MAJOR GIFTS
St. Thomas School has three primary sources of revenue: tuition, contributions, and investment income, including income from endowments. Contributions must be sought each year and their value lasts only for a year, whereas an endowment gift is sought once only and benefits St. Thomas School programs in perpetuity.
Gifts designated by a donor for endowment are invested to provide income for annual operations. In anticipation of fluctuating market conditions over the long term, the STS Board of Trustees has adopted an endowment spending policy designed to protect the value of the original gift while honoring the donor’s instructions of how a portion of the investment income generated by the endowment should be used.
In many independent schools, a major gifts program is part of the fund-raising structure, especially in times when there is not an active capital campaign. A small group of volunteers work with the Head of School and development staff to identify potential donors and to secure gifts for well-defined funding objectives. Currently, this would include objectives articulated in the Strategic Plan: facilities development, endowment growth, establishing funds to fulfill initiatives of the Strategic Plan, and support for programmatic elements (e.g., the Early Learning Center, or a faculty “chair” for curriculum development, science, etc.).
At this time, St. Thomas School does not have a formal major gifts program. The Development Committee is studying the feasibility of initiating a major gifts program, probably after the conclusion of The Campaign for St. Thomas School. Campaign counsel may be retained to assist with its definition, description, and strategies.