Q: What is The CHA Annual Fund?

A: The CHA Annual Fund consists of contributions given each year between July 1 and June 30 by parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, faculty, and others to help the school provide students with a superior education. Annual Giving meets needs in the yearly operating budget, sustaining and improving all areas of the School.

Q: Why does CHA need an Annual Fund when parents already pay tuition?

A: Small class sizes, excellent teaching, and extraordinary programs are integral parts of the CHA experience. However, tuition revenue alone is not enough to sustain the quality of a CHA education. We rely on tuition, Annual Fund contributions, endowment income, and fundraising events to meet operating costs.

Q: Why not increase the tuition if it doesn't cover all the costs of a CHA education?

A: As part of its commitment to making a superior educational experience available to qualified students regardless of financial circumstances, the CHA Board of Trustees tries to minimize tuition increases. Raising tuition to meet all costs would mean that many families would be unable to send their children to CHA.

Q: If our family receives financial aid, can we expect the school to ask for an Annual Fund donation?

A: Yes. Both large gifts and modest gifts demonstrate support for the school, so we ask the entire CHA community to participate in the Annual Fund. While providing needed revenue, Annual Fund contributions also demonstrate community support for the work of CHA's outstanding faculty and staff.

Q: Why is participation important?

A: The more families who support our fund, the more successful it will be. In fact, some non-family donors, corporations and foundations who consider making gifts to the school look at participation statistics to see how well people close to the school support it. The fact that you give to The CHA Annual Fund, at any level, means that you believe in its purpose and you believe in the program that CHA is offering your child.

Q: We volunteer in other capacities at the school - why should we support The CHA Annual Fund too?

A: We are most grateful for the time that our parents volunteer at the school. Without your help we could not continue to provide the quality educational program that we do now. However, any gift to The CHA Annual Fund is also important and necessary to maintaining our quality program.

Q: What is an appropriate gift to The CHA Annual Fund?

A: For all members of the CHA family, we ask you to be as generous as your means allow. If you are a current parent, we ask you to make CHA one of your top philanthropic priorities. Last year, The CHA Annual Fund had donations between $5 and $20,000. The average gift from a current parent to independent schools in California is $1,670.

Q: How flexible can my payments be? Can donations be made to CHA Annual Fund at any time during the year?

A: Yes! Gifts and pledge payments aren't due until June 30, 2010! Pledge payments can be made in installments. Because gifts to The CHA Annual Fund are tax-deductible, your gift is a gift that keeps on giving! Pledges and payments may be made in the form of cash, credit cards (VISA or Mastercard), or through gifts of stock.

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