Annual giving is a fundraising campaign that happens every year. Its sole purpose is to pay for regular, ongoing and unrestricted expenses. The annual fund helps balance the budget.

Practical equivalent: A checking account that helps FISW pay for its daily work.

What it buys: Funds raised go into our operating budget, which helps pay for teacher salaries and benefits, library books, teaching tools, technology and equipment, continuing education and heat and lights for the building.

Participation: Our goal is 100% parent participation. Why should you participate? Not only does it show your support for FISW, its teachers, staff and programs, it’s also incredibly important to help cover our bottom line. Even if you can only give a small gift, your participation, along with all the other parents in the school, combines to cover our operating expenses and, if we’re lucky, go beyond to continue to ensure that FISW is truly a special place.

Does my $20 gift really make a difference? When we pool the donations of everyone in the school, the $20 donation, the $100 and the $1000 donations all add up to make a significant difference.

Matching gifts

Many employers match an employee’s philanthropic donations. If your company matches your donation, it allows you to double your gift to FISW. Check with your human resources department to see if your company will match your donation.