The Cedar Valley Waldorf School relies on the support of friends to maintain and strengthen our programs. We are a registered charitable society and all donations are tax deductible. Every bit helps,whatever you decide to donate will make a difference!
Thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Annual Giving Campaign?
The Annual Giving Campaign is a direct appeal to parents, grandparents, other relatives, faculty, staff, friends and acquaintances for financial contributions in support of the school’s operating budget.
What are the major components of the school’s operating budget?
About 57% of our operating budget is used to fund salaries for teachers and staff, about 11% for the building, and 24% is used for tuition assistance and other discounts. The balance (8%) supports programs, supplies, food (for early childhood programs), teacher education and insurance.
Why is the AGC necessary?
Tuition and other fees cover about 51% of the annual operating expenses of the school. Government funding covers 42% so the purpose of the Annual Giving Campaign and fundraising is to help bridge this gap of 7%.
Why not raise tuition?
There would be a significant jump in tuition if CVWS were to cover the expenses through tuition. If volunteer time (a valuable resource) equated paid positions (i.e. hire administrator, bookkeeper, etc.) the tuition would then take another significant jump. The teachers also make a big contribution to the school financially as they receive less than what they would earn in the public system. The school is a place of so much thoughtful giving!
In addition, tuition is a non-tax-deductible contracted contribution to the school, while gifts to the AGC are fully tax-deductible.
What makes CVWS an independent school?
We design our own program and curriculum based on Waldorf education. We have the freedom to be creative in our educational approach while meeting the Ministry of Education requirements. We are also not directed by the Teachers’ Union. We are a non-profit, charitable organization governed by a board of directors. Independent schools in BC receive 50% funding of what the public school spends (as long as they are not spending more per student than the public system). Currently in the Howe Sound District, the public school receives $8,062 per student; we in turn receive $4,031 per student (50%). Another significant expense an independent school has is the cost of its building/property. In the public system, the building and property are given freely to the school. Independent schools rely upon tuition revenues, some government funding, fundraising and philanthropic gifts to meet their operating and capital expenses.
Are there other fundraising activities for the school besides the AGC?
Yes. In addition to asking everyone in the school to participate in the Annual Giving Campaign – in whatever way they can, we have several events and ongoing projects each year that strive to raise significant funds, such as the Gala Auction, progressive card program, and gift cards as well as Christmas Fair and May Fair.
Do corporations and foundations support the AGC?
Corporations typically contribute to independent schools by offering matching gifts to their employees’ contributions. Please inquire at your place of work if there is an employer’s matching gift program. We applied to foundations for our Capital Building Campaign and received $ 85,000 in 2008. In 2009 the school received a playground grant through the provincial government. If you know of any grants or foundations that would be a fit with CVWS please contact the office.
Why is participation important?
The school’s financial strength is dependent upon the participation of all members of its community. Your participation generates enthusiasm and encourages others to join you in supporting the school, and it is a key indication of commitment to foundation and corporate donors that we have consistent support from those we serve.
How much should I give?
You are the only one who knows how much you are able to give, and we ask only that you give to the best of your ability.
Why I Donate
Why would I donate to my children’s school? Because I love my children. My love for them inspires me to do all I can to help them grow into their full selves. That is why I chose a Waldorf school. It was by no means the easiest choice, but it will have been when, in my later years, I look back over their lives. When I have seen my adult children rise creatively to the challenges that life will present to them, and respond to the living world with compassion, I will know that sending them to a Waldorf school was the best choice. Therefore it will have been the easiest choice in the long run. When I look at my children now from my heart, I already know this to be the case. After all, our younger years are the most influential for us all.
The mental states that our children practice now are the ones they will perfect as they grow. True happiness does not happen by accident, it needs to be cultivated. Of course, my children’s home environment is of paramount importance in this. And I am doing my best as a parent. But parenting is a challenge, and I keep getting the opportunity to rise to it creatively and compassionately myself! Thankfully, the rewards are even greater than the challenge. Becoming a parent opened my heart wide, and I will forever be grateful for this experience.
We all want our children to be happy their entire lives. We also want them to be successful in the modern world. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell identifies many of the factors that determine a person’s success in life. Not surprisingly, one crucial factor is the community around the child that prepares them for the world, whether or not there has been a concerted attempt to “foster and assess a child’s talents, opinions and skills.” Well documented studies of people with genius level IQs were considered “squandered talent” without it. The backgrounds of successful people show that, among other factors, as children they received this “concerted cultivation.” I know this cultivation is happening for my children, and not only at home. I am not saying that they are going to be successful, but without it I doubt they could be.
The next most influential environment for my children is their school. One day their peers and teachers will even take precedence. Certainly the range of relationships they develop at school are greater than at home. I believe that life is lived in relationships, with oneself as well as with others. And in order to develop healthy relationships, one must first know and love oneself. I can imagine no better school environment to foster this sense of self, than our little Waldorf school.
Now you know what I want for my children, and why I chose a Waldorf school to help achieve it. Actually, I first had to help build that school. That was as challenging as parenting itself, for the time I was intimately involved in the process. But here the reward is also greater than the challenge. Every year that my children have attended Cedar Valley has been precious, and so well worth the effort it took. I feel particularly fortunate that my daughters’ class may be the first class to make it to high school. There may well be some tumultuous relationships coming up in during her adolescence! I know we will negotiate it more smoothly while she is at Cedar Valley.
The Dalai Lama says that “Education should be in harmony with the child’s essentially kind nature. The most important element is that children be raised in a climate of love and tenderness. It is essential, if one wishes to be a genuine human being and impart satisfying meaning to one’s existence, to have a good heart.” As we have all heard, Waldorf Education focuses on the “head, the heart, and the hands.” My choice of an educational model is reinforced by the views of one as enlightened as the Dalai Lama!
Waldorf education has been called an “education towards freedom.” It strives to keep open the mind and heart for the mysteries of life. It guides the children through a curriculum that is designed to meet their intellectual and emotional needs, as well as nurture their spirits. Freedom is ours to find, and a Waldorf education makes that more likely. However, freedom often comes with a price. In this case, the price is up to us.
So why would I donate to such a crucially important environment for my children? Because I feel lucky to be able to. It has taken an incredible community effort to create this environment. Not only do I appreciate it very much, I also want many families to experience it for many years to come. That can only happen if the school continues to grow and thrive. Among many things, that takes more money than is brought in by tuition. Raising tuition levels to cover this difference is simply not possible, nor desirable, as many families would not be able to afford the experience. This school already has a very generous tuition adjustment program from which we all benefit through diversity of families attending the school. It takes a community to raise a school, and the range of talents in our school community is a big part of what has made it happen.
This is the first Annual Giving Campaign. However, we can also think of this one as a continuation of our immensely successful capital building campaign. Last year as you know, without any assurance that it would happen, we raised enough money to purchase a building! We also managed to renovate it in a very small window of time. We had not yet raised the amount to complete the renovations, but obviously had to do the work. Our attentions were consumed by this and then by the ensuing school year. If not for limited person power, the building campaign fundraising effort would have continued. So in some ways, here it is again, but this time it is for a sure thing – a beautifully completed school. I hope you will donate to the “little school that could.” It is actually an easy choice when you open your heart. I invite you to do so.
Heather Adamson
Frequently Asked Questions, printable version
Why do I give to the Annual Giving Campaign? by Heather Adamson, printable version
