Annual fundraising is a critical component of the vast majority of successful independent schools in North America. Like them, SMUS relies on tuition income, Annual Fund contributions, endowment income, and other revenue-generating sources to meet operating expenses. Many of our parents are surprised to learn that tuition does not cover the full cost of a SMUS education and that we do rely on annual giving to bridge the gap between revenue and expenses.

As such we reach out every year to our entire SMUS family of Board members, parents, staff, faculty, alumni, alumni parents and friends – to assist us. Simply stated, without your support and the support of hundreds of others in our community, the St. Michaels University School that is shaping the future of our students would not be the same place that it is today.

A key goal we emphasize is broad participation from all of our stakeholders. High participation demonstrates a vote of confidence and support for our school's Mission, Vision and Values. When our community participates in high numbers with gifts that are personally meaningful we are able to enrich our programming to benefit the whole school community.

Consider that without Financial Aid support from our generous donors, many students may not be at the school today. And were you aware that the extraordinary improvements in our facilities over the past two decades would not have been possible without the support of hundreds of donors – people and families who contribute to honour the impact that SMUS has made to them and those closest to them?

A school like SMUS has fewer supporters than a university, hospital, or larger charity. As such, when we say "every gift matters" we truly mean it. This year, our fundraising priorities are centred around six priorities that align with our strategic plan, Floreat. These priorities support Wellness, Arts and Athletics, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Sustainability, Heritage and Facilities, and Technology. To learn more, please visit our Annual Fund homepage. We hope you will make SMUS one of your philanthropic priorities this year and help make a difference in the lives of our students.

If you have questions regarding annual giving, please reach out to Joanna Verano at [email protected] or call 250-370-6106.