Why Give to the
Annual Fund?
St. Martin’s Episcopal Preschool is committed to providing the best preschool education, creating caring and responsible critical thinkers.
While there are so many aspects of St. Martin’s Episcopal Preschool (SMEP) that make our school special, in the end, the real magic comes from its people. The moment you step on the campus, everyone is warm and welcoming creating a wonderful atmosphere for children to learn and grow. Our focus centers on our children with a common goal of providing an environment where each child can grow spiritually, cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically. Yet the pressure of our operating budgets makes these achievements increasingly more challenging each year.
How Do I Make a Difference?
Investing in this fund allows the school to close the gap on expenses not covered by tuition. SMEP is one of the few preschools in the area to offer comprehensive insurance plans as well as pension benefits to our full-time staff.
A contribution to our Annual Fund includes, but is not limited to:
Enhancing academic and ancillary programming.
Attracting and retaining our veteran faculty and staff and recruiting new talent.
Sustaining the operation and maintenance of our school.
In order to attract new talent as well as retain our veteran faculty, the operating budget is used to cover these benefits as well as offer competitive salaries.
By providing needed funds, gifts to our Annual Fund have an immediate, tangible impact on students, faculty and programs at every level of the SMEP experience.
What is the Annual Fund?
The Annual Fund is St. Martin’s Episcopal Preschool’s annual giving campaign that raises critical philanthropic dollars to support the operations of the school.
Virtually every independent school in the country relies on an annual fund campaign to fill this gap.
Our tuition accounts for approximately 85% of the true cost of educating a student at SMEP. Annual Fund dollars make up the difference.
Why Give to the Annual Fund?
As a nonprofit, independent school, St. Martin’s Preschool develops its own program and curriculum. This means that our school operates without financial support from the federal or state government agencies, and is self-governed by a Board of Trustees. Unlike public schools, which are funded by tax dollars, independent schools rely solely upon tuition revenue and philanthropic gifts to meet operating and capital expenses.
The Annual Fund bridges the gap between tuition and what it actually costs to educate each SMEP student.
How Do I Make My Gift?
Give online or
Mail your check to:
St. Martin’s Episcopal Preschool
Attn: Annual Fund
717 Sage Road
Houston, TX 77056
How Much Should I Give?
Every gift is an investment in your child’s education, and every gift matters. Our goal is 100% participation from our parents, faculty, and Board of Trustees.
What Are Some Suggested Giving Amounts?
Annual Fund Levels of Giving:
Whole Child Champion ($2500+)
Spiritual Sustainer ($1500-2499)
Emotional Ally ($1000-1499)
Cognitive Counselor ($500-999)
Physical Phenom ($250-499)
Supporting Angel ($50-249)
Do All Families Participate?
We encourage every family to give to the best of their ability. We aim for 100% from faculty, staff, the Board of Trustees and current families.
What About Donor Privacy?
We respect the privacy of our donors and are committed to the highest standards of ethics and integrity in all fundraising efforts.
• We will not trade, share, loan, or sell our donor list.
• We record important donor information such as name, address, phone number, email address, and giving history for IRS purposes; this information is also used by our business office. This information is protected under the highest standards and is not shared beyond the business office.
• We acknowledge our donors via electronic communications and a mailed tax letter each January.
Your gift will be devoted to our exempt purposes and we have not provided benefits or services that are required to be valued to you in consideration for this gift. We are a §501(c)(3) organization and you, therefore, may be entitled to a donation deduction for your gift.
school hours
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Address
717 Sage Road, Houston, Texas, 77056.
Phone
(713) 621-2944