St. Michael Parish School , Wheaton

#KINDNESS THIS #GIVINGTUESDAY

Help our Lancers when you support our Annual Fund! We rely on community support for nearly 25% of our budget and are deeply grateful for your generosity! Mail a donation to St. Michael Parish School at 314 W. Willow Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187 or click below to give via credit card. Thank you!

This #GivingTuesday2021, St. Michael students will have a #GiveBack!

We are feeling especially grateful for our many blessings.

Let's make #GivingTuesday2021 a day to #GiveBack!

WANT TO #GiveBack?

This year our students’ efforts support: The PRC, DuPage PADs, First Responders,

DuPage Care Center, The Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans,

and the Marianjoy Rehabilitation Center.

Support our students’ projects & drives! Thank you!

TOP 5 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT THE ST. MICHAEL ANNUAL FUND

#1: What is the "Annual Fund?"

The "Annual Fund" is the first priority of all our fundraising efforts. These dollars come from parents, grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, parishioners, family, staff and friends. As unrestricted funds, they go directly to the operating budget. Our budget is sourced first by tuition, second by the Parish subsidy, and third by the Annual Fund. Until we collect these dollars for the budget we cannot move on to funding new initiatives, updates or projects for the school.

#2: Why Is My Participation Important?

Your support is critical to St. Michael's financial health. Annual Fund dollars have immediate impact on the experience of our students and the education at St. Mike's, funding our most essential expenses. St. Michael is ambitious in our provisions academically, spiritually, and communally, and must be so to continue to be competitive. Your support is deeply meaningful, and we are so grateful to all those who contribute. Thank you!

#3: Where Do My Dollars Go?

Your gift reaches every aspect of life at St. Michael Parish School.

Security Updates

Teacher & Staff Salaries & Professional Development

Classroom Resources, Supplies & Upgrades

Math, Science, Language, Culture & Arts Resources

Tech for Necessary Upgrades for Our Modern Digital Learning Environment

Faith Development & Faith in Action

Learning Resources for Student Needs, Differentiation & Enrichment

Overall School Facilities Updates

#4: How Can I Give?

1. Give ONLINE. Simply click and follow the directions to give with a credit card on our secure Parish giving site to the "St. Michael School Annual Fund #GivingTuesday."

2. Mail a check made out to "St. Michael Parish School" or "SMPS" to our Office, memo line "#GivingTuesday" or "Annual Fund"at any time. You're welcome to print and use this form.

3. Donate at Mass during the Thanksgiving holiday for #GIVINGTUESDAY and subsequent weekends, during Catholic Schools Week (the last weekend of January), or any time as long as the donation is clearly marked. Use the envelopes in the pews, those mailed to your home, or any envelope labeled St. Michael Parish School. Or, simply make your check payable to SMPS, memo line "Annual Fund."

4. During registration, current school families can make a gift to the Annual Fund with their tuition arrangements, through their letter/form in the Spring, as well.

5. Attending and/or contributing to the Blue & Gold Gala also first fulfills our Annual Fund, so please consider attending! The Gala is for anyone connected to the school currently, in the past, or as a parishioner, and we hope you'll join us! The 2021 Gala will be just after we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, likely February 2021, date TBA.

#5: How Much Should I Give?

Given the importance of the Annual Fund at St. Michael, we hope you will give as generous and meaningful a contribution as possible. Your dollars ensure excellent Catholic education now and in the future. Gifts of every size have significant impact on our students, and we hope you consider making the school a priority in your charitable giving. If your family is hoping to have a major impact through giving, we hope you will consider a gift of $600 or more. Your support plays a huge role in how "we teach more," and provides a formational education for our students.

AN ANNUAL FUND MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF ST. MICHAEL PARISH SCHOOL

Dear Friends and Family,

In case you haven’t heard it today…”you are amazing!” Thank you for all the time and resources you give to support our school! This year, more than ever, we have needed the generous spirit of our community to carry us through difficult times. Our community has poured forth care for our students, for our mission and work, for our facilities, for our staff and teachers, and for the future of Catholic education by giving to our recent initiatives. We hope you will consider a donation to our Annual Fund to keep our positive momentum going. The costs of education are significant, and we rely on others’ generosity. This year, as you consider where your dollars can make a difference, I am here to make a plea to give those dollars here at home to our Parish School. We passionately believe in our work, and are doing everything we can to make good on the mission and legacy of the St. Michael community…to give the gift of our faith to our children through the unique experience of “Catholic education.” As our school motto says, we are “forming Disciples of Christ.”

We are a mission-based, non-profit school. I don’t feel it is bragging to state honestly that it is incredible what we do and on how little we do it. Being “good stewards” of our dollars makes sure that every dollar we spend literally goes twice as far as our public school counterparts. But, we need the dollars to begin with, and that is where you can really make a difference. Community contributions are critical to what we do, and we are so grateful to have extremely generous families and friends. Fundraising fulfills nearly 25% of our school budget…every dollar helps; every dollar is meaningful. Please give to our Annual Fund for 2021-2022. You can print and fill out this form and return it to our school office with a check or go online to make a payment through our WeShare site, selecting "St. Michael School Annual Fund #GivingTuesday". If you wish to pledge now and pay later, that is great, too. We sincerely appreciate your commitment and your generosity. We thank you!

This year we are feeling especially thankful for what we have, for the families we love, for the friends we cherish, and for the blessings that will come. May God bless your kindness and generosity! We are thankful for YOU .

With deep gratitude,

Mr. Adam Ferguson

St. Michael Parish School Principal

Thank you.

May God bless you for your generosity!