Working Together: A Guide for Family Engagement and Giving 2024
WORKING TOGETHER: A GUIDE FOR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
AND GIVING
“
We are more than a school; we are an inclusive community that cares deeply about our children’s lives, learning, and happiness. I am so thankful to be part of the Mulgrave family.”
- Nicola More Former MVP President
We have a remarkable community here at Mulgrave - one that works passionately to create an experience that inspires us all. This Engagement and Giving Guide highlights the various ways you can contribute to our school as a parent or family member. Whether you give the gift of time, talent, or financial support, getting involved deeply enriches your child’s educational experience and creates an environment that we can be proud of and enjoy.
THE GIFT OF YOUR TIME & TALENT
Why should I volunteer?
When you work in partnership with our school, great things are possible. By combining the talents, time, knowledge, and network of our generous volunteers, we are able to create amazing opportunities that impact our children and the Mulgrave community.
There are also many benefits to volunteering. It enhances your understanding of our school, our values, and how we work to achieve our mission. Classroom volunteering provides an opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with your child’s teacher and observe your child in school. Other volunteer roles enable you to develop long-lasting personal friendships and professional connections with other parents and family members who are just as committed to giving back as you.
Whether it’s serving as a class rep, field trip chaperone, helping out at the library, assisting with our annual gala, or contributing your perspective as a committee member, volunteering is an incredible expression of your dedication to your child’s journey at Mulgrave.
Practical TIPS on volunteering
Find volunteering opportunities that fit your schedule or ability. It can be difficult for those who work during the day to give time regularly within school hours. However, there are many evening or one-time volunteer opportunities. Some examples include:
Hosting a class party or dinner
Helping out for one-day celebrations like Halloween or the Back to School BBQ
Volunteering to share about your work or background for career days or cultural celebrations
Signing up for parent focus groups and interactive sessions
Don’t limit yourself. Expanding your experience to many activities will broaden your understanding of the school and your child’s education. You will also meet and make connections with community members from a range of cultures and backgrounds.
Consider different ways to help the school. For example, if you can’t physically be at school to volunteer, perhaps you can share your expertise, or meet virtually with a student for career mentoring.
MVP
Mulgrave Volunteer Parent Association
The Mulgrave Volunteer Parent Association (MVP) Executive is an elected group that works together to build a vibrant community culture. The MVP collaborates with faculty, staff, and family members to organise and coordinate events and activities throughout the year. Over the next following pages, you’ll see the different ways the MVP can help you engage with the Mulgrave community.
Cafeteria and Library Volunteers
Cafeteria volunteers help with lunchtime service, while library volunteers can help with shelving and tidying, or with more specialised tasks as required by our librarians. A regular, ongoing commitment is required for both of these positions.
Special Events & Community Development
Community-building events such as the Welcome Back BBQ, Bingo Night, and Gala would not happen without a group of incredible volunteers!
By assisting at one of these events, you can meet other like-minded volunteers. We pride ourselves on a warm and inclusive culture, and by participating as a volunteer, you strengthen the ties that bind us together.
M Store
The M Store is our volunteer-run, onsite shop which provides a simple way to pass down or purchase gently used uniform items. The M Store also sells Mulgrave gear that helps build affinity and school spirit. Volunteering requires a regular, ongoing commitment and is a great way to get to know families and children within the school.
Class and Grade Parent Representatives
Class and Grade Reps are community builders. They aim to foster connections between families and school divisional leadership, and their valuable support helps to foster relationships and communicate important messages. The importance of this role cannot be understated as we rely on their initiative and communication skills to invite participation and avoid misconceptions.
Multicultural Learning
As an international school, we attract families from many different countries, religions, backgrounds, and traditions. Mulgrave’s sense of community and friendship is founded on empathy, inclusion, and humility. Our values are rooted in a global perspective and a commitment to social responsibility. Through events such as Lunar New Year and Norouz/Navroz celebrations, classroom presentations, and storytelling, we celebrate and participate in deeper learning about culture. As a result, we strengthen our ties to each other and find opportunities to support our neighbours around the globe while providing our students with experiences that develop their world views and contribute to a deeper cultural understanding.
Next Steps
Ready to volunteer with the MVP Association? Please head to volunteer.mulgrave.com to complete the form that best suits your interests. We will work with you to find a match for the volunteering opportunity that’s aligned with your schedule and preferences.
What impressed us the most when we first visited Mulgrave was its warm and welcoming community of friends, teachers, and staff. No matter which community we’re in, whether it’s our family of four, our school community or the world we share, we ask ourselves, “What can I do to serve?” Asking this question drives us to volunteer and give back however we can.” “
- Elham Abousaeidi and Payam Razavi Mulgrave Master Ambassador and Mulgrave Board Member
Student Networking & Mentorship
Many of our students start thinking about their careers when they are in the Upper School or Grades 6-12. You can lend your professional mentorship or guidance to these students through the University Counseling and Career Department. As well, there are opportunities through our entrepreneurship programming (Mulgrave Centre for Young Entrepreneurs and Changemakers) to speak to a class or group of students who are interested in your profession or industry.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can be involved with this kind of professional connecting and network-building, you can reach out to a member of the Development team and they can guide you.
We are presently developing a database of family members who are interested in sharing more about their professions, education, and industry experience. That way, when we receive a request for a parent presenter or are asked to provide a list of possible advisory committee members, we know that we can reach out to you as a potential partner.
Mulgrave Board of Directors
As a non-profit organisation, Mulgrave is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, which typically includes parents, past parents, and current students. They oversee the strategic direction of the school and provide guidance to our Head of School about overall policy and planning. One parent or family member per family may register as a Mulgrave Independent School Society member to vote for Board Members. Society members can also express interest in becoming more involved by joining a Board or Advisory Committee.
Expressions of interest are collected by the Nominations Committee twice a year. Please keep an eye on our weekly Connexions newsletter for more information.
Applied Learning Volunteering
Not everyone can commit to a regular volunteer role but that doesn’t mean you can’t get involved in this rewarding aspect of school life. There are many ad hoc opportunities for parents and loved ones to share their knowledge, skills, and backgrounds with students to enrich classroom experiences. This can take the form of being a mentor, supporting a language class, giving a presentation related to your career or life experiences, or helping out with one off student workshops. Some roles require specific backgrounds, while others simply need willing volunteers to interact with our students. If you are interested in hearing about these opportunities or have any particular areas of expertise you would like to share, please email Vera Xiong at vxiong@mulgrave.com
LET YOUR VOICE
BE HEARD
We value your partnership and feedback, and regularly ask for participation in a variety of contexts. Whether as a member of an advisory group, an attendee at a strategic planning meeting, or by completing our annual survey, your input is valued and appreciated.
“
We feel fortunate to be part of a school where our families consistently go above and beyond to help. Volunteering lets me interact with our community and contribute to this firsthand, and it makes me happy knowing that our children are being taught and supported by people with the same great values.”
- Cindy Pau & Edmond Wong
MVP Cafeteria Coordinator and Applied Learning Volunteer
THE GIFT OF YOUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Whether you are considering a first time gift or have contributed in the past, we know you may have questions. Here are a few of the most commonly asked.
“It’s incredibly humbling to contribute to kids’ formative stages when they develop skills and values that will guide them through their lives. For families who
are
thinking
about
making
a
gift to Mulgrave, it is the best investment in the future of your children you can make.”
- The Shevchenko-Mitt Family
How will my donation help my child’s education?
Families of previous generations of students supported Mulgrave to make it the place it is today. As a current family, you can help pay it forward for future students. Your generous investment will help build the school’s long-term vision, which will benefit your child in the long term as well.
We have already paid tuition. Why do we need to donate?
While tuition fees provide funds for Mulgrave’s operational costs, donations enable us to cover the ‘margin of excellence’ that sets Mulgrave apart and allows us to provide an enriched, personalised education within spaces that are tailored to learning and exploration. This means providing transformative education spaces for teachers and students, smaller class sizes, up-to-date technology, retention of talented teachers, curriculum enhancements, and strategic initiatives.
Donations also help support our needs-based financial assistance programme for families experiencing challenging circumstances. By making a Mulgrave education affordable to a wider range of students, we ensure a more socially and economically diverse student body, which is an important part of our school’s values, inclusive culture, and ethos.
Why not simply charge higher fees and avoid having to ask for gifts?
Increasing tuition would further stratify our community and would make our education out of reach for many of our working families. Additionally, it would work contrary to our goal of creating the socio-economic diversity that we know will serve to further enrich the composition of our community. To offer competitive salaries to our faculty and provide the transformative educational environment and innovative programmes you want your children to access, the school relies on fundraising and on the many generous families who partner with us to provide the financial support we need to achieve our goals.
“Past parents have helped with establishing our beautiful school - it’s only right to pay it forward and inspire future families to do the same.”
- The Cai Family
“
Donations are vital to providing Mulgrave with the resources it needs to achieve both its short-term objectives and its long-term goals. Whether it is capital for buildings, endowment funds for financial assistance, or extra budget for focussed professional development, gifts from Mulgrave donors are the catalyst for these important initiatives. Their generosity and commitment to the school’s mission play essential roles in assisting the teachers and students in becoming the best version of themselves that they can be.”
- Charles Chang Chair of the Foundation Board
Q. A.
What benefits might I get as a donor?
As a Mulgrave donor, you will:
• Take pride in helping Mulgrave achieve its strategic goals
• Have a direct impact on the education and future of young learners
• Make social connections with other donor families
• Obtain a full tax receipt for your donation (for gifts of $20 and up)
• Be recognised in our annual Donor & Giving Report
• Receive updates on how your gift is making a difference for our students
Q.
A. I support many charities. Why should I prioritise giving to Mulgrave?
In general, independent schools have fewer supporters than universities or national and regional charities because of our smaller community. The number of donors will, therefore, be small, and yet the need is large - so every gift counts more, and families tend to see a more immediate impact in the difference they are making. This reasoning leads many of our families to make Mulgrave their philanthropic priority. By giving to their children’s school, they are supporting a local organisation that shares and supports their family’s values.
UNDERSTANDING GIVING AT MULGRAVE
The Role of Philanthropy
Building a strong culture of giving at Mulgrave sets a positive example for our community and is reflective of our values of inclusion, social responsibility, and global citizenship. Investing in your children and those around them is an important decision and one that has lasting impact.
Mulgrave has held several successful capital campaigns in its history to significantly expand and improve our school. Board members, parents, grandparents, alumni, and faculty and staff, have all contributed gifts to make Mulgrave the place it is today.
Today, our annual fund, Momentum, is the primary vehicle through which donations are made. The next few pages detail the various ways you can pay it forward to our future leaders and changemakers.
Young students at Mulgrave’s Cypress Location Grand Opening in 2001. Through the generosity of donors, our campus has seen remarkable expansion.
FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
Momentum - Mulgrave’s Annual Fund
Momentum is Mulgrave’s annual giving fund. It invests in operational initiatives such as new educational equipment, library acquisitions, teaching tools, curriculum enhancements, financial assistance, professional development for teachers, and strategic plan initiatives. The funds that we receive throughout the year give our educational leaders the flexibility to tackle new projects and take creative approaches to teaching and learning.
Because every year brings new ideas and projects, we ask families for an annual donation to this fund to help ensure our school continues to be an exemplary place to learn.
In many ways, participation is more important than the amount given. Our community is strengthened when everyone is invested in the school’s mission. Our goal is full participation at a level that is meaningful to you.
You can participate in one of our Momentum Annual Giving appeals starting in late October. You will receive these appeals typically through mail or email throughout the school year.
Individualised Gifts and Recognition Opportunities
In addition to our Momentum Annual Fund, you have the option of working closely with the Donor Engagement team to develop a personalised plan for a gift that reflects your philanthropic priorities. You can also establish your legacy and connection to the school through special naming opportunities.
Individualised gifts are typically earmarked for specific projects, such as building projects or major renovations, that have a pressing need in our community. For example, past donors have made gifts to the Squamish Outdoor Leadership and Education Centre, helped fund the creation of the Athletics and Performing Arts Centre, and increased our financial assistance budget to enable more socioeconomically diverse families to attend Mulgrave.
Throughout the school year, the Donor Engagement team connects with families individually through ‘new parent’ meetings to provide information on special upcoming projects and potential partnerships.
ENDOWMENT FUND AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME
We celebrate all dimensions of diversity at Mulgravediversity of thought, background, experience, religion, culture, and more. Through your donation to our endowment, we have the opportunity to attract a student body that is socio-economically diverse, enabling our community to gain new perspectives and develop a creative, critical, and compassionate understanding of the world around them.
Our endowment fund is a receptacle for gifts given in perpetuity. The capital of the endowment remains untouched, and only the income from the fund is used to provide funds for our financial assistance programme. As a young school, we have not yet had decades to grow this capital, so your contribution will help us establish a sustainable model for tuition assistance that is not tied to the economy or the school’s annual revenue.
MORE WAYS OF GIVING
One-Time Gift
A single gift that is made to Mulgrave. These donations can be made online, by mail, phone, or hand delivered to the school.
Recurring Gift
An ongoing donation that can be set up as a regular contribution, usually monthly, to support the Mulgrave fund of your choice.
Through United Way
A directed contribution of all or part of your workplace United Way campaign donation to Mulgrave.
Planned Giving
A lasting legacy at Mulgrave through your will or estate plan.
Corporate Gifts
A contribution from a company, typically in the form of a matching gift. Many companies will match or double donations from their employees to registered charities like Mulgrave. Please contact your employer’s HR Department to see if your organisation has a matching programme.
Gift of Securities
The donation of stocks and shares. Donating securities offers a significant advantage in tax savings because donors receive both a receipt for the full current value of the appreciated securities and an exemption from capital gains taxes on the amount of the appreciation.
Donate Via Your Family Deposit
You have the option to donate a portion or all of your family deposit during your time at Mulgrave. This is a popular way for families to donate to the school as it offers some unique advantages.
See overleaf for more information
DONATING YOUR FAMILY DEPOSIT
When your family joins Mulgrave, you pay a $20,000 family deposit. This money remains with the school until your last child departs. At this point, the original $20,000 is returned to you. Over time (sometimes 15 years or more!), the purchasing power of your deposit declines due to inflation.
What if it was possible to make a donation that significantly changes students’ lives without leaving you out of pocket, while also offering an opportunity to make all or most of your donation back?
Donate all or a portion of your family deposit and you will receive a charitable tax receipt. By reinvesting the resulting tax refund you can generate substantial financial returns over the period of time that your family deposit would otherwise have been locked up.
By the time you leave Mulgrave, the growth of your refund can likely match or even exceed the original $20,000 deposit while simultaneously having a huge impact on the education of your children and their peers.
Contact our Advancement Team to learn more about how to leverage the power of your family deposit.
622 families have donated a portion or all of their family deposit.
You Donate
$20,000
$9,109 tax refund*
Support for Momentum Projects at Mulgrave
$20,000
$43,315
Total Educational Value RESP +6% per annum +Govt top ups**
After 15 years at Mulgrave you receive $23,315***
Yo u Don t Donate
$20,000
After 15 years at Mulgrave you receive $20,000
*Assuming combined tax rate (Fed+Prov.) of 45%
** Refund amount unlocks $1.982 of the Canadian Education Savings Grant
,
*** Assuming donation made in PK3 year
Thanks to government top up incentives, you could further leverage your tax refund by investing the money in a RESP to support your child’s future post secondary education. Take a look at this example of a PK3 family: even with a conservative 6% annual growth on their investment, they more than make back the original donation, in addition to their positive impact on Mulgrave students.
ENGAGEMENT TEAM
Jin Ling Bai
Director of Donor Engagement
778.838.6885 l jbai@mulgrave.com
Nadine Pettman
Director of Marketing, Communications & Admissions
