Support PCDS
Ways of Giving
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." -- Winston S. Churchill
WHAT KIND OF FUNDRAISING HAPPENS AT PCDS?
Park City Day School thrives from year to year thanks to a supportive community that gives of their time, experience, and financial resources. This generous support makes it possible to attract accomplished teachers, offer an innovative curriculum, and enhance our exceptional programs in science, foreign language, visual and performing arts, outdoor education, wellness, and music. As a result, our school can provide a superior educational experience, not just a great one.
The PCDS Board of Trustees, along with school administrators, engages in careful and strategic financial planning to ensure the current fiscal health of our school and to plan for its future growth. Yet, like most independent schools, PCDS seeks financial contributions from its community of families to supplement costs associated with providing:
1) an outstanding educational program;
2) scholarships for current and prospective students;
3) competitive teacher compensation; and
4) professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.
Independent schools cannot survive on tuition alone. After all, we don’t receive local, state or federal funding. In order to survive and thrive, independent schools like ours rely on the “Three-Legged Stool” of philanthropy, comprised of: 1) the Annual Fund, 2) the Auction, and 3) Capital Giving and/or Major Gifts. The stronger each leg, the greater resources the school has to: provide an outstanding academic program; hire and retain quality teachers; provide tuition assistance and scholarships; and maintain, renovate, and build new facilities.
PCDS TUITION ASSISTANCE FUND:
The "Tuition Assistance Fund" helps to support current and prospective students. Now, more than ever, these resources are vital to our families. Did you know that 35% of PCDS families receive some amount of tuition assistance? And with the current economic climate and world pandemic, we expect the need to rise.
Our school auction would have taken place May 3, 2020, in celebration of our community and to raise much-needed tuition assistance dollars. Unfortunately, all of those plans went by the wayside with our "new normal." Yet, the need for our families is real.
And so, we respectfully ask you to make a donation to this fund (click red box, top right). We know that the world has shifted for all of us over these last few months. Yet, please understand that whatever you can contribute will make a difference in the lives of so many of our families. Gifts of all sizes are incredibly important -- after all, when we all come together, we can do great things. We sincerely appreciate your participation in this important campaign. To donate, click here.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ANNUAL FUND, THE AUCTION, CAPITAL CAMPAIGN & MAJOR GIFTS?
The Annual Fund is considered the “bread and butter” of fundraising in independent schools. At PCDS, this vibrant six-week campaign takes place each fall and helps to support the operating budget for the current school year. Financial gifts received during the Annual Fund campaign help to make up the difference between what monies tuition generates and the actual cost of our outstanding educational program.
The Annual Fund campaign provides a broad-based and democratic way for PCDS to raise money for its educational programming. Why? The emphasis of our Annual Fund is on family participation. Families are encouraged to contribute at whatever level they feel most comfortable. For the past seven years, over 95% of PCDS families (along with 100% of Faculty and Staff and 100% of the Board of Trustees) participated in the Annual Fund.
The Annual Fund also plays a significant role in the future financial health of our school. Family participation in the Annual Fund is a key indicator to outside funding sources of the level of support we have within our community.
Gifts to the PCDS Annual Fund are unrestricted and are used to maintain and enhance current programs and facilities. The goal for the 2018-19 Annual Fund will be $175,000. Gifts/pledges will be sought during the Annual Fund campaign between October 1 – November 9, 2018.
WHY IS THERE AN ANNUAL FUND? (Or, "Why Doesn't PCDS Just Raise Tuition to Cover The Actual Costs of the Program?)
The Annual Fund allows independent schools like PCDS to keep tuition as competitive and affordable as possible for a majority of our families, while allowing the opportunity for voluntary, tax-deductible contributions to help make up the difference between the tuition raised and the actual cost of our educational program.
We believe that an economically diverse student body enriches the learning experience for all members of our community. In order to facilitate this, we try to strike a balance between: 1) setting a tuition price which covers most of what it costs to run our program; and 2) NOT pricing the tuition so high that it forces our families to choose other options for school.
The PCDS Auction & Gala raises funds for tuition assistance and scholarships for current and prospective students, as well as monies for professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.
We are passionate about providing educational opportunities to a broad spectrum of families in and around Park City. We also strongly believe in our teachers and providing them with opportunities to support their professional growth.
Our biennial auctions are both community FUN-raisers and FUND-raisers. The PCDS Gala is a gathering of family, friends, faculty and staff to enjoy a fabulous night of dinner and dancing. Monies raised through the amazing live and silent auctions, opportunity drawings, and "Raise the Paddle" for tuition assistance provide the foundation for achieving our scholarship, tuition assistance, and professional development goals.
The Annual Fund helps to make up the difference between revenue generated by tuition and the actual costs of our robust academic program. By design, the Annual Fund allows PCDS to keep tuition within reach for a broad spectrum of families, while providing a tax-deductible opportunity to those who participate. This vibrant, six-week campaign takes place each fall and helps provide the resources necessary makes it possible to attract accomplished teachers, offer an innovative curriculum, and enhance our exceptional programs in science, foreign language, visual and performing arts, wellness, outdoor education, and music.
A Capital Campaign is a focused, community-wide effort to provide funding for large-scale needs -- including renovation and building projects, technology improvements and significant programmatic upgrades. Capital campaigns have a stated financial goal, and seek gifts in all sizes. Donations are typically given either in one lump sum or over a period of three-to-five years.
Major Gifts provide opportunities to fund strategic, long-term needs of the school (from music to technology, STEAM Lab to outdoor education). Gifts can be made as a one-time donation or over a period of years. Major Gifts can also be unrestricted gifts that may be used to replenish and sustain reserves, as well as enhance everything from academics to attracting, recruiting, and retaining outstanding faculty and staff.
Associations
Park City Day School
3120 Pinebrook Road,
Park City, UT 84098
(p) 435.649.2791 | (f) 435.649.6759
info@parkcitydayschool.org
Park City, UT 84098
(p) 435.649.2791 | (f) 435.649.6759
info@parkcitydayschool.org