The Bertschi Fund

The Bertschi Fund is an unrestricted fund made up of annual donations from the community that, in addition to tuition, helps balance the operating budget each year. The Bertschi Fund represents about 6% of the annual budget. Our financial goal in the 2021-22 school year is 410,000.

Each year the Bertschi Fund plays a vital role in the bottom line of the school's budget. Funds are directed to the areas of most need.

The Bertschi Fund is unrestricted, which means that contributions are used where they are most needed each year. In 2021-22, those areas include:

Financial Aid
As we recover from the pandemic, financial aid continues to be a very important way we support our community of families. We award 100% of family need (including Extended Day, Learning Services, and summer camps) and are committed to that support throughout a student's entire time at Bertschi.

Teacher Professional Development
Our excellent faculty is committed to ongoing education, in particular culturally-responsive teaching and anti-bias and anti-racist education training.

Classroom Budgets
We provide all the materials needed for each student and this year plan to invest additional funds into new science kits, robotics and tech equipment, art supplies, drama sets and costumes, and our growing library of books focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We want to encourage our teachers to dream big when planning their curriculums. If we raised to tuition to cover 100% of these big ideas, many current and prospective families might not be able to send their children to Bertschi. We want to offer the highest quality program possible, and asking for a donation via the Bertschi Fund to cover the remaining cost of our program gives families choice about how much they can additionally direct towards the school in a charitable, tax-deductible way.

Our Bertschi community has a beautiful history of generosity, allowing us to grow our little village and provide our children with the strong, connected, curious education that Brigitte Bertschi envisioned some 40 years ago. Gifts to the Bertschi Fund help our school deliver our promise of “The Bertschi Way.”

About $2,000 of each child's education is not covered by tuition. We hope that everyone feels compelled to give what they can for the greater whole.

The Bertschi Fund goal is 100% parent participation, in addition to contributions from other community members, for a total of $410,000. We ask all families to give something that is meaningful to them.

Our trustees and faculty/staff give generously each year to kick off the campaign and for the decade reached 100% participation. With strong participation from our entire community we nearly always meet or exceed our goal. Every gift helps!

In the fall, you will be asked to give or pledge to pay later. From September to December, parents will hear from a Bertschi Fund Class Champion every few weeks with encouragement and reminders.

The school is grateful for any amount you give as part of a collective investment. Through 100% parent participation we reach our financial goals each year.

Donation amounts are kept confidential within the Advancement Office. You may also elect to be listed anonymously in any publications such as the annual report.

Class Champions help us spread the word, answer any questions, and serve as friendly reminders and encouragers. However, they are not privy to dollar amounts or other confidential information.