Gunston

The Gunston School is an independent  school and organized as a not-for-profit and governed by an elected Board of Trustees. Our funding comes from two sources:

DID YOU KNOW? Gunston is audited annually and we report our financial data to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS). As a result, our record keeping system must align with established industry standards. One of those standards is to measure Annual Fund Participation separately from overall Annual Giving, which encompasses ALL gifts to the school including capital contributions, designated gifts, grants, special event revenue, sponsorships, annual fund donations, and anything that contributes to the institution’s overall fundraising efforts.

What’s the deal with Annual Fund Participation?

PARTICIPATION MATTERS!
Large participation numbers, especially among faculty, parents and our Board shows confidence in the school, and can impact gifts from outside sources. Most foundations consider parent participation rates before donating funds to a school. Gunston applies for specific grant funding every year to provide crucial support such as financial aid, new capital projects, expanding programming, and more. Each and every gift is important, regardless of the amount. Whether it's $5 or $5,000, each gift is a vote of confidence in the school, which in turn greatly increases the chances our grant applications will be accepted. 

WHAT COUNTS AS PARTICIPATION?

• Donations of cash/stock (usually in response to an appeal letter or online campaign, (the donor receives nothing in return but an acknowledgement).
• Event Sponsorships over $1,500 (of which 20% is designated for the Heron Fund).

WHAT DOES NOT COUNT AS PARTICIPATION?

• Raffle tickets
• Items Purchased at auction
• Event tickets or registration
• Student fundraisers
• Event sponsorships under $1,500

What do donations to the Heron Fund pay for?

These funds help to fund a multitude of initiatives at the school such as:

• Field Trips (Cultural Excursion Day, Bay Studies)
• Competitions & Conferences (Robotics, Mock Trial, Model UN)
• Special celebrations (Earth Day, In Celebration of Books, Graduation)
• Capital expenses (New bleachers in the gym, a new score board)
• Rainy Day Fund for Unexpected Costs (Tree limb removal after a storm)

What the Heron Fund pays for varies from year to year depending on the school's needs, but ensuring we have the resources is critical to the Gunston Experience.