From the Director

Philanthropy at Christ Church Episcopal School

The CCES community is a generous one. Two generations of families have blessed us with their wealth, work, and wisdom to build and sustain Christ Church Episcopal School. Their vision and philanthropy have created the environment of excellence our students enjoy today.

A strong culture of philanthropy is the engine that will drive our efforts forward. Your gifts to the school are vital to our mission of continuing to provide a world-class education for our students. The CCES Development Office is committed to providing and creating opportunities for members of the school community to make gifts that touch the lives of every student and teacher on campus.

There are three main thrusts to our fund-raising efforts in the Development Office:

• Annual Giving:
  With tuition raising only 84% of the monies needed to operate the school, we appeal to our entire community of parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends to support Annual Giving. Annual Giving is a line item in the budget; thus, the funds raised through this yearly drive are dedicated to operational expenses.
• Endowment:
  Gifts to endowment help ensure both the short-term and long-term financial health of the school. A portion of the annual interest from endowment investments subsidizes day-to-day operations. A substantial and growing endowment makes the school less reliant on tuition increases to meet expenses. Endowment income may also be dedicated to such restricted purposes as financial aid, faculty compensation, student scholarships, building maintenance, and other specifically designated purposes.
• Capital Gifts:
  In recent years, generous capital gifts from our benefactors have enabled us to build a beautiful chapel and new Upper School, renovate the Lower School, and improve our campus athletic facilities. Capital gifts are by their very nature restricted to specific purposes that will increase the breadth and depth of the programs we offer students in our mission of helping them achieve their highest potential.

Contributions come in all sizes, multiple forms, and for many purposes, but all make the school stronger. I will be happy to assist you in making gifts of any size or form to CCES, whether cash, stock, annuities, other tangible assets, or bequests.

As a graduate of CCES, spouse of an alumnus, and parent of two current students, I have personally been touched by the generosity of this community, and I thank you wholeheartedly for your support of this extraordinary place.

Bibby Sierra, Director of Development