The total SKPS fundraising goal for 2011-2012 is $250,000.

Per Child Breakdown
Based on the estimated number of students for the 2011-2012 school year, the following is a breakdown of the total SKPS fundraising needs and the minimum amount of Gift Card Program rebates, expressed on a per child basis:

Please select from the following:

• Parents Fundraising Commitment
• How To Meet The Fundraising Needs and the Gift Card Program
• Tuition Credits
• 2011 - 2012 Fundraising Announcement

Parents Fundraising Commitment
As is the case with all schools operating within the Diocese of Pittsburgh, tuition covers only a portion of a school's operating budget. The rest of the operating budget comes from a funding model determined by the Diocese. The following pie chart summarizes that funding model:

In addition to the amounts that come from tuition, the subsidy from the parish, and other sources, 10% of SKPS' operating budget must come from fundraising activities.

How To Meet The Fundraising Needs
Similar to last year, the fundraising goal for 2011-2012 will not be tracked, other than the component for gift cards (described below). This Committee believes that it is not in keeping with the Celtic Way to create a system and a culture where every dollar given is recorded and tracked. We believe it is more appropriate to communicate to every family their fundraising goal and let each family, to the best of their ability, participate to the greatest extent they can.

Gift card rebates are the only part of the fundraising goal that will be tracked. The reason to track these gift card purchases are that gift card rebates are not really a donation but instead can be earned by changing purchasing habits to use gift cards for purchases that were going to be made anyway. At a minimum, every family must participate in the Gift Card Program. Families who do not generate rebates to the minimum per child levels, are asked to pay the difference during or prior to the end of the school year.

The gift card fundraising requirements on a per child basis are as follows:

          Each Preschool Student: $55
          Each K-7 Student: $170

The percentage listed on the order form for each vendor is used to calculate the credit towards your family's fund raising goal. For example, if you purchase $100 in gift cards for Gymboree at 13% you will receive a credit of $13 towards your fund raising goal.Every $100 spent at Giant Eagle will generate a $5 rebate, etc. For an overview of the Gift Card Program along with the rebate percentages offered by the various merchants, click here and view available cards and denominations.

How to Purchase Gift Cards

• At School
  Gift Cards can be purchased during normal business hours at the Parish Center. You may also complete the Gift Card Order Form and send it in via your child's backpack and gift cards will be sent home with your child.
  
  
• After Mass
  Gift cards can be purchased after the 4:00pm Mass each Saturday and the 9:00am, 10:30am, Noon and 5:30pm Masses each Sunday.

Gift card fundraising requirements are already included in the total fundraising goal stated earlier. For example, if a family has a total fundraising goal of $700 and the family gift card requirement is $225, then that family only has a remaining $475 in fundraising events to reach their total goal.

A full listing of all the planned fundraising events will be released just prior to the school year, but a tentative list of events will likely include:

• Summer Golf Outing
• Spring Event
• Candy Sales
• Lenten Fish Fry
• And More (Campbell's, Dining for Dollars, etc.)

We are always humble when requesting such generous financial support from the families of SKPS, especially during troubled economic times. We appreciate your past support and anticipate your ongoing efforts to help make our school the truly best it can be for you and your children. If you have any questions regarding this fundraising information, please contact the office.

If you have fundraising ideas, want to get involved and have not yet signed up, or have questions, please write to us at fundraising@saintkilian.org.

Tuition Credits
As an inducement for all families to use the gift card program to the fullest extent possible, a tuition credit is available to families equal to 50% of the amount of gift card rebates that exceeds their gift card requirements (to be used against the tuition in the 2012-2013 school year). For the 2010-2011 year, families earned tuition credits in excess of $18,000.