The Bertschi Fund

The Bertschi Fund is made up of annual donations from the community that, in addition to tuition, helps balance the operating budget each year. The Bertschi Fund represents 6-7% of the annual budget.

Each year the Bertschi Fund plays a vital role in the bottom line of the school's budget. Donors may direct their gift to one of three areas: financial aid, faculty professional development, or area of greatest need.

The Bertschi Fund makes an important impact on our annual budget by providing critical funding to our school. Donors can choose to direct their donation to one of three areas:

• Financial Aid: Help us continue to build an inclusive community. Your gift will directly underwrite financial aid awards that cover all areas of a Bertschi education including tuition, extended day, learning services, and summer camps.
  
• Faculty Professional Development: Ensure ongoing excellence in teaching and curriculum based on best practices, culturally-responsive teaching, and more. Your donation will support funding for our faculty to pursue continued training as lifelong learners. Opportunities include the annual NAIS People of Color Conference and SXSW EDU Conference.
  
• Area of Greatest Need: Allow Bertschi to direct gifts where they are most needed. Your donation will provide unrestricted operating funds that Bertschi uses to close the gap between tuition and the actual cost of a Bertschi education for all students.

About $2,000 of each child's education is not covered by tuition.

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.”

We hope that everyone feels compelled to give what they can for the greater whole.

The Bertschi Fund goal is 100% family participation, in addition to contributions from other community members. We typically raise between $450,000 - $515,000. 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, families 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% family participation we reach our financial goals each year.

Many companies and organizations offer donation-matching programs to their employees. Employers may match your gift up to a certain dollar a mount, match your full donation, or even match greater than 100%. Ask your employer/HR office if they offer a donation matching program today and increase your impact!

Please note: Bertschi considers employer matches as part of your total gift. For example: if you give $250, and your employer matches $250, then we will consider your donation to be a $500 gift at the Sponsor level.

Your gift will be listed in the Annual Report under the corresponding giving level (see giving levels listed below). You may choose to be listed anonymously.

Bertschi Fund Class Champions help us spread the word, answer any questions, and send friendly reminders and encouragement to their grades. However, they are not privy to donation amounts or other confidential information.