Development

The focus of our development is to build a school dedicated to fully realizing our mission- to create an intensive, experiential learning environment for adolescents that is committed to educational excellence and the development of self-awareness through community action, and humanitarian and ecological responsibility. We believe we are creating a new model for education, and also a model for the next phase of nonprofit organizations- a business dedicated to achieving the triple bottom line, where success is measured by our dedication to positive social engagement, by our environmental stewardship, and by a thriving financial foundation.

The Sage School is still in its start-up years. We are building and developing the strength and value of our programs, while constructing a financial model that is based on diversity and a genuine culture of investment. As investors, we want donors to feel connected to the school's programs and educational mission, to understand how their contributions impact positive social and environmental action, and to see the growth and development of a thriving business model.

Our current major areas of development are:

• The Annual Fund - The Annual Fund is an investment in the school's future. It is also a way to support the school and its programs, an opportunity to build a strong school community, and an important way for the school to pay for the operating expenses not covered by tuition (the so-called "tuition gap"). While there are many ways Sage families can support the school, such as by volunteering their time, by advocating for the school in the greater community, and by helping identify and recruit other interested students and their families, the Annual Fund is designed to be a fundraising effort. The purpose of the Annual Fund is to help strengthen the school by supporting everything from the curriculum, to technology, to competitive faculty salaries, to the school's campus. The Annual Fund is directed at current families.


• The Annual Appeal - Over 80% of our non-tuition generated revenue came from individual and foundation donations last year. This support was as substantial as it was wonderful. While we will continue to approach individuals and foundations, one of our on-going goals is to create more diversity in our sources of revenue. The Annual Appeal is directed toward our broader community of friends.


• Fundraising Events - Events such as Auctions, Dancing with the Stars, Marathons, among others, represent different kinds of fundraising events. Ideally, these events raise money, awareness, and "friends" for the school. As a start-up, we are still defining our niche, and looking for events that will represent who we are and what we do, while also generating revenue.


• Grants - Competitive Grants exist for everything from classroom materials, to building facilities, and they range from hundreds of dollars to millions. As a competitive process, these are hardly considered definite money, and in the current economy, the competition is increasingly intense. Nevertheless, these represent an opportunity for support, and an area we actively continue to research and develop. In the last two years we have received almost $100,000 in grants, and we welcome any suggestions about other existing grant opportunities.


• Social Enterprise - Social enterprise is using a more traditional business model to support what have been considered nonprofit ideals. In other words, we are seeking to develop an organization or a venture that raises money to support our social and environmental mission. Our best example is our greenhouse. Through what we grow, we teach our students about ecology, physics, chemistry, the history and culture of food, economics, and we can also raise money to support the school.In our pilot year of this program, we have not made much money, but we have made some, and we anticipate earning much more as our knowledge and understanding grow. We will continue to develop this and other social enterprises, and aim to have 2.5% of our revenue generated from social enterprise in the next five years.


• Endowment - Endowments come with more mystery and mystique than almost any other part of the operating budget. Sometimes called "the gift that keeps on giving," an endowment is both difficult to raise money for, and also the bedrock of an institution. The press around endowments usually focuses on places like Harvard, where the endowment topped $34 billion several years ago. Endowments are basically savings accounts schools cannot touch, which generate about 5% interest a year. They provide ongoing stability, and they are often looked at as funds that require a significant amount of money to generate real budget relief. As with most financial elements, every small source of revenue helps, and over the next couple of years we plan to build an endowment.

The continued support of parents, grandparents, and friends sustains the Sage experience and preserves choice in education within the Wood River Valley. Ultimately, The Sage School represents a blended value investment, which yields living social and environmental returns. With a mission focused on humanitarian and ecological responsibility, with programs dedicated to relevant and meaningful experiences, and with community action and involvement central to our beliefs, The Sage School is designed both to engage students fully in their learning and in their communities, and also to be a model for positive change.

Giving to The Sage School is an investment in our children's education, and in our social and environmental well-being. No gift is too small, and we appreciate participation at any level.