Michael McNeill Director of Advancement
mmcneill@sfprep.org
505.795.7526
Jillian Tomlinson Advancement and Communications Associate
jtomlinson@sfprep.org
505.795.7516
Annual Fundraising is the difference.
Guided by our core values of courage, curiosity, respect, resilience, and integrity, Santa Fe Prep prepares students for lives of uncommon purpose. We want our graduates to possess the same qualities that we display in our community. As a renowned independent school it is our responsibility to go above and beyond what tuition can pay for and the Annual Fund is critical in making that a reality.
Santa Fe Prep’s annual budget is built to ensure that every student receives a meaningful, well-rounded, and academically rigorous education. It takes more than tuition to make this happen! Your support helps us offer robust tuition assistance rewards, nurture and retain our phenomenal faculty and staff, provide high-quality extracurricular opportunities, and maintain our beautiful campus. All gifts to Santa Fe Prep are both deeply appreciated and fully tax-deductible.
Like all independent schools, Santa Fe Prep relies on the generosity of current families, trustees, alumni, community organizations, and friends to meet our operating budget. Don’t understand why? The following pages cover the importance of your participation in Santa Fe Prep’s annual fundraising initiatives and explain how we utilize these funds to sustain an incredible educational environment for every student.
OUR 2024-2025 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET IS:
But why?
So why don’t we just raise tuition to cover the full cost of operations? By leaving a portion of the annual budget dependent on donations, we can call upon a wide array of donors to make up the difference between the actual cost of a Prep education and the amount we charge for tuition. What’s more, since independent schools are registered 501(c)3 non-profit institutions, those gifts are tax-deductible, and a tuition increase is not. Plus, it feels good.
Giving a gift to something you believe in together with members of the larger Prep and Santa Fe communities—foundations, corporations, alumni, current and past parents, trustees, faculty and staff—means that we are allowing Prep to continue to thrive AND making sure that our tuition assistance and faculty support programs are sustained.
$10,618,000
TUITION: $27,564
ACTUAL COST: $30,337
GAP: $2,773 >
Nearly 650 donors helped us raise the funds necessary to balance the budget last year.
The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) recommends that 10% of a school’s operating budget come from annual giving. At Prep, because of a strong history of fundraising that built a significant endowment, we are able to keep annual fundraising at close to 7%.
Where does my gift go?
Gifts to Prep’s Annual Fund go directly into the operating budget for the benefit of our ambitious students and enthusiastic faculty. Our Board, faculty, and staff recently worked together to created the “PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE ” for Santa Fe Prep. By making it clear what our desired outcomes are, we gain a clearer focus of what we should do each day with and for our students. This helps us as we prioritize spending. Here are just some examples of annually funded programs that align with our Portrait.
Academics
A CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKER
Inspiring creative and critical minds requires creative and critically-minded teachers. We are proud to support the initiatives of our faculty and staff, 71% of whom hold advanced degrees. Meaningful instruction gains further impact with small classes (1:7 student-to-teacher ratio). A strong fundraising effort helps us attract and support a phenomenal faculty. Salaries, benefits and professional development opportunities are competitively set, and curricular enhancements occur at a robust pace.
Programs like “So You Wanna Be A Rock Star,” The Digital Citizen, Web Code, and “The SuperComputing Challenge” are some programs you won’t see everywhere!
Arts
AN INTENTIONAL CRAFTSPERSON
Santa Fe Prep offers more than 14 art and performance courses throughout the year in our most literal interpretation of what it means to be a craftsperson. Intentional creativity is part of our school’s history; our historic Meem Art Building (1930s) is the original home of noted architect John Gaw Meem and includes studios for ceramics, drawing, painting, and photography (with a dark room!).
Programs like Robotics, Maker Space, Creative Writing, “Empty Bowls,” The Cooking Club, and the Upper and Middle School play and musicals are some reminders of "intentional crafting" throughout the year!
Athletics
A BALANCED AND ACTIVE PERSON
Santa Fe Prep firmly believes that sound minds happen in sound bodies. Approximately 80% of all students at Santa Fe Prep participate in at least one sport on one or more of our 38 teams. Additional support for athletic programs is enthusiastically provided by the Booster Club. Equipment, uniforms, travel expenses, training, and professional development for coaches are all supported by funds raised by the school as well as Booster volunteers.
Programs like competitive sports, Outdoor Education, Physical Education, Life Skills, and extra-curricular athletics all show how we encourage our students to be balanced and active.
Campus Enhancement
A STEWARD
We hope that Santa Fe Prep students take inspiration from their setting. Our 33 acres with the Sangre de Cristo mountains as a backdrop assure that natural beauty is imbedded within the Prep experience. Our two beautiful natural grass athletic fields and our LEED-certified library (home to almost 13,000 volumes) pair well with our commitment to teaching and acting in ways that promote sustainability.
Programs Like the Teen Action Program (TAP), Composting Program, Environmental Science, and Garden Club are examples of campus opportunities to appreciate and steward the larger community and environment.
Financial Aid
CULTURALLY AWARE RESPONSIVE CITIZEN
Prep is committed to having a diverse student body and to providing the necessary funding to make that happen. Currently 31% of our students receive Tuition Assistance with an average grant of $15,352 per student. This is nearly TWICE the national average. Prep is proud to have 40% students of color on campus, which provides a dynamic range of life perspectives. Breakthrough Santa Fe, housed at Prep, shows our commitment to making educational opportunities available to students in the larger community.
Programs like American Sign Language, New Mexico History, Global Studies, Spanish, Diversity Equity Inclusion and Justice, and Community Service all help students see and understand the world more fully.
Funding Goals & Sources
We strive for100% participation from Parents, Trustees, and Faculty and Staff each year.
Community-wide support inspires larger gifts from outside funders – and makes us proud to be part of something great
SANTA FE PREP’S TOTAL FUNDRAISING GOAL THIS YEAR IS: $660,000
Annual Fund: $560,000
The Annual Fund supports everything we do, including salaries, benefits, programs, and campus maintenance. We hope you will make the Annual Fund your top giving priority. In addition to the school’s annual fundraising, the PA and Booster Club raise funds to supplement targeted programs.
Parents’ Association: $65,000
The Parents’ Association raises funds each year to even further benefit Breakthrough Santa Fe and Tuition Assistance.
Booster Club: $35,000
The Santa Fe Prep Booster Club raises additional funds each year to add to the school’s athletics budget.
ANNUAL FUND GIVING LEVELS:
Founders
Elrington Bell Society
Head of School’s Circle
Griffins
Sun Mountain
$25,000+
$10,000 - $24,999
$5,000 - $9,999
$2,500 - $4,999
$1000 - $2,499
Prep Friends $5 - $999
Note: Your recognition level will be determined by your combined gifts to the Annual Fund and Gala sponsorships in a year that a gala is held.
Whether you give $10 or $10,000, participation of all constituencies guarantees our success.
Please participate at any level that is comfortable for you and your family. High participation levels are a huge vote of confidence. We hope that you make Prep a priority in your annual giving by making your 100% tax-deductible gift today in one of the following ways:
