Frequently Asked Questions

The school has asked every family to meet individually to learn about the Campaign. We ask that each family give what they can to the Campaign with a five-year pledge. Education about the project is an important process that precedes a request for support.

Annual Giving should be your first giving priority because it is directly tied to annual operations. The cost of tuition does not cover the actual cost of each child’s education; therefore, the Annual Giving Campaign is critical. All gifts to the REACH Campaign must be above and beyond your contribution to Annual Giving.

There is no “set” amount, as financial abilities vary among our community. Every gift at every level makes an impact on our goal, so every contribution helps.

Some families choose to utilize the five-year pledge period to make giving generously more affordable for them. Others, however, choose to make a single investment with a check, cash, or gift of stock. Either method is both appropriate and appreciated.

For construction of the gym, families were required to pay $2,500 each; this funded approximately 20% of the cost. The remainder was financed as part of a 30-year bond issue. The REACH Campaign, by contrast, depends on voluntary contributions from the Catherine Cook community to accomplish its goals and objectives.

The best thing to do is to help educate applicant families about philanthropy’s importance to Catherine Cook—we both teach and practice it. You can help explain that we have an annual fund, an annual Gala, and a capital campaign, and that every family in the school, including new ones, is asked to participate financially (proportional to resources) in addition to volunteering. Catherine Cook gives everyone the opportunity to be involved; it is one of the school’s greatest strengths.

Pledges are not legally binding. We ask that you make your pledge on a “Letter of Intent,” which allows us to share your intention to support the school with the bank. The short-term financing of this project is secured by the school and not with individual pledges. If a family's financial situation should change, simply re-evaluate your ability to fulfill the pledge and notify the Office of Advancement of the change.

Publicly traded stocks make an excellent gift and can easily be transferred to Catherine Cook electronically, broker-to-broker, or by mailing or hand-delivering the actual certificates of stock. Certificates must be properly endorsed and accompanied by a signed Notice of Stock Power. To initiate an electronic stock transfer, you should contact your broker to direct the transfer to Catherine Cook School. You must provide your broker with the school’s brokerage account information and DTC number. For more information or to alert us of an impending transfer, please contact the Office of Advancement.

We encourage matching gifts. If your employer has such a program, it could double or triple your investment! Check with your personnel office or human resources department to see if your employer offers a matching gift program.

Donors will be recognized in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, acknowledgement on our website, Annual Report, and mailings from the Campaign. Donors may also choose to remain anonymous if they so desire. Areas around Catherine Cook can also be named after a donor or in a third party’s honor and will be designated with a tasteful plaque. Please contact the Office of Advancement to inquire about naming opportunities.

Each and every gift to Catherine Cook is important. While a few individuals, companies, and foundations will provide lead gifts, it will take the involvement and support of everyone to ensure a successful Campaign. Even small gifts can make a big difference to the school. In addition, many corporations and foundations use giving participation as a determining factor in deciding whether to fund grant requests.