Frequently Asked Questions

Select a question below to see the answer:

• What is the Annual Fund?
• What is a Campaign?
• What is Blueprints for Learning?
• What are the fundraising goals for Blueprints for Learning?
• What are the other annual fundraising initiatives that happen
  at Shady Hill?
• What is endowment and how does it affect Shady Hill?
• Why doesn’t Shady Hill use its endowment for campaign needs?

 

What is the Annual Fund?

Every year, parents, alumni, grandparents, faculty and friends are asked to support Shady Hill’s Annual Fund, helping to balance the school’s operating budget. The Annual Fund plays a vital role in supporting Shady Hill’s day-to-day operations, making up almost 10% of the operating budget and helping to alleviate dependence on tuition. Each year the, the annual fund achieves contributions of $1.1 million or more to support the school's operating budget.

The parent portion of the Annual Fund is called the Parents’ Fund; the alumni portion the Alumni Fund; and the grandparents portion is the Grandparents Fund and so on.

What is a Campaign?

Campaigns are occasional initiatives. They support construction projects and/or long-term needs that cannot be covered through the yearly budget or tuition. Campaign pledges are often significantly larger than annual pledges. For this reason, campaign pledges may be fulfilled over a three to five year period.

 

What is Blueprints for Learning?

Blueprints for Learning is the name of the school’s current campaign. For a number of years, Shady Hill had been thoughtfully planning long-term improvements to advance its program through the renewal of facilities and the addition to its endowment. The campaign included arts, athletics, faculty, curriculum development, technology and service learning initiatives. Fundraising began in 2006 and construction was completed in 2009.

What are the fundraising goals for
Blueprints for Learning?

In May 2007, the school announced that it would seek to raise at least $16M during the Blueprints for Learning Campaign ($10M for facilities and campus improvements and $6M for programs). We are inviting all members of the Shady Hill community to support these initiatives.

What are the other annual fundraising initiatives that happen at Shady Hill?

Parent Community Events (PCE) is responsible for organizing several other community-based fundraising opportunities throughout the year, including the Shady Hill Fair (October), the Spring Event (April), and Shady Hill Works (school merchandise). Each year, PCE’s goal is to raise $75,000 in support of the school’s financial aid program. These fundraisers are a great way to bring the community together and to support financial aid.

What is endowment and how does it affect
Shady Hill?

Shady Hill’s endowment is the school’s permanent investment fund. Money and assets are given to the endowment with the stipulation that the principal is to remain intact and be invested to create a source of current and future income for Shady Hill. The endowment is professionally managed under the oversight of the school’s investment committee and is a critical source of recurring revenue for the school. Currently, the school's endowment has a value in excess of $40M, and the income allocated to each year's operating budget is $1M or more. The endowment has provided critical support for academic programming and has enabled the school to maintain a standard of excellence in fulfilling and fostering its mission over the years. It has also enabled Shady Hill to maintain tuition levels at or below those of its peer group. All but approximately $2 million of the School’s endowment has been board-designated, which means that technically, the funds can be used for other purposes than endowment if voted on by the board. While this is rarely, if ever done, this gives the School needed financial flexibility and a healthier balance sheet.

Why doesn’t Shady Hill use its endowment
for campaign needs?

First, the funds in the endowment are there with the intention that principal not be spent. Second, the amount of income generated from the endowment is relative to its size. If Shady Hill depleted its endowment for current spending, there would be less income generated from it for current use. Thus, the school would lose financial flexibility in the future which would negatively affect financial aid, faculty salaries, and tuition.

The endowment currently provides more that 11% of the total revenue needed to run the operations of the school. This is more than twice the support level provided a decade ago, and will produce an even greater percentage as the endowment grows.