Saint Mary's Annual Fund
Saint Mary’s is grateful for the support the Annual Fund receives during our day of giving campaigns.
A very generous and anonymous alumna stepped forward on All Saints Day to offer a $20,000 matching gift challenge on Nov. 1 that resulted in a total of almost $200,000 being raised for Saint Mary’s. In December, during the national #dayofgiving campaign, a very generous, anonymous alumna stepped forward to offer a $20,000 matching gift challenge, which resulted in more than $58,000 raised for Saint Mary’s. As we look forward to the spring semester, we hope you’ll save-the-date and show your love for Saint Mary’s by making a gift during our Valentine’s Day of Giving on Feb. 14, 2021. By giving during our day of giving campaigns, your gift has DOUBLE the IMPACT on our students, faculty, staff, and campus. #GoSaints!
Our LEGACY. Her FUTURE.
Saint Mary’s Annual Fund is critical to ensuring our mission endures. Because tuition alone cannot support the annual cost of operating a 24/7 boarding/day school, it is Saint Mary’s Annual Fund which provides the funding needed to balance the operating budget each year not covered by endowment income, tuition, or other sources of revenue. Learn more here.
What does the Annual Fund support?
Saint Mary’s Annual Fund supports:
- Students by providing additional financial aid dollar
- Programs that are comprehensive and immersive
- Athletics by funding 11 sports competing in more than 200 games and matches annually
- Arts to fund more than 25 performing and visual arts events
- Technology to sustain a 1:1 program for campus-wide tech upgrades
- People through the recruiting, hiring and retaining of faculty and staff and sustaining an 8:1 student to faculty ratio
Saint Mary’s Annual Fund also supports the maintenance of Saint Mary’s 27 buildings and 23 acres, health and wellness programs, the Chapel program, service-learning experiences, community-wide activities, campus events, and student clubs and organizations.
STUDENTS
PROGRAMS
ATHLETICS
ARTS
TECH
PEOPLE
Where do the funds come from?
Last fiscal year, 19% of alumnae contributed $1.1 million to Saint Mary’s Annual Fund, which provided 70% of the total raised. Saint Mary's families (70% of parents and 33% of grandparents) contributed nearly $300,000. Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees, Alumnae Council, Board of Visitors, and our faculty and staff also give to Saint Mary’s, along with friends, businesses, and foundations in our community.
By the Numbers
Your gift to Saint Mary's Annual Fund supports every aspect of every girl's Saint Mary's experience. Every gift, no matter the size, makes an impact because YOU are providing the resources they need.
Why Saint Mary’s?
Over the years, we’ve heard countless stories that capture the “why” for thousands of Saint Mary’s graduates. Some alumnae chose Saint Mary’s, while others say Saint Mary’s chose them. Parents, grandparents, friends, and community partners also choose Saint Mary’s when they decide to invest in our programs and the Annual Fund. As you ponder your own “why,” know that the heart and soul of your reasons connect you to today’s students who have also chosen Saint Mary’s. (Learn more by clicking on each graphic below.)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Saint Mary's Annual Fund and how is the money used?
- Couldn't the school just increase tuition to cover the gap?
- How much am I expected to give?
- Can I make a pledge and pay it later?
- How will my gift be recognized?
What is Saint Mary's Annual Fund and how is the money used?
Couldn't the school just increase tuition to cover the gap?
How much am I expected to give?
Can I make a pledge and pay it later?
How will my gift be recognized?
Saint Mary’s Annual Fund
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Do you have questions about
Saint Mary’s Annual Fund?
Want to get involved?
Interested in joining the
Giving Circle Program or
want to make a leadership gift?
CONTACT:
Lauren E. Gerber, Director of
Annual Fund and Major Gifts,
919-424-4118
lgerber@sms.edu
What's the VISION 20/21 Campaign?
Donors play a very important part in helping ensure Saint Mary's mission endures for our students and the Saint Mary's girls of tomorrow. This year, we launched our VISION 20/21 Annual Fund campaign began on July 1, and represents great ideas for the future and the evolution of "Our LEGACY. Her FUTURE." Our mission is as relevant today as it was in 1842. Now, in our 179th academic year, we reflect on our history and honor our alumnae legacy and those leaders who helped propel Saint Mary's forward through generations. Yet, much remains to be accomplished, and donors like YOU can be a part of this next phase of growth in support of Saint Mary's time-honored mission. Our goal is to raise $1.55MM for fiscal year 2021 by June 30. Gifts of all sizes make an impact, and we need every supporter to consider increasing their family gift to help us meet our goal and provide the critical funding to continue offering an outstanding academic experience our students need, in an Episcopal community fortified by sound principles of honor, integrity, civility, and fellowship.
Make your gift today at www.sms.edu/give.
Annual Fund Giving Societies
For 179 years, Saint Mary’s has been a leader in the education of girls and young women. For a saint Mary’s girl, preparing for the future is about learning to lead. That visionary spirit gave birth to the school in 1842 and has sustained us through the generosity of benefactors who believe in our mission. The success of Saint Mary’s Annual Fund depends on gifts above and beyond the average giving level. Leadership gifts provided 77% of total dollars raised in 2019-20.
ADDITIONAL GIVING LEVELS
The Order of the Grove | $500 - $999 |
Smedes Associates | $499 and under |
Leadership Levels
Founder's Club | $25,000+ |
The Oak Society | $10,000 - $24,999 |
The Saint Mary's Society | $5,000 - $9,999 |
The Bishop's Society | $2,500 - $4,999 |
The 1842 Society | $1,842 - 2,4999 |
The Cornerstone Society | $1,000 - $1,841 |
Saint Mary's Giving Circle Program
Saint Mary’s has a large and loyal alumnae body of nearly 9,500 living alumnae. Saint Mary’s Annual Fund Giving Circle program was launched in Fiscal Year 2016 to (1) increase alumnae leadership giving to Saint Mary’s Annual Fund and thereby increase overall annual unrestricted support; and (2) leverage the potential of alumnae joining together to support the second largest revenue source for the school. On September 16, 2015, Saint Mary’s first alumna joined the Giving Circles. As each member joined thereafter, they agreed to commit to sustaining their personal annual giving at a leadership level for a period of three years; assist with cultivating other alumnae; and meet quarterly.
Giving Circles as of FY20
Total Gift Over 3 Years | # Members | Amt Per Year |
$10,000 | 2 | $3,334 |
$15,000 | 10 | $5,000 |
$20,000 | 2 | $6,666 |
$25,000 | 1 | $8,333 |
$30,000 | 3 | $10,000 |
$45,000 | 2 | $15,000+ |
$75,000+ | 2 | $25,000+ |