OVERVIEW OF GIVING

At West Side Montessori School, a deep wellspring of generosity has sustained us from our earliest beginnings and enriches us to this day. We have a long tradition of contributions and participation from our community, including current families, alumni, alumni families, grandparents and friends. WSMS’s annual fundraising efforts run from July 1st through June 30th each year, and have been consolidated under one theme – “WSMS Gives”. “Giving” seems a truly appropriate theme as it embodies our generous WSMS community and is at the core of our continued success. WSMS Gives has two approaches to fundraising: (1) the Annual Fund and (2) the Auction.

WSMS, like all non-profit independent schools, depends on a combination of tuition revenue, our endowment, interest income on reserve funds, grants, and through our internationally recognized Teacher Education Program (TEP), to support our ongoing operations and priorities.

Yet, these sources of revenue alone do not cover the annual costs that make WSMS an exceptional place for our children to learn and grow. WSMS spends more per student than what is raised through these sources of revenue. Fundraising for the WSMS Gives helps close the gap between tuition and operating expenses.

ANNUAL FUND:

Provides the opportunity for the WSMS community to come together to support the school and ensure its future success for many years to come. The goal of the Annual Fund is 100% parent participation. Participation is an important measure of the strength of the school community. It is an indication that we as a group are committed to building a strong and healthy future for the school. Participation is just as important as the amount that we raise. The WSMS Gives motto of Give from the Heart, Give What You Can, truly applies here.

AUCTION:

The Auction is a much beloved community-building event where the entire community (teachers, parents, alumni and special friends) come together with their time, talent and treasures to make every year fun, unique and wildly successful. At the core of the Auction’s success, in addition to the generous financial contributions, is participation through volunteer work. There are a wide range of opportunities to get involved and form lasting friendships. As of 2020, the Auction benefits WSMS Gives.

In prior years the auction took place as a gala in January. Last year we adapted the Gala, in response to COVID, to a week-long outdoor “Magical Spring Event” which culminated in a highly successful virtual auction. Even with all the COVID restrictions, the community was able to safely celebrate together and parents were able to bid on their favorite items like the Class projects and Teacher Time projects. This year, we will once again aim to have an Auction in the Spring while taking all COVID related precautions into account.

Fundraising contributions to WSMS Gives provide crucial unrestricted support to WSMS and adds to the socioeconomic and cultural diversity which are at the core of what makes WSMS a rewarding environment in which our children thrive. Past examples of how fundraising dollars have been spent include:

• • Financing program enhancements which have allowed WSMS to enhance its economic, social and cultural diversity we value so deeply:
    – Continuing to provide financial aid to 20-25% of our families, with more than $1.2 million in financial aid awarded each year.
    – Through our DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) initiative WSMS has embarked on a multiyear initiative for the entire community (teachers, administration, board and parents) to implement improvements in our programs: teacher development, TEP scholarships, classroom materials and experiences. Reducing bias and prejudice around us begins with early childhood education.
  • Supporting teacher salaries and professional development;
  • Beginning a scholarship program for WSMS-TEP (West Side Montessori School Teacher Education Program);
  • Facility upkeep and improvements:
    – Previous fundraising efforts enabled WSMS to quickly and effectively adapt to the unexpected changes due to Covid-19 such as the installation of MERV rated air filters to all classrooms and common areas, as well as, the innovative gym conversion into two resplendent classrooms for the 2020-2021 school year that allowed for smaller class sizes.
    – The amazing expansion of the Two’s Program at 91st Street, to allow for a larger program for siblings and new families.

Community and participation are at the heart of WSMS and its future success. A quote from a WSMS parent encapsules this, “The tuition makes the school as good as it has been, while fundraising helps the school to achieve something even greater; tuition is what we ‘have to pay’, but the fundraising represents what we love to contribute.”

Any and every gift is greatly appreciated. For more information about WSMS Gives and how fundraising dollars have been utilized, please review the below WSMS Gives Fundraising FAQs or the two videos at the top of the page.

Thank you for all your support. WSMS is an exceptional place for our children because of your contributions.