President's Blog

Fundraising

Posted 3.06.09

Our fundraising efforts used to be limited to sending a spring annual appeal letter to parents asking for donations to help bridge the gap between that which is covered by tuition and the huge expenses of running a school. Response was moderate to low. In fact a few years ago one of the recommendations from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges was to step up fundraising and get parents to participate more in donating funds to the school. The school is a non-profit corporation. This in no way means that we are not allowed to make a profit (a common misconception). It means that rather than declare dividends, and distribute the profit to owners, there are no particular owners. The school owns itself, and all profits go back into the school.

A few years ago two Lycée moms started an annual gala to raise money for the high school construction. The fourth annual gala is coming up, at the glamorous Beverly Hills Hotel(www.lyceegala.com), this time with an upbeat Disco theme - look for invitations in the mail. gala is on Friday, April 24, 2009 at 6:00 pm. I hope to see a full turnout at this fun and glamorous event. The gala co-chairs, Sherri Hajian and Elizabeth Hockley, have been toiling away along with all of the parent volunteers to guarantee the evening’s success. This is a parent organized event and the school is extremely grateful for their tremendous efforts. The last three galas brought together more than 500 enthusiastic parents, alumni and teachers. The cost of your ticket mostly covers your attendance to the event and all other incidentals. A portion is tax deductible. I encourage you to donate to the Gala beyond your ticket price, as it is up to you to support your children and their schooling at Le Lycée. My colleagues and I do our part. We work very hard and we are completely dedicated to the success of our students. We sacrifice to keep the cost of tuition low when compared to other private schools. Our tuition is as low as half of that of the other private schools in California, yet we provide excellence in European as well as American education.

Sometimes, parents ask where exactly their donation goes. The answer is simple and straightforward. If you donate to the gala, your money goes towards building our new high school. All schools and universities have parent funds and sometimes a capital campaign for a particular construction project. I am told that we are probably the only private school in the state without a full time fund raising person on staff! It just makes much more sense right now to spend on the curriculum and the children rather than this full time position. We will have to evaluate in the future the necessity for such a position at Lycée.

Some parents feel that their children may not be here for high school so why should they participate? The success of each student is ultimately tied to the success of the entirety of the school. The school has continued to upgrade and pursue all other programs. Since the high school construction started the school has added two new buildings to the Pacific Palisades campus and Campus 55. The entire Main campus at Overland has been remodeled with a new science lab, new computer labs, new music and dance facility and all new outdoor equipment and playgrounds. There have been improvements at every campus and on the curriculum, as well as in sports (new programs, new teams and extra teachers and costs as a result). On that note, we are extremely proud that the middle school basketball team won their championship, and that the high school basketball team has made the play-offs.

Moving the high school students to another campus also benefits the elementary and middle school students, as they will now have more space and upgraded facilities. Donations of all sizes from parents are necessary and appreciated.

Donations to the gala are recognized in the gala publication and opportunities for giving directly to cover particular items in the new high school will be made soon, including naming opportunities. In my experience those who wish to support their child’s school always do. Please remember that at Le Lycée your donations are tax deductible and every penny benefits your child’s educational experience.

For information on how to donate: Advancement

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