Last year, Sage Ridge raised $103,000 for the Annual Fund in the midst of a victorious race to meet the $2 Million match for the SAC. Fundraising priorities this year have shifted, and we are still raising money for the Capital Campaign.
As we know, fundraising for annual operations remains crucial. No single gift has a larger and more immediate impact on your student's experience than a gift to the annual operations of the school. Whenever our thespians hit a mark, whenever a paycheck is deposited into an employee's account, whenever a team is recognized by the NIAA (high school athletics governing body) for having higher GPAs than peer schools, whenever a family receives financial aid, your donations are hard at work fueling the engine of our school.
Our physical plant provides the backdrop for the transformative experiences that our people and programs foster. Capital fundraising must remain a fixture at Sage Ridge so that we can house our people and programs in student-centered, program-driven, purpose-built buildings. Thus far, we have raised over $7 million for the Student Activity Center which is our school’s largest Capital campaign effort in our nearly 25-year history. We have a little more to go as we “make our house a home” and outfit the new space with furnishings and fixtures that embody the spirit of our community. After all, the building will be our new home — not only for competition space such as Friday night home games or academic debate, JCL or robotics tournaments/conventions — but for all manner of community gatherings including coffee houses, dances, pep rallies, homecomings, open houses, graduation week events and more. This fiscal year, your capital funds will help us complete the building project and fill our new home with warmth and exquisite decor.
Your family's comprehensive appeal letter will arrive in a matter of days. Instead of peppering you with a series of separate appeals for different campaigns, we are inviting you to consider making one gift that will be divided between the two areas outlined above and the Opportunity Fund, which supports scholarships for our Sage Scholars who would not otherwise be able to afford a Sage Ridge education. The annual gala, which is scheduled for 11 March 2023, will be the only other fundraising opportunity of the year.
Your appeal letter will state clearly how we wish to divide your gift. If you would prefer to adjust the percentages or give to a single campaign instead of the three presented to you, you are certainly encouraged to express your wishes in the memo line of your check or in an accompanying note. We hope that this enables you to make your best gift to Sage Ridge School this fall.
Paul Dolan
Director of Advancement
