A Celebration of Giving & Givers

TO OUR GENEROUS ST. FRANCIS COMMUNITY,

The 2020-21 year was significant for many reasons, but the one nearest and dearest to my heart, is the faithful support our St. Francis community bestowed on our students and school. It calls to mind the 1923 hymn by Thomas Chisholm, “Great is thy Faithfulness.” This song was inspired by the simple realization that God is at work in our lives on a daily basis. This year’s Statement of Community Support is a testimony that God was at work in our community on a daily basis during a year that saw an abundance of challenges. For that, our entire community is grateful and our students were the ultimate beneficiaries.

Year-after-year, the St. Francis Fund, our day-of-giving (Thankful Thursday), and our special fundraising events sustain our operating budget and provide an outstanding educational experience for today’s Troubies. While nothing was “normal” last year, our community came together in big and small ways in support of our students, which enabled St. Francis to pivot, adapt and recreate as many student-centric experiences as possible culminating in an in-person graduation. Thankful Thursday, our day-of-giving that specifically supports the tuition assistance needs of our students, saw engagement from our current community and our alumnae community near and far. This is the ultimate feel-good event as together we ensure more students can benefit from a St. Francis education. Although special events needed to look significantly different last year, it was a testimony to our St. Francis community that when life gave us lemons, we gathered in spirit to crack some crab and still have the same sell-out Crab Feed event we are used to hosting. These events are what brought us together and reminded us of the special community we have.

Our endowment and special purpose funds enable us to build a secure and sustainable future for the Troubies yet to grace our halls. We saw significant growth in these areas in 2020-21. The endowment shores up funds for future tuition assistance, an important endeavor when we know 25-30 percent of students and families benefit from this assistance each year. Those who invest in our students form the foundation for the St. Francis experience. Our campus facilities provide the place where this sense of community is fostered. By enhancing and updating our campus through special purpose funds we ensure that St. Francis remains a relevant and vibrant all-girls option graduating competent and confident women who will change the world. Many have jumped on board to envision and help build A New Day Forward.

This Statement of Community Support recognizes all of you — current and past parents, grandparents, alumnae, students, faculty and staff (whose generosity knows no bounds), and our numerous friends and supporters. Today, as we have for the last 80 years, the commitment to providing a quality Catholic education in a spiritually-thriving community remains central to the St. Francis mission. Your faithfulness is the bedrock of our mission.

Thank you to our St. Francis community who faithfully gave of your time, talent and treasure to make the 2020-21 year a testimony to faith, mercy and love.

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

MaryAnne Kelly, Director of Advancement