The Wilson School Giving
Make Your Charitable Mark!
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ~Winston Churchill For more than a century, The Wilson School has offered an exceptional education by combining classic and innovative methods in a warm and nurturing environment. The Wilson School proudly graduates responsible young men and women who excel at academic and creative endeavors. As they embark on their careers, our alumni carry the lessons learned at Wilson to become successful in an ever-changing, global society.
Why give?
Meeting the Needs of Today Providing students with a unique Wilson education requires a significant financial investment beyond the cost of tuition. Community support through the following are essential to the annual operating budget:
Bridging the Tuition Gap 10% Donations
• Donations to Annual Giving: The Annual Fund and The Excellence Fund • Proceeds from the Thistle Auction Event Securing the Future of Wilson In today’s world, it is increasingly important to plan and prepare for the future needs of the school in the present. We can do this through a healthy endowment and completion of strategic capital and special projects. Community support is vital through the following: • Cash Donations and Planned Gifts to The Wilson School Endowment • Donations to Captial Campaigns and Projects • Proceeds from the Trivia Night Event However you choose to support Wilson, your gift ensures we can continue our mission to prepare children for success for generations to come.
90% Tuition
We need your help to bridge the gap between tuition and actual expenses. Given that tuition covers only 90% of the expenses related to educating a Wilson student, we rely on tax-deductible donations to Annual Giving to ensure our young scholars receive the optimum Wilson experience.
contact: emacanufo@wilsonschool.com | www.wilsonschool.com/giving
The Annual Fund Gifts to the Annual Fund are a direct investment in the education of every Wilson student. Annual Giving at Wilson includes two funds: the Annual Fund and the Excellence Fund. Annual Fund gifts bridge the gap between tuition and the true cost of providing each student the extraordinary opportunities of a Wilson education. Specifically, the Annual Fund delivers necessary, unrestricted, current operating support for the school’s budget, such as: • • • •
Exceptional faculty retention and recruitment Project-based learning opportunities Technology to enhance classroom curriculum Facility expenses
Because dollars from Annual Giving are flexible and immediately available, your generosity can be put to good use right now, addressing real needs and having a real impact. All donors who give $1,500 or above to Annual Giving (includes Annual Fund and Excellence Fund combined) are considered Thistle Society members and leaders within Wilson’s philanthropic community.
Annual Giving
Annual Giving recognition levels include: Thistle Society, Cornerstone Member | $7,500 or more Thistle Society, Leadership Circle | $5,000 – $7,499 Thistle Society, 1913 Benefactor | $3,000 – $4,999 Thistle Society, Sponsor | $1,500 – $2,999 Partner | $800 – $1,499 Promoter | $250 – $799 Friend | up to $249 Thistle Society members receive special recognition at The Thistle Society Dinner each fall and in the Annual Report.
contact: emacanufo@wilsonschool.com | www.wilsonschool.com/giving
The Excellence Fund In conjunction with the Annual Fund, the Excellence Fund is an integral component of Wilson’s Annual Giving. In 2006, Hal and Catherine Faught pledged a $2 million endowment to The Wilson School – the largest single gift to an elementary school academic program ever given in Missouri history. This generous donation established the Excellence Program, which is funded through a dollar-for-dollar matching gift. All donations to the Excellence Fund are restricted to the direct support of The Excellence Program during the current academic year.
Your gift, matched dollar-for-dollar by the Faughts, will support:
Educator Excellence
We foster our exceptional educators by investing twice the resources in their development versus other area schools. Approximately thirty percent of Excellence Program funding is allocated for ongoing professional development for faculty and staff, allowing every teacher
Annual Giving to attend conferences and workshops to inspire new ideas. Wilson also selects an Excellence Award Honoree from among the faculty to recognize innovative and exceptional projects.
Curriculum Excellence
About forty percent of Excellence Program funds go to innovative programming that benefits both students and faculty. We form unique partnerships to enrich the classroom curricula, including a writing workshop with Washington University and science lessons with the Saint Louis Zoo. Wilson also has created a Visiting Author and Artist series, which brings in well-known professionals to work with students and faculty.
Library Excellence
Twenty-five percent of annual Excellence Fund dollars enables the school library’s print collection to be refreshed and enhanced each year with the best in children’s literature, whether nonfiction, classics or current must-reads. In fact, this collection is one of the most current in the St. Louis region, receiving approximately 1,000 books annually.
Community Excellence
Approximately five percent of the funding is also used for our Speaker Series, which is open to the community. The series features nationally renowned authors and lecturers on key topics, including parenting, character education and discipline.
“Do everything with a spirit of excellence.” --Hal Faught, Excellence Fund Founder contact: emacanufo@wilsonschool.com | www.wilsonschool.com/giving
The Endowment The Wilson School endowment builds the foundation for long-term stability and success, allowing the school to enhance our educational program, increase tuition assistance and scholarship, support faculty compensation and provide a financial cushion that can help offset the rising costs of education, even in times of economic uncertainty. Funds generated from these gifts, large and small, allow donors to leave a legacy and to give future generations the opportunity to experience a Wilson education. With each endowment gift, the principal is invested and a portion of the income becomes available each year to support the school. According to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the median endowment for a school of Wilson’s size is approximately $5 million. At the start of the Centennial Capital Campaign in 2012, the Wilson Board of Trustees identified the growth of the endowment as a strategic initiative of the campaign. Funds from the campaign will provide a substantial start to our goal to build an endowment of at least $5 million pledged by the year 2025.
“We wanted to support a legacy gift to the school to ensure that future generations have an opportunity at Wilson.� --The Horlacher Family
A healthy endowment at worK! The principal investment is held in perpetuity, while the annual earnings go towards:
educational initiatives and faculty retention scholarships and tuition assistance board-directed special projects re-investment back into the endowment
contact: emacanufo@wilsonschool.com | www.wilsonschool.com/giving
Campaigns + Projects A Proven History of Success Throughout the school’s 101 years, capital improvements - made possible through donations to special campaigns and initiatives - have distinguished the Wilson experience in exciting ways.
1990-91 Window 2004-5 Campaign 2012-13 on the World for Excellence Centennial Capital Campaign Creating an even brighter Capital Campaign This successful campaign raised 100% of the funds needed to create the school’s first gymnasium, a science lab, as well as other class and office space enhancements.
future for Wilson, this effort raised funds to build the current subterranium gymnasium, turf field, library and dining area.
A landmark initiative, this campaign raised 110% of its goals transforming the front entry plaza and exterior, creating a library classroom and a one-of-akind “innovation” room, as well as contributing to the school’s endowment.
“We knew the innovation room would create novel opportunities for everyone in the school.” --The Zeng Hu Family
Special Projects Yield Exceptional Experiences The incredible generosity of the Wilson community, as shown in the most recent capital campaigns, is impressive. Watching the children learn and thrive in the new spaces they created is nothing short of inspiring. While a major captial campaign may be initiated once every several years, gifts to The Wilson School in the form of sponsoring a special project help the school make significant leaps forward through opportunities not otherwise possible in an annual operating budget. If you have an interest in learning more about current special projects, or if you would like to propose an idea that you might have for the school, please visit our website or contact the development office. contact: emacanufo@wilsonschool.com | www.wilsonschool.com/giving
Events Each year, the Wilson community comes together for two signature events that offer a time to connect, celebrate friendships and provide vital fundraising avenues for the school. The Thistle Auction The Thistle Auction is the largest fundraising event of the year, raising as much as three percent of the annual operating budget. Parents, board members, faculty and friends enjoy a lovely evening together dining and bidding on a wide variety of donated items. Local businesses and families also support through ads in the auction program book. Trivia Night A relatively new and growing fundraising event for the school is the annual Trivia Night. Held in the fall and open to the community, Trivia Night is a kind-hearted competition to see who knows the most trivia facts from categories such as popular culture, sports, music and history. All proceeds from Trivia Night go toward the endowment.
Ways to give
Pledge
Stock Gifts
You may pledge at any time. All pledges are due in full by May 31.
Check
You may mail a check to 400 Demun Avenue, Clayton, Missouri, 63105. Please include which fund to which we should designate your gift.
Monthly Plan
Schedule automatic withdrawals on the 15th of every month from the checking or savings account of your designated banking institution.
Credit Card
You may pay with a credit card on our website, or by calling the development office.
You may give the gift of stock with an electronic transfer of securities. The charitable deduction is determined by the fair market value on the date of the transfer of the assets to The Wilson School. Most gifts of appreciated securities that you have held long-term (more than one year) are fully deductible at fair market value, and you do not incur a tax on unrealized capital gain.
Matching Gifts
Matching gifts are a vital source of funds for educational institutions. Check with your employer to see if they are a matching gift company and instantly double your gift.
Planned Gifts
Wilson’s Planned Giving Program is a great way to make your charitable mark and leave a legacy gift to the school. Planned gifts can be revocable or irrevocable and the gift can be deferred, often until after your lifetime.
contact: emacanufo@wilsonschool.com | www.wilsonschool.com/giving
It takes a noble man to plant a seed for a tree that will someday give shade to people he may never meet. ~David E. Trueblood
Planned Gifts Planned gifts can help you realize your financial and philanthropic goals in the present, while helping secure a strong financial future for Wilson.
The Wilson School’s Planned Giving Program allows you to explore giving opportunities that consider your philanthropic desires along with your near and long-term financial goals and tax-planning strategies. There are many ways to create a planned gift and it is never too early to consider this type of contribution. Every person who enters our halls has a special relationship with The Wilson School. Making provisions for a planned gift is a great way to pay tribute to your unique Wilson experience and leave a legacy to this exceptional educational institution. Planned gifts designated to The Wilson School will be directed toward our endowment, which in turn provides the school with a reliable source of income in perpetuity. These essential funds support Wilson’s ability to provide tuition assistance, professional development and curriculum enhancement. Donors making a planned gift with assets over $100,000 may consider a restricted gift to go toward a program of their choosing.
contact: emacanufo@wilsonschool.com | www.wilsonschool.com/giving
Planned Gifts As we embark on our second century of excellence, it is the generoisty of those who assist us today that will make the difference in our future success. The Rewards of Gift Planning There are almost as many variations on ways to make a donation as there are needs to be met. When thinking about a planned gift, take into consideration your personal circumstances and the needs of your heirs. To design a gift that benefits the people and organizations you care about most, we recommend that you obtain professional assistance. We can work with your advisors to help you plan for tomorrow and receive maximum benefits today. Choose the Option That Matches Your Goals Bequest Charitable Remainder Trust Gift of Retirement Assets Charitable Gift Annuity Gift of Life Insurance Charitable Lead Trust Retained Life Estate Gift of Real Estate Learn more about these and other giving options and access interactive estate planning tools through our website at www.wilsonschool.com/giving.
Gift Planning at Any Age
A well-planned gift can reduce or possibly eliminate long-term capital gains taxes, provide current income tax deductions, reduce possible estate and gift taxes or even increase your income. You can realize the benefits of these gifts at any age:
Under 40
Your life is full with career and family responsibilities. You’re focused on the present, but start thinking about what would happen to your loved ones if they were faced with your sudden death. Protect the people and causes you love with your first estate plan.
Ages 40-54
With growing children, aging parents and a busy schedule, estate and financial planning can be a challenge. Consider making provisions to protect your family and support The Wilson School.
Ages 55-69
Retirement might be coming soon, or may already be here. Take steps now to make sure you can enjoy this season of your life pursuing your hobbies and spending time with your family.
Ages 70+
Learn how to make your retirement dollars last by creating a legacy. Now is the time to update estate plans that put your family first, and talk to your loved ones about your choices.
contact: emacanufo@wilsonschool.com | www.wilsonschool.com/giving
Planned Gifts The Mabel Wilson Society All planned giving donors will be included in the newly formed Mabel Wilson Society. This group will ensure the legacy of our founder, an innovative educator and loving woman. Mabel Wilson Society members will be recognized in The Wilson School annual report, as well as on our website. All members will be invited to the Thistle Society Dinner each fall and other major events.
Leave a planned gift to The Wilson School by December 31, 2015 to become a member of the Mabel Wilson Society Founder’s Circle. Have you already made provisions for The Wilson School in your estate planning? Let us know and become a member of this distinguished group.
Mabel Wilson, founder of The Wilson School
“This is a great way to follow the example set by what our children have learned at Wilson and make our mark a good one.” --Ashley George Gill and Scott Gill Ashley George Gill and Scott Gill, Mabel Wilson Society Founder’s Circle members, believe that Wilson exceeded their expectations for their daughter, Alison’s elementary education. As Alison enters high school, Ashley and Scott made provisions for a planned gift to The Wilson School. The Gill’s legacy gift is designated toward The Wilson School’s endowment, which will allow Wilson the flexibility to use the funds as most needed for future generations. contact: emacanufo@wilsonschool.com | www.wilsonschool.com/giving
Thank you for your interest in supporting The Wilson School through charitable giving. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Macanufo, our Development Coordinator. You also can visit the “Giving� section of our website to give online and learn more about giving opportunities and planned giving options.
The Wilson School is a tax-exempt institution under Section 501(c)(3) of Internal Revenue Code. We are organized and operate exclusively for educational purposes. Gifts to Wilson qualify for the highest income deduction permitted under Federal and Missouri law.
The Wilson School Giving Elizabeth Macanufo, Development Coordinator 400 DeMun Avenue Clayton, Missouri 63105 314.725.4999 emacanufo@wilsonschool.com www.wilsonschool.com/giving