How Much to Give

Any gift amount is helpful, because participation is the most important aspect of Annual Giving.  A high level of participation in Annual Giving can be very motivating to other potential donors and private foundations who make transformative grants.  The combined gifts cumulatively create a "hidden scholarship" each year for Webb students, which helps to enrich school programs and stabilize salaries for Webb teachers and staff. 

Unless a donor chooses to remain anonymous, all gifts to Webb are reported in the Annual Report, which is published annually in order to celebrate the generosity of our community. The Cornerstone Society represents the top tier of Annual Fund supporters each year. Gifts to Webb are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of U.S. tax law.  

You can specify or "restrict" your gift to fund something important to the donor, such as fine arts, athletics, Outerlimits, academics, or residential life; or they can be unrestricted so that the school can apply them where they are most needed. 

Gifts can also be made in memory or in honor of someone special to the donor, and the donor or their family will be notified of the gift (but not the amount).

Annual Fund gifts can be made online by clicking here, or you can contact the director of annual giving, Matt Wilson via email: mwilson@webbschool.com, or phone: 931-389-5722.  To learn more about planned giving via a bequest or gifts of stock, please visit Webb's planned giving page.

Frequently asked questions about giving to Webb

"Why should I give to The Webb Fund? Isn't tuition enough?"

Every student, regardless of whether they receive "official" aid or scholarship, receives $5,000 in "hidden scholarship" each year -- the gap that tuition doesn't cover.  Some of that aid is supplied by the endowment and the remainder comes from Annual Giving.  A gift of any amount demonstrates your appreciation and willingness to invest in The Webb School's storied history, present success, and future potential to positively influence the lives of young leaders.

The right-hand side of this page lists immediate needs which can be funded by your participation.

Webb teachers make learning their way of life.  Webb's curriculum and programs provide a rich college preparatory experience.  Annual giving is how you can contribute to educating our future leaders.

Webb students come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.  About 40% of Webb's student body receives over $1M in scholarships and need-based financial aid each year. 

When alumni give, it also demonstrates gratitude for their Webb education and experience, which was likewise supported by the gifts of alumni, parents, and friends. Alumni gifts communicate the desire to "pay it forward" to young people, today.

When parents, grandparents, and other friends give, they recognize that every Webb student receives financial aid made possible by gifts to the Annual Fund. Family participation also demonstrates appreciation for the lifelong influence Webb faculty will have on their children's lives.

"Why does Webb need our participation in Annual Giving to The Webb Fund, in addition to tuition paid by parents?"

Participation in Annual Giving (no matter what amount is given) is essential to Webb each year because private foundations and donors capable of making transformative gifts measure participation in Annual Giving (total number of donors) as a criterion for evaluating a school's worthiness of support at the highest level.  Gifts to the Webb Fund also accumulate to meet the needs of the school beyond what tuition and indowment income provide each year.  The Webb Fund is budgeted to provide $550,000 to the current school year's operating budget.  

 

"Why does Webb rely on sources of income other than tuition?"

Because Webb is an independent school, and does not receive public funding for its programs. Therefore, Webb seeks philanthropic support from alumni, parents, grandparents, friends, corporations, and foundations each year to meet the needs of a top 21st-Century College Preparatory education.

The Webb School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit independent school. As such, and like other independent schools, approximately 25% of operating revenue comes from Webb's endowment and annual gifts to The Webb Fund from trustees, parents, grandparents, alumni, and other friends of Webb. 

"How do gifts to The Webb Fund affect the quality of each student's Webb education?"

The Webb Fund has direct bearing on the quality of a Webb education and the price of tuition. In reality, every student, regardless of whether he or she receives financial aid or scholarship assistance, actually receives a substantial subsidy made possible through the Annual Fund and Webb's endowment. Each year, charitable gifts to the Webb Annual Fund cumulatively balance the budget, combining with endowment income to act as a "hidden scholarship" of approximately $5,000 per student and demonstrating loyalty to Sawney's mission and The Webb School's history of success.

Quite simply, Webb can not operate or compensate its teachers fairly without the consistent generosity of parents, alumni, grandparents, past parents, and friends.

Some examples of areas supported by The Webb Fund include:

* Academic Programs - teacher salaries and benefits; software and online service subscriptions; models, tools and equipment for labs; maps and other lesson-specific supplies for classrooms.

* Fine Arts Programs - teacher salaries and benefits; sheet music, art supplies, instrument tuning, field trips, costumes and makeup for theatre productions.

* Athletic Programs - uniforms, equipment, travel, league membership and officials.

* Library - books, magazine and software subscriptions, special projects.

* Physical plant needs - utilities, routine repairs and maintenance, vehicle maintenance, fuel.

* General faculty salaries, benefits, and professional development.

* Special Programs and events - awards, parents and grandparents' days, registration.

* Scholarships - more than $1 Million in need- and merit-based financial aid each year.

"How does The Webb Fund help balance Webb's budget each year?"

Within the larger picture of Webb's finances, the Annual Fund is the only source of immediately available, flexible funds other than tuition. As described in the chart below, 100 percent of Webb's annual income supports the operating costs of the school year, with more than half of the annual budget committed to instructional costs and financial aid, which directly benefit Webb students.

The Annual Fund gives The Webb School the financial resources and flexibility to develop and sustain programs that make it an exceptional place to teach and learn. Without the Annual Fund, Webb would be unable to offer, or forced to curtail, programs, salaries, benefits, and facilities maintenance.

Webb can seek out and recruit the very best teachers, students, and staff only because the Webb community supports the school so generously each year. The Annual Fund has a direct bearing on Webb's ability to be the top school of choice for high achieving students and highly committed faculty candidates. Understanding Webb's finances is the first step to understanding its need for financial support.


"Where does my gift go each year?"

Gifts to the Annual Fund can be unrestricted or restricted based on the donor's wishes. Unrestricted gifts are used to fund current operations, meeting needs such as faculty and staff support, campus maintenance and utilities, student life activities, transportation, and many other programs. Gifts can also be restricted by the donor to fund a specific use.

 

"How can I make sure that my gift makes a difference?"

Every gift, no matter the amount, makes a difference.  The Development Office takes pride in reporting how gifts impact The Webb School's mission each year. You can restrict your gift to support a particular area of interest. If you would like your gift to support a specific school need or a specific department, please contact the Director of Annual Giving, Matt Wilson, via email at: mwilson@webbschool.com. There are many very specific and critical needs which your gifts can make possible.

 

"What is the difference between a purchase from the Parent's Auction and a gift to The Webb Fund?

Gifts to the Parents’ Auction and purchases at the Auction are very important to Webb! However, they can not be counted as individual parent gifts to the Webb Annual Fund for accounting reasons - the funds are given to the school by a single donor: the Webb School Parents’ Association.

The Parents’ Auction is the single largest fund-raising event currently held by the Webb School Parents’ Association. The Parents’ Association currently uses the auction proceeds to make a single, restricted gift for the funding of faculty Christmas bonuses. Additional proceeds are used to sponsor teacher appreciation gift baskets in the spring and other projects selected for sponsorship by the association.

 

click here to give online

 

Specific needs at Webb include:

• The Outerlimits program needs a total of about $10k for new kayak spay skirts, paddling equipment, and the W.I.L.D. fund.

• Academic programs will be renewing subscriptions and replacing curricula next year.

• The science department is upgrading laboratory equipment.

• Professional development for faculty members (usually about $1,500 per conference or class per faculty member).

• The Fine Arts department is adding costumes, purchasing new instruments, and refreshing art supplies.

Memorial Gifts

A donor may make a gift in memory of a deceased individual.  That gift is acknowledged to the donor, and, if contact information is available, the family of the deceased will also be notified. No mention is made to the family of the amount of the gift.

Gifts in Honor

Gifts in honor or in recognition of a living individual are frequently made on the occasion of special events: anniversaries, birthdays, or as an expression of gratitude. These are frequently one-time contributions. Many alumni and current parents make a gift in honor of a special faculty member who has had a particular impact on a family member, friend, or child.

As with memorial gifts, the gift is acknowledged to the donor, and notice of the special gift is made to the honoree. Again, no mention of the amount given is disclosed to the honoree.

Matching Gifts

Many corporations have established matching gift programs that provide company dollar-for-dollar "matches" of financial gifts their employees make to non-profit organizations.

These programs can be especially beneficial to Webb because they further increase the impact of individual donations. Many programs will also honor gifts made by an employee's spouse. Some programs also match gifts by retirees or board members.

Only actual gifts, not pledges, are matched, and the gifts must meet the guidelines established by the individual corporation. Donors can get more detailed information about specific matching gift programs by contacting their employers' human resource office.