Yes! The Murch Home and School Association is a 501(c)(3) organization, and your donation to the SOS Campaign is fully tax deductible. Please consult your tax specialist for more information.
No! You can set up recurring donations, or monthly payments over 3, 6, or 9 months:
An average donation of $500 per child would allow us to meet our financial goals, but it is simply a suggestion. What is most important to us is having as many families participate as possible! Therefore, if the suggested amount is simply too much, then please give whatever amount fits your budget.
Our HSA reviews current financial projections and calculates a per child contribution that would allow us to fully fund the annual budget. We also look at what other schools in our area ask their families to donate.
We mean it when we say that we'd prefer to have increased family participation at any amount. So, please donate what you can. Contributions at any amount help us get closer to our goal!
Nearly 90% of the money raised by the HSA each year is spent on direct educational supports: 40% for extracurricular and student activities (field trips, performing and visual arts, school presentations, after-school programming, peer mediation, spelling bee, scholarships, 5th grade promotion, and other direct resources to support our students) and 48% to support school facilities, teachers, and administrators (such as office/school supplies, teacher startup expenses, professional development, resource class expenses, custodial supplies, electronic learning, Greenscene garden spaces, and teacher appreciation events). Another 6% is budgeted for community building events like Movie Night, International Night, Talent Show, and coffees of the playground. The remaining 5% of the budget is for HSA operational expenses such as communications, website, bookkeeping, insurance, and audit fees.
If you are interested in seeing the full breakdown of expenses and income, click HERE to view the HSA budget.
The Murch HSA raises nearly all of its annual funds through two primary fundraisers: the SOS Campaign and the Spring Auction. Other activities throughout the year (such as Movie Night, Fall Fair, and Book Fair) are designed as community events and are revenue-neutral for the HSA. The SOS Campaign is the most cost-effective way for the HSA to raise money for the school, as it doesn't require the overhead costs and volunteer hours required of other fundraising events. That means that your entire donation to the SOS Campaign is tax deductible and goes directly to educational supports at the school.
Yes! The money raised in the SOS Campaign this school year helps fund new technologies and online learning licenses, field trips, after-school programming, school wide presentations, and teaching resources for your child’s current classroom. The budget also funds 5th grade activities, such as the Peer Mediator program, 5th grade memory book, and 5th grade promotion events.
Each year, the HSA budgets to spend approximately the same amount as it earns. Upon the guidance of our financial advisors, the HSA always holds 6 months worth of operating costs in our reserve fund, as the timing of our fundraising income does not always match our expenses. These reserves are the minimum suggested reserve levels for financial stability recommended by many non-profit financial professionals.
If the HSA is fortunate enough to raise more than we have budgeted this year, then the members — your family, other Murch families, and staff — determine how that money is spent through the annual budget process. In addition to our budget, the HSA Board approves off-budget spending for unexpected educational needs at Murch each year. If we exceed our fundraising goals, more money will be available to help the school with unforeseen needs. DCPS school budgets are constantly shifting based on changing priorities and enrollment. Additional money raised now could help offset any DCPS budget cuts to Murch next fiscal year.
If your company matches charitable donations, that is a great way to maximize your contribution to Murch. Your company’s personnel office is the best place to ask for information on how to apply for a matching donation.
