The Promise Fund: A Promise to Our Students

The purpose of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Montessori School Promise Fund is to make St. Paul’s the best it can possibly be for our deserving students. This important annual fund supports every aspect of the school’s operations: from financial aid to faculty salaries, from academic and extracurricular activities to the maintenance of our buildings and grounds. This is the most meaningful way you can show your support of St. Paul’s Episcopal Montessori School!

Donation Levels:

• Kay Mijangos Founder Circle = $500/month or $6,000/year
• Leadership Circle = $100/month or $1,200/year
• Partner in Education = $50/month or $600/year
• Patron = $25/month or $300/year
• Friend = $10/month or $120/year

The Promise Fund FAQs 

1. What is the St. Paul’s Episcopal Montessori School Promise Fund?

Each year, families, alumni, and friends are asked to make charitable gifts to St. Paul’s Promise Fund. These contributions supplement tuition income and enable the school to meet its annual operating expenses. The 2024-25 Promise Fund goal is $10,000.

2. Where does the Promise Fund money go?

The Promise Fund directly supports the essentials and the extras, and provides the margin of excellence that we all associate with St. Paul’s faculty and programming. Money raised in the Promise Fund goes toward funding daily programming, enrichment subjects, new Montessori materials, facility improvements, and professional development for faculty and staff.

3. Why not just raise tuition to cover expenses?

Charging the “full” tuition would put St. Paul’s education out of the reach of so many qualified students, and it would create a very homogeneous population on our campus. The socioeconomic diversity represented by our student body is an essential aspect of the St. Paul’s community, one which we value and seek to preserve. In order to continue to provide opportunities for students from a variety of backgrounds, it is necessary to find a way to counter increasing costs. Voluntary giving to the Promise Fund is an equitable way to counter rising educational costs and, unlike tuition payments, it is tax-deductible.

4. The Case of 100% Family Participation…

The entire St. Paul’s community supports the Promise Fund. Faculty, staff, and school board members are the first to give to the Promise Fund at the beginning of the school year, and we are proud to announce that we have met our goal of 100% participation amongst this group of community stakeholders! 

Because every family and every child is an important part of our school community, the expectations are that every family will make a gift to the Promise Fund. There is strength in numbers – many gifts add up to a large sum each year, and every gift counts! A high participation rate is a symbol of maturity and credibility – and it displays community loyalty.

5. What should I give to the Promise Fund?

Annual gifts range from $25 to $10,000, and every family is encouraged and expected to give to the best of their ability. The education of your children is very important and we hope that you will put St. Paul’s at the top of your giving portfolio.

Families may make a one time gift by cash, check, or card, or they may make a pledge to be paid out over the course of the school year. For reference, here are some gifts distributed over a 12-month pledge:

• $6,000 (Kay Mijangos Founder Circle) = $500 per month
• $1,200 (Leadership Circle) = $100 per month
• $600 (Partner in Education) = $50 per month
• $300 (Patron) = $25 per month
• $120 (Friend) = $10 per month

6. What is the Leadership Circle?

The Leadership Circle is a donor giving level that includes anyone who makes a gift of $1,000 or above in that school year. All givers in the Leadership Circle will receive signage recognition and an invitation to a special thank you recognition party to be held in the spring.

7. Why should I give to the Promise Fund?

First, participating in the Promise Fund to the best of your ability is one of the most meaningful ways to show support for the St. Paul’s community, and the faculty and staff who make a difference to your child.

Second, the Promise Fund ensures quality in all that St. Paul’s is and does. It secures the current educational experience that we as alumni, parents, and friends of St. Paul’s have come to value and respect. St. Paul’s students deserve the best education that we can provide.

Generations of families offering their financial support have helped shape the St. Paul’s that we know today. We hope that you will help us carry on that responsibility and ensure the quality of a St. Paul’s education for our current and future students.