Our Lady of Fatima Development
Welcome parents, parishioners, and alumni to Our Lady of Fatima's development site! Please contact Monica Scott at mscott@olfatima.org if you have any questions or would like more information about anything you're interested in on this page.
Background
Like most parochial schools, Our Lady of Fatima School holds tuition at a level that makes it as affordable as possible for parish families. This makes us dependent upon the generosity of our school families, parishioners, and alumni to help cover our actual costs. Many fundraising activities are available (please see more information on our website under Parent-Teacher Club and Fundraising), as are opportunities for more long-term giving. These longer term giving options are explained more fully below.
OLF Partnerships
A section in the Tuition Contract each year is set aside for OLF Partnerships. This is a tax deductible opportunity for parents and other family members to give above and beyond tuition for the good of the school. Partnership donations go directly to the school's operating budget.
Every family is encouraged to participate in the Partnerships program. No expectations are attached: families are asked to consider giving at the level at which they feel comfortable, and payment options are flexible. Our goal with this program is parent participation more than it is meeting any specific financial goal. We do ask that Partnership commitments be fulfilled by June 1st of each year.
For the 2011-2012 school year, 99 families have committed to the Partnerships program, and another 74 families have pledged to do so by the end of the school year. Our goal is 100% parent participation.
Endowment Fund
Our Lady of Fatima School is fortunate to have an Endowment Fund. Begun in 1988, the Fund currently stands at around $1.6 million. Donations are made each year during the Annual School Appeal around the same time as Catholic Schools Week and through Memorial Gifts. Persons whose families designate OLF School as the recipient of memorial gifts have their name placed on the school's Memorial Plaque and are remembered at every student Mass.
Gifts of stock or securities also can be made to the Endowment Fund, as can remembrances in your will. Please consult your financial adviser for more information specific to your needs and plans.
Our Endowment Fund is invested for us by the nonprofit Fulcrum Foundation. As it is a permanent fund, we are not able to draw freely from it. Rather, we can utilize a certain percentage of interest gained each year. Currently, the Endowment Fund composes about 5% of the yearly operating budget.
Corporate Match
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School is a 501(c)3, K-8 school, Federal Tax ID 91-06-04880. As such, many corporations will match gifts given for the benefit of all of the school. Recent matches have been made by Boeing, Microsoft, Gates Foundation, Bank of America, Merck, Schwab, Pfizer, and others.
Please check with your employer's matching policy when considering a gift to Fatima.
The Companion
The school newsletter comes out three times a year and is sent to school parents, parishioners, and alumni. Current issues will be on this site as the school year progresses.
Please contact Monica Scott at mscott@olfatima.org if you'd like to be added to the mailing list.
Alumni
Whether you attended Fatima all the way through or just for a few years, we'd love to hear from you! News and pictures you'd like to share can be included in The Companion.
School tours are available for reunions, class get-togethers, or just if you'd like to come by and see your school today. Please call the school office at 206-283-7031 or e-mail mscott@olfatima.org for more information.
For inclusion in the Fatima Alumni database, please contact Tina Barnes Hermans, OLF '80, at t.hermans@comcast.net.
