Each year, the school relies on donations to provide critical support to our operating budget beyond the cost of tuition. Gifts to The Raven Experience Fund limit our reliance on tuition and help us sustain the unique approach to education that can only be found at The Summit. These gifts have an immediate and direct benefit to each student and faculty member, as well as to the quality and range of all school programs.
Tuition alone does not cover the full cost to educate students of The Summit. For 2022-2023, the average tuition income received only covers 60% of the total cost to educate each student. Donations to The Raven Experience Fund cover “the gap,” representing the difference between the true cost of a private, independent school education per student and the cost of tuition per student. These unrestricted funds give the school the flexibility it needs to address its most pressing issues and support the students, faculty, and staff at The Summit today.
The Raven Experience Fund is the core of The Summit’s fundraising efforts. These gifts will help us provide an exceptional education for our students today. Through this support, The Summit is able to:
We count on the philanthropic support from our community, including parents, grandparents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to give a meaningful, heartfelt donation to The Raven Experience Fund each year. No matter the size of the gift, your contribution is important. The only gift too small is the one not made at all.
Make your pledge to The Raven Experience Fund today to support independent education in the Ozarks!
For questions or more information about annual giving, please contact The Summit’s Development Office, or consult your financial advisor.
The Summit is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. All gifts made to The Summit are deductible to the extent provided by state and federal law.
Online: Make your donation directly through our fundraising page by clicking here.
Mail: Send your donation or pledge information to The Summit Preparatory School at 202 E. Walnut Lawn Street, Springfield, MO 65807. Please make a note that your gift is for The Raven Experience Fund.
In-Person: Visit us at school to make your gift in person by cash, check, or credit card.
Stock Gifts: A gift of stock saves two ways. You avoid capital gains tax on the increased value, and you receive a deduction for the full market value of the stock at the time you make the gift. Please email or call The Summit’s Development Office to let us know that a stock gift is being arranged.
Pledge: Contact the Development Office to set up a giving plan to make payments in installments to be paid in full by the end of our fiscal year, July 31, 2023.
The Raven Experience Fund is critical because tuition alone does not cover the costs of operating The Summit. Like other nonprofits and private schools, The Summit supplements costs through The Raven Experience Fund. These donations are tax-deductible donations, unlike tuition. The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) recommends that 26% of an independent school’s budget should be fundraising revenue.
The money donated to The Raven Experience Fund is used within the current fiscal year and supports faculty salaries, program development, and daily operational needs, such as the maintenance of facilities, classrooms, and equipment.
Augmenting tuition through charitable gifts helps keep tuition at a competitive rate, provides many important programs and improvements that are essential to fulfilling our mission, while maintaining the small, close-knit community that makes The Summit such a special place. It also provides an opportunity for you to make a tax-deductible donation to our school to the extent allowed by law.
We ask The Summit community to make the school its highest philanthropic priority, giving to the best of one’s ability and at a level that demonstrates the value placed on an exemplary education. One hundred percent family participation is our foremost goal.
We strongly encourage families to consider a monthly gift. For example, a monthly gift of $50 for every month between October and July would make a total donation of $500 towards The Raven Experience Fund.
Each gift makes a difference for our students and faculty in our classrooms today..
No, you can pledge your gift now and indicate a payment schedule that is most convenient for you. Our fiscal year runs from August 1st to July 31st. Please email or call The Summit’s Development Office to arrange a payment schedule.
If you have questions or need additional information about donation opportunities, we would welcome the discussion. The Summit’s strengths lay with our students, parents, and our community support. We look forward to speaking with you about how your gift makes a direct impact on independent education at The Summit!
