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To Which Should I Give? Annual Fund or Capital Campaign?

By Ray Dent
Director of Development and Alumni Relations

Good question! In order to formulate the proper answer, one should understand the difference between the two Campaigns.

The Annual Fund Campaign is vital each year because tuition at Lakehill is insufficient to pay for all of the institution’s educational operating costs. There are four options to overcome this:

1. Raise tuition

which would put Lakehill at a disadvantage competing with schools that rely on endowment income and/or charitable giving to cover their tuition shortfalls.

2. Year-end financial assessment for families to cover actual costs

which would have the same effect as 1. above.

3. Rely on large endowment to provide ongoing additional funds,

unfortunately, Lakehill does not yet have a large endowment.

4. Annual Fund Campaign –

which allows the Lakehill Family to donate money, at whatever level is appropriate for them, to be used where it is most needed for the school’s educational operating costs. A significant factor is that, unlike the tuition or assessment options, donations to the Annual Fund Campaign are tax-deductible.

The Opening Doors Capital Campaign is a specific, one-time effort to raise money for the essential expansion and renovation of the original Lakehill building which, after four and one-half decades, has reached its maximum capacity. For this sorely-needed project, members of the Lakehill Family are asked to make a tax-deductible gift that is in addition to their ongoing support of the Annual Fund Campaign. Generous gifts to this campaign may be paid over a three year period. Because this is an effort to raise capital for construction that will open doors of opportunity for current and future students, there are naming opportunities that will provide permanent donor recognition.

So the proper answer for “To which should I give?” is, of course, BOTH. Each campaign is essential for the wellbeing of this great school. However, it is important to remember that every year Lakehill Prep relies on generous gifts to the Annual Fund Campaign to meet the needs of our students. Therefore, Lakehill Family members should always give to the Annual Fund Campaign FIRST.