Annual Fund
Explorer West Middle School's Annual Fund Campaign
Every Gift Makes a Difference!
This year our Annual Fund theme is Soup’s On: A Recipe for Community. We think this is a great metaphor for Explorer West: think about when something’s simmering, when the different ingredients and spices come together to create more than the sum of their humble parts – it’s comforting and magical, and invites us in to share it together.
Our Explorer West community is rich and vibrant, and we come together to make something truly special that we all get to share. We are proud of and grateful for the “ingredients” that make up our community – our unmatched faculty and staff, our enthusiastic students and supportive families, and our compelling and well-rounded program that helps all our students discover new abilities and interests.
Each year, Explorer West Middle School’s Annual Fund Campaign provides additional funding to our operational budget that enriches and enhances our program beyond what is possible by tuition dollars alone. We invite and encourage each member of our community (parents, board members, staff/faculty, alumni, grandparents, friends, businesses, etc.) to generously support the Annual Fund.
Why do we need to have an Annual Fund – isn’t tuition enough?
All private non-profit schools charge less in tuition than the full cost of running the school – with the anticipation that fundraising will bridge the gap. The benefits of lower tuition:
• More families are able to afford a private school education
• Fundraising enables families to pay what they can (plus, all donations are tax-deductible)
The Annual Fund doesn’t just make up the difference; the Annual Fund IS the difference between a good education and an exceptional one.
At Explorer West, tuition covers only about 85% of our costs. The actual cost of educating each Explorer West student is thousands of dollars more than the tuition charged. Explorer West provides our students with an outstanding education while at the same time keeping tuition considerably lower than other Seattle private schools.
Why your donation now is especially important now!
Our teachers’ engagement and expertise make the difference in each student’s Explorer West education. In order to attract and retain the best faculty, we have a salary scale that is competitive with other Seattle area private schools. We need your help to keep those salaries competitive – your contributions ensure that we can keep the best of the best to educate our students while keeping tuition as low as possible.
Our Goal: 100% participation
Reaching our financial goal takes everyone’s involvement. Our goal is $100,000 and 100% participation by our Board, Faculty, Staff, and Parents – that means everyone is invited to participate at some level of giving. So please give what you can. Gifts of any size are welcomed and appreciated. Please remember that all Annual Fund donations are tax-deductible. Employer matches are welcomed and encouraged.
Please make a difference by contributing to the Annual Fund today!
Please download the 2023 Pledge Form for more details on contribution options.