Annual Giving Campaign Facts
The Annual Fund is the lifeblood of an independent school’s fundraising efforts. We depend on dedicated parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents and friends to donate time, energy and financial resources to this yearly campaign.
Gifts to the Annual Fund make the following possible:
- Innovative and challenging academic, arts, and athletic programs
- Attracting and maintaining talented faculty
- Smaller class sizes designed to give teachers the opportunity to show individual attention
- Professional development opportunities for our faculty
- Art supplies, books and resource materials for the library, science equipment, college counseling materials and training
- Technology components and infrastructure
- Multi-faceted athletics (K3-12)
- Activities such as clubs to develop student interests
- Math and Science Lab on Japonica / collegiate science labs on University
- Provisions for hot meals on both campuses
- and SO much more!
Q. Independent schools are expensive. Why must money be raised every year in addition to tuition?
A. To broaden accessibility, St. Luke’s sets tuition at about 75% percent of the cost of educating each student. The school relies heavily on the Annual Giving Campaign, to help provide program enhancement and bridge the gap between tuition income and operating expenses. The qualities we value most about a St. Luke’s education: a dedicated, well-trained faculty; quality academic standards; a rich mix of extra curricular activities; individual attention; smaller classroom sizes, appropriate and accessible equipment ... are all expensive.
Gifts to the AGC will promote accessibility by helping to balance the budget, while enabling St. Luke’s to continue to attract the best faculty and to compete for talented students.
Q. Why doesn’t our endowment bridge this gap?
A. We are working to begin an endowment that will supplement the funds needed along with the AGC. While most independent schools have an endowment, they also continue to conduct annual campaigns. The AGC is the way each of us can help St. Luke’s provide the quality people and programs we expect to challenge our students.
Q. But why is it so expensive to educate a student at St. Luke’s?
A. The bulk of the expense goes toward maintaining the high standards of a St. Luke’s education. The competition is increasingly tough. Lori Zirlott, Comptroller for the Mobile County Public School System, reports an annual per pupil expenditure greater than St. Luke’s tuition this year.
As an independent school, we are expected (and desire) to provide more….for less.
Q. Should I give to a specific program?
A. AGC gifts are unrestricted so they can be used wherever the need is greatest. These dollars are at work in every classroom, benefiting every student.
For more information about Annual Giving, please contact Diane McCleery, Director of Development at
dmccleery@stlukesmobile.com or 251-445-7228.