that difference and to make sure our program is exceptional.
Raising tuition to a level that covers all of our costs would make WMS less accessible to families who seek a WMS education for their children. We want a community of parents and educators that is as diverse as possible, because a more diverse community is a healthier and more vibrant community.
Some of our families are able to make up the gap between tuition and the cost of an education fully, while others contribute an amount that is meaningful to their family. There is a wide range of giving, as well as support from our extended community of parents of alumni, grandparents, staff, alumni, and friends.
Every dollar raised goes toward arts, athletics, tuition assistance, learning support, teacher professional development, school safety, technology, and more.
Another reason why schools are structured this way in the United States is our tax code: Gifts are fully tax-deductible, whereas independent school tuition is not!
Every school offers different amounts of aid. At WMS, 39% of our student body receives some form of need-based aid. This adds up to approximately 28.6% of what gross revenue would be if everyone paid full tuition.
Why do we care about participation rates and not just dollars raised?
High participation among current parents and staff is simply a reflection of a happy and supportive community, and sends a strong signal to our other supporters. Of course, we need to meet our financial goals, and therefore must ask those who can bridge the gap to please consider doing so, but gifts at every level make a difference.
Do we "cold call" families to ask for money?
We don’t cold call anyone. However, our team of volunteers will write a note first identifying themselves as a parent volunteer (in many cases they may have a child in the same class or level), which goes into the AF mailer. That is followed a week or two later by an email offering to address any questions a family might have.
What is the case for giving, particularly giving to close the gap?
Nearly every WMS family donated last year to support our mission. Donations paid for arts programming, athletics programs, PD for teachers, improvements to the prepared environment. Generous donors support tuition insurance, including a partnership between WMS and the Children’s Community School in Waterbury, CT. That program is a particular source of pride for both schools, as it identifies academic and social leaders whose many gifts will enrich the school community and widen the reach of the WMS mission.
When you are asked to donate to the annual fund, think about this:
- A school without arts, athletics, professional development and particularly tuition assistance is not achieving its mission. What you donate is essential, not extra.
- We are primarily funded by tuition dollars. However, tuition does not cover the full cost of your child’s education. Each child’s education costs about $2,500 more than the price of full tuition. So if you are able, please donate at that level or above that level. Our Leadership level of giving starts at $5,000.
- If you are stretching financially to be here – you are not alone. An economically diverse community means that everyone comes to the table in a different situation. If that is the case, find some way to support the mission and give what you can to the annual fund. Every gift, no matter its size, makes an impact.
How do we benchmark tuition vs. rival schools?
We seek to provide the best possible education as defined by our mission. While the tuition charged by other schools is one factor we keep in mind, we do not set our tuition relative to theirs. Each school has something different to offer families, and our tuition is driven by our school’s mission and program.
What is the purpose of the yearly auction?
After the Annual Fund, the auction is our second largest fundraiser, helping meet our operating costs. And if you like parties or bidding on unique items, it’s a lot of fun! We also sell tickets to “gatherings,” which are parties hosted throughout the year by WMS families.
We cover the costs of the evening through tickets, sponsorships, and ad sales, then raise money by auctioning items and through “Raise a Paddle,” when WMS supporters band together to donate.
Raise a Paddle gifts and auction underwriting are considered tax-deductible charitable giving. Purchases of silent and live auction items are not tax deductible, as you receive goods or services in exchange. (However, there is some tax benefit if one pays over value for an item.)
Should I attend the auction if I already gave to the annual fund?
Thank you for giving to the Annual Fund! It’s our biggest and most financially efficient fundraiser, and we ask that all current parents participate.
For many, the auction is a fun night out and a chance to bid on great items, social gatherings, and experiences. Plus, if you are moved to make a donation to our Raise a Paddle initiative at any level, we can do so much for our students with your additional help.
What percentage of families receive tuition assistance or financial aid?
Most independent schools, colleges, and universities in the United States offer some form of tuition assistance, also called “financial aid.” At WMS, this aid is need-based, and allows children of families from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds to attend the school. Tuition assistance not only supports socioeconomic diversity, but also allows us to keep the school at a healthy enrollment. Like most independent schools, it is not possible to fill each of our classes with only the children of people who can afford full tuition.
So really, how much should our family give?
Everyone has such disparate financial circumstances, so this is very much an individual decision.
Give what you can, from the heart. A gift that feels like a meaningful stretch is the right size.
We are so deeply grateful for your loyalty, your generosity and your partnership.
