ALUMNI

St. Mary School, the oldest catholic school in North Carolina, has a rich and diverse alumni base. The recent generation of graduates have gone on to religious vocations, athletic careers, served in the active military and held state political offices. Many return to St. Mary to visit staff and their school and parish families. It is not unusual to have a returning high school senior or Eagle Scout candidate choose projects to benefit the school enabling them to return to the campus to mentor and teach the younger students.

St. Mary graduates of all ages are encouraged to visit the school and celebrate the mass and Open House that initiates the annual Catholic Schools Week celebration the last weekend of January. Alumni, memories or memoribilia are welcome at anytime!

St. Mary Alumni are encouraged to stay in touch! Please download the Alumni Registration Form and return it to the Alumni Committee. You can contact Jo Ann Daley @ (910) 762-5491, ext. 10 or email the Alumni Committee at smsalumni@thestmaryparish.org.

ENDOWMENT FUND

Unlike the endowment of years past which included simple school supplies, the religious as teachers and administrators and low operating costs for our catholic schools, our schools today must maintain current technology, skilled and adequately compensated teachers and administrators. Tuitions only cover a portion of the operating expenses and parent initiated fundraising compensates for those deficits between tuition and actual cost of education.

An endowment fund allows the school a stability, a nest-egg and a means for financial responsibility. The Diocese of Raleigh requests that each school create and maintain an endowment fund to assist with tuition assistance, improvements in programs and additional expenses not covered in the general operating funds.

10% contributions are made to the endowment fund from the general fundraising efforts of the HSA. Donor contributions to the endowment are essential to the growth and stability of the fund.

PLANNED AND CREATIVE GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

In addition to contributions to the school's endowment fund, donors have many opportunities to financially support the future of St. Mary School.

Scholarship Funds/Adopt-A-Student

Donors may establish funds in honor of or in memory of an individual. Scholarships can be given from the interest made on the principal. Some funds are simply an annual gift, replenished each year, which is passed on to a deserving student. These scholarship funds can be arranged according to the wishes of the donors.

Gifts for Special Needs/Requests

From time to time the school will generate a "Wish List" with special opportiunities for giving. Often donors want to make their donation in the form of a tangible gift, piece of equipment, or item not covered by the school budget.

Corporate and Matching Contributions

Many large corporations offer employee/retiree match programs where the company matches, sometimes up to 5 times the amount contributed by the employee or retiree. This type of giving can be very beneficial to building programs or increasing scholarship endowments. To locate a corporate matching program you can search www.matchinggifts.com or refer to this listing of local employers who offer employee matching programs.

Insurance

Sometimes donors purchase insurance policies and name the school as beneficiary or owner of the policy. This can also be accomplished by transferring ownership or by changing a beneficiary of an existing policy.

Gifts of Property

Any real property( home or land, for example) can become a gift. Stock, bonds and securities may be a possibility as well. Donating these securities to St. Mary School may ease the donor's tax burden and allow them a charitable deduction.

Trusts and Annuities

If a donor wants St. Mary to receive a significant gift but wishes to maintain an income from the gift for a certain amount of time, a charitable trust may be the answer. An annuity works simularly but does not need as large an investment. If a donor prefers to keep the principal and distribute an annual gift, a charitable lead trust may be an appropriate tool.

For more information please contact JoAnn Daley, 910-762-5491, ext. 10 jdaley@thestmaryparish.org or

Debbie Rossi at 919-821-8791 rossi@raldioc.org