GUIDE TO GIVING & VOLUNTEERING 2023
OUR STATEMENT ON PHILANTHROPY
Philanthropy at San Francisco Friends School is rooted in our commitment to our mission: to deliver an exceptional Quaker education to each student while working towards a more just and caring society. Community generosity enables SFFS to provide competitive professional compensation, an Adjustable Tuition program to make our innovative Quaker education more accessible and affordable, and physical spaces that meet the evolving needs of our students and faculty.
Our approach to philanthropy is guided by the following principles:
• We believe every gift of time, treasure, and talent is worthy of gratitude. We honor and acknowledge gifts of all sizes—financial and otherwise— as meaningful investments in our school, both now and into the future.
• We believe the financial health and stewardship of our school is a responsibility shared by every member of our community. We strive for inclusivity in fundraising and development efforts.
• We steward resources with care and responsibility, and always in service of our mission.
WELCOME!
Dear Friends Families,
We are thrilled to welcome you to the 2023-24 school year. As you can attest to, Friends is truly a special place, and it is because of our community’s collective generosity that each one of our 440 students can thrive in our vibrant, diverse, and intentional learning community.
Your generosity enables Friends to provide competitive professional compensation, an Adjustable Tuition program to make our innovative Quaker education more accessible and affordable, and physical spaces that meet the evolving needs of our students and faculty.
Philanthropy at Friends comes in a myriad of shapes and sizes—whether making a financial gift or volunteering— what matters most is that every family is able to contribute to our community in ways that are accessible and meaningful to you.
Every gift matters, and we are so grateful to our community of parents, guardians, grandparents, grandfriends, alumni, and fellow employees for all that you have done and continue to do so that all of our students can succeed.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Keslosky Director of DevelopmentGIVING AT FRIENDS
Like all independent schools, tuition alone does not cover the full cost of providing an exceptional education for every student at Friends. In fact, tuition covers roughly 90% of our annual operating costs. We rely on the Annual Fund, our 48 Hours for Friends Spring Fundraiser, endowment campaigns and other campaigns to help make up this difference. No matter the size, your gifts are vital to sustaining the quality and depth of programs our students experience every day.
Thank you to our 91% of current families and every Friends community member who helped us raise $1,359,945 last year!
Tuition, Fees & Other Income $16,216,412 Faculty & Staff $9,965,110 Adjustable Tuition / Friends Community Scholars $3,219,298 Facilities $2,205,595 Debt Service $666,579 Educational Programming $615,498 General & Administration $1,014,365 92% 8% 56% 12% 4% 3% 6% A nnu A l E xp E ns E s : $17,686,445
REVENUE T o TA l I ncom E : $17,600,910 Fundraising $1,384,498 18% Revenue and Expenses 2021-2022
EXPENSES
WAYS TO GIVE Annual
Fund
The Annual Fund is our school’s top philanthropic priority each year. Gifts to the Annual Fund directly impact faculty salaries and professional development, adjustable tuition, class trips and service learning, and so much more. We hope that every family will make a gift that is meaningful to them.
Letters asking for your support will be mailed to families in early October and Annual Fund volunteers will be in touch to answer any questions.
OUR GOAL THIS 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR IS TO RAISE $1.1M
Help us achieve 100% family participation by December 31, 2023!
If you have any questions regarding the Annual Fund, please contact Lauren Becker, Assistant Director of Development at Lbecker@sffriendsschool.org.
≥ $15K $10K – $14,999 $5K – $9,999 $3K – $4,999 $1K – $2,999 $500 – $999 < $500 $47,764 $34,655 $136,416 $118,691 $243,750 $162,757 $326,650 11 16 42 34 95 65 356 * Does not include matching gifts. Annual Fund Giving 2021–2022 Gift Size | # of Donations | Amount Received* Total: 619 Donations | $1,070,683 Received
MORE WAYS TO GIVE
48 Hours for Friends and Blue Party
Each spring, our community comes together for Blue Party, our annual all-school event. Together with 48 Hours for Friends— our two-day fundraiser for the Adjustable Tuition program— Blue Party celebrates our community and commitment to Quaker values. Last April, we raised a record-breaking $290,255 over the two-day online fundraiser.
Endowment and Other Campaigns
Named after our founding head, The Cathy Hunter Fund for the Future was created in 2016 and continues to provide transformative professional growth experiences for our faculty. The Friends Forward Campaign was established in 2020 to create an unrestricted endowment that will propel our school to a place of greater security and opportunity.
Support of our endowment is vital to the school’s long-term sustainability and success. Thank you to the many current parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, and faculty members who have made gifts to campaigns.
Booktopia
Booktopia is a community event supporting the SFFS library and our Birthday Book program. Usually held in the Fall, Booktopia offers attendees the opportunity to purchase books directly for the Birthday Book program, shop for holiday gifts, and to socialize with their SFFS friends. Additionally, 20% of all proceeds from Books Inc. that evening are donated to the SFFS library.
Volunteering with the Parent/Guardian Association
Volunteering provides many benefits, including the ability to explore your child’s school life and get to know their classmates. As our children watch parents/guardians, grandparents, and alumni give their time, they learn the importance of giving back. It also provides an opportunity to build relationships with staff, teachers, and fellow parents/guardians, and see how our mission is carried out every day.
All parents and guardians are a part of our P/GA and we encourage you to join our monthly P/GA meetings and volunteer with a committee.
Check out the P/GA tab in the Veracross Family Portal for more information regarding upcoming meetings, volunteer opportunities, and more!
FRIENDS PARENT/GUARDIAN ASSOCIATION MISSION
• Support our school’s needs and continued growth
• Strengthen our broader school community by promoting engagement
• Coordinate interactions between the parent/guardian community and the school
250 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.565.0400
sffriendsschool.org
Follow us on Instagram: @sffriendsschool
Kathryn Keslosky Director of Development
kkeslosky@sffriendsschool.org
415.565.0400 x122
Lauren Becker
Assistant Director of Development
lbecker@sffriendsschool.org
415.565.0400 x235
Co-Clerks of the Board of Trustees:
Shalinee Thakur & Ernie Hsin
Parent Guardian Association Co-Clerks:
Adam Berman & Meno Crompton
Annual Fund Co-Clerks:
Katie Nakagawa & Erika Dirkse