A Case for Advancement 2024-2030
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for your interest in Mount de Sales Academy’s (MDSA) Case for Advancement. Our work is to enhance the stability of the school and continue improving the student experience.
In an academic setting, Advancement comprises all efforts to move a school forward. At MDSA, the Advancement Team includes: Admissions and Enrollment Management; Alumnae Relations; Communications and Marketing; Development; and Volunteer Relations. To move forward, a specific, measurable, attainable, and timely plan is developed to achieve our established goals. The Case for Advancement presents our goals through 2030.
Thank you again for your desire to learn more about continuing our mission to provide academic excellence in the Catholic, liberal arts tradition in our uniquely Mount de Sales way.
We hope you will partner with us for the benefit of current and future Sailors!
MOUNT DE SALES ACADEMY MISSION STATEMENT
Centered on Jesus Christ and faithful to the teaching of the Catholic Church, Mount de Sales Academy offers young women a college preparatory education that promotes flourishing of the whole person. Anchored in faith and rooted in the Visitation and Dominican traditions, the community of Mount de Sales Academy is committed to academic excellence, virtuous integrity, compassionate service, and the inherent dignity of the human person.
SCHOOL VALUES
Our mission is rooted in providing a holistic education that extends beyond academics. We aspire to instill in our students the values of compassion, integrity, and a lifelong commitment to learning. Mount de Sales Academy is a place where character is developed alongside intellect, and where individuals emerge with a sense of purpose and grounded in their faith.
TIMELINE
1852 – Mount de Sales Academy founded by Visitation Nuns
1979 – Visitation Nuns retire, formation of Board of Trustees
1985 – Arrival of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation of Nashville
1998 – Constance and Samuel Pistorio Sports Complex dedicated
2010 – Three-phase Capital Campaign kickoff
2011 – Convent, Campus Security, and HVAC Capital Projects completed
2013 – Athletic Turf Field Capital Project Completed
2017 – Gate House Renovation
2018 – B-Side Fourth Floor, Side Chapel, and Science Research Lab Renovations
2021 – Center for Performing Arts & Student Life Construction Completed
SCHOOL HISTORY
Since Mount de Sales Academy was established, our mission (page 3) has been constant and steadfast. Our execution, however, has evolved with improvements in educational pedagogy, student experience, technology, and community engagement.
While MDSA has witnessed changes unimaginable by the founding Visitation Nuns in 1852, the heart of the school, which beats in each Sailor we serve, remains the same.
Since the arrival of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1985, MDSA has embarked on transformative initiatives through strategic fundraising and capital campaigns. These campaigns have ensured the institution’s long-term stability.
For nearly two centuries, MDSA has evolved into a distinguished institution known for its commitment to educating not just the minds but also the hearts and spirits of its students.
1981 Graduation
Uniquely A Journey
MOUNT DE SALES
of Heart, Soul, and Intellect
TOP 10 WAYS MDSA ELEVATES CATHOLIC EDUCATION:
1. The Dominican Difference: The Dominican Sisters at Mount de Sales Academy exemplify the virtues of MDSA, inspiring the community with their joyful service and deep faith.
2. Academic Excellence: Mount de Sales Academy’s innovative, liberal arts, Catholic education, equips students with the skills and confidence for success in higher education and beyond.
3. The Mount de Sales Confidence: Mount de Sales Academy provides a transformative experience, empowering girls to embody their Catholic faith and emerge as confident, compassionate, and resilient leaders.
4. Strong Sisterhood, Traditions, and Vibrant History: Students form meaningful relationships that last beyond graduation. This close-knit community supports, uplifts, and empowers one another to be their best selves. As an all-girls school, our vibrant history and traditions promote unity and sisterhood, creating lasting high school memories and a bond between current students and alumnae, ensuring a continued Sailor legacy.
5. Development of the Whole Person: Mount de Sales Academy’s holistic education nurtures students’ intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical growth through values including faith, integrity, empathy, and respect. This ensures a lasting impact as students mature from girls to young women.
6. Leadership and Service Development: Mount de Sales Academy’s emphasis on leadership and service develops student character, expands their worldview, and nurtures their unique gifts, instilling confidence and a lifelong commitment to Christian service. This cultivates our students into compassionate leaders committed to serving their communities.
7. Caring Faculty and Staff: Mount de Sales Academy’s faculty and staff are committed and caring, fostering personalized learning through small class sizes. This approach allows for tailored teaching, individual attention, and meaningful student-teacher relationships.
8. Faith-Filled and Dedicated Community: Mount de Sales Academy’s dedicated community involvement enriches students’ education, nurturing skills, relationships, and compassion, and creates a family that extends beyond our walls.
9. Chapel at the Center of the School: The chapel personifies our Catholic identity, guiding spiritual growth and fostering community, belonging, and love for Jesus as the center of our lives.
10. Beautiful and Historic Campus: A historic campus provides opportunities for students to engage with the past, developing an appreciation for history and culture and enriching the educational experience with a sense of tradition and continuity.
PREVIOUS STRATEGIC PLAN SUCCESSES
The 2013-2018 Strategic Plan ushered in great progress and achievements for MDSA, including:
1:1 Technology Program
The Philosophy program
The Center for Performing Arts and Student Life
STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR
THE FUTURE
MDSA is a school anchored in strong history and tradition with a vibrant vision for the future. The Visitation Nuns were faith-filled, strong, and visionary women. Counter to the culture of their time, they procured 76 acres of land in Catonsville, Maryland, and designed and built a Catholic school to educate young women. We are proud to continue this tradition of undaunted leadership to provide the best girls’ high school experience.
At MDSA, we are never complacent. Our internal leadership and external experts perform ongoing evaluations and assessments. Together they work to ensure we are fully executing our mission while responding to the ever-changing needs of our school community as we plan for the future.
Our current advancement efforts and fundraising goals are an outgrowth of the Finance & Funding Goals established in the 2022-2028 Strategic Plan to:
• Increase scholarship and expand our financial aid programs
• Develop and fund a faculty and staff retention plan, and
• Support, prioritize, and fund key initiatives and goals.
Most recently, we completed the 2022-2028 Strategic Plan, which you can read on our website at mountdesalesacademy.org/ about/strategic-plan
Mount de Sales Academy has been blessed by a forwardthinking Board of Trustees, Administration, and community leaders who have risen to every challenge. Together, they have ensured our beloved school’s continued success. Today, the Advancement Office is eager to achieve the goals in the 20222028 Strategic Plan and partner with our community to provide for an enduring future.
ADVANCEMENT
Advancement at Mount de Sales is more than just fundraising. It is a dynamic process that creates lasting connections in our community. At its core, advancement is about engagement.
We connect with students, faculty, parents, alumnae, grandparents, past parents, friends, and supporters. Each interaction, based on shared purpose and commitment, enriches the Mount de Sales experience.
Philanthropy is profound giving with a purpose.
We seek partnerships beyond financial transactions, inviting your investment in education’s transformative power.
ADVANCEMENT MISSION STATEMENT
The Mount de Sales Academy Advancement Team promotes the mission of the school to the broader community. We identify and develop the many resources that will advance Mount de Sales Academy in the present and into the future. As a faith-filled team, we build mutually beneficial and meaningful relationships with students, parents, faculty, staff, alumnae, friends, prospective families, benefactors, and the community at large.
In the spirit of our mission and values, we invite you to join us on advancing Mount de Sales Academy by helping secure and sustain a transformative experience for generations to come.
Benefactors with their 2023 -2024 Colleen McDowell Humanities Scholarship Recipients.
FUNDING NEEDS
Support for Mount de Sales Academy’s future is vital for our mission and success. Historically, MDSA has thrived with donations accounting for 10% of MDSA’s operating budget.
During our accreditation review in 2024, the Association of Independent Maryland & DC Schools (AIMS) recommended that donations should comprise 20% of the budget as a strong operating standard. In compliance with this recommendation, our 2030 goal is to reach the recommended 20%, or $2 million in donations annually, providing for long-term stability.
Your financial partnership is crucial for annual giving, tuition assistance, and historic campus preservation. Your investment changes lives, fostering a rewarding experience for both giver and receiver. At MDSA, your gift, regardless of size, holds immense power, and uniquely shapes our all-girls Catholic community.
THE CUPOLA FUND 2030 GOAL - $600,000 IN ANNUAL FUNDING
The Cupola Fund is unrestricted annual giving and serves as the lifeblood of our ongoing operations. Annual contributions support the transformative education we provide to the next generation of leaders and help to make up the gap between tuition and the actual cost to educate a student.
Your annual gift provides for projects such as:
• Faculty and staff professional development
• Educational supplies and technology
• Student experience, including professional speakers, student trips, special events, and more
THE 2030 TUITION ASSISTANCE FUND
2030 GOAL - $700,000 IN ANNUAL FUNDING
Tuition assistance ensures accessibility to a Mount de Sales education. Approximately 52% of our students receive some form of financial assistance, and we are currently able to support 35-40% of the calculated financial need. Often, our ability to offer tuition assistance is the difference between a student becoming a Sailor or the family being unable to afford tuition.
The 2030 Tuition Assistance Fund has been created to help meet our families’ financial needs by increasing assistance for more students and for larger amounts. This is only possible through the generosity of donors willing to partner with us to meet this strategic goal and pressing need.
In 2023-2024 Mount de Sales was able to support 35-40% of the calculated financial need.
THE HISTORIC BUILDING & CAMPUS PRESERVATION FUND
2030 GOAL - $700,000 IN ANNUAL FUNDING
Preservation is paramount at Mount de Sales. Campus upkeep provides a nurturing environment for learning. Your contributions sustain our inspiring campus, fostering growth, upholding traditions, and preserving iconic spaces central to our heritage.
The Historic Building and Campus Preservation Fund will provide for urgent, upcoming projects including:
• 1852 Building back porch and staircase repair
• HVAC repair
• Ongoing campus maintenance and preservation, estimated to cost $1M per year
CALL TO ACTION
Mount de Sales Academy is at a pivotal moment in our history. As we rally our community for our critical funding needs, we invite you to be a part of the ongoing success story of MDSA.
Your annual gift is an investment in our students’ futures and our legacy. Whether through unrestricted giving or targeted funding, you shape Mount de Sales’ vibrant future. Together, let us build a sustainable tomorrow, where every contribution paves the way for our students’ success.
Our long-term goal is ambitious: to reach $2 million annually in total fundraising revenue by 2030. Please consider how you can support Mount de Sales Academy.
Advancing MDSA is about more than finances; it is about nurturing each student’s potential to become the person God intends her to be. Your support, whether through financial contributions or other partnership, is vital to realizing our mission. Together, we will propel Mount de Sales Academy to new heights, shaping a brighter future for our students.
$2,500,000
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$0
GROWING TO OUR 2030 GOAL Giving Totals
“ I know that I speak for each of my Sailor Sisters…. That you are helping us become successful at Mount de Sales Academy and providing us with a foundation for the future. Thank you for being there for us every school year. You make a difference in our lives.”
EMILY KAPLAN ‘26
“ Can your gift change someone's life? Yes! I stand before you as evidence that your generosity can change more than you and the one who receives your gift ever imagined. Thank you.”
SR. MARY MADELINE ‘90
“ Why do the Dominican Sisters pray for us? Why is there such a strong cadre of volunteers? Why are there [moms, dads, and alumnae] who never stop coming back? It’s because of the love of the Sisters, the students, the parents. Not only for the institution but also for each other. It is something built over time, that came into being through the efforts of those before us. That is being sustained, now, by all of us, and is being thrust into the future by the acts we all continue to do. Mount de Sales Academy is a place and community of people I love…. who make me want to be better, to do more, to give back.”
MARK BOUCHARD P’27
Are you ready to make a difference?
