Annual Fund
The Annual Fund delivers nearly 10% of the school’s annual operating budget and supports a wide range of initiatives at Burke’s. Among these are academic programs, teacher professional development, student financial assistance, and the maintenance of our classrooms and beloved 3.5-acre campus.
For this reason, we ask all families to give to the Annual Fund before they support any other philanthropic initiatives. Last year we had 100% participation in the Annual Fund from the Board of Trustees and the Alumnae Board, and our faculty and staff had achieved 100% participation for seven of the last eight years. We have achieved 99-100% participation from current parents for the last six years, and last year we saw 14% participation from our alums. The broad reach of Burke’s Annual Fund means that each student, family, and faculty member benefits from the dollars we raise together.
Like all independent schools, Burke’s intentionally charges a tuition below the true cost of educating a student. Our Annual Fund offsets this difference, which we call the Bridge. Because our donors’ generous Annual Fund support bridges this difference between tuition and operating costs, we are able to keep Burke’s more accessible to a broader range of families, allowing us to sustain a more diverse population in our girls’ classrooms and throughout our school community. A strong Annual Fund also helps mitigate tuition increases, protecting our current families from significant unexpected changes to their financial planning. Current families and other Annual Fund donors are able to make Annual Fund contributions of amounts that are personally meaningful to them and are tax-deductible.
Our donors who make a philanthropic gift to Burke's for nine consecutive years become members of
Burke’s Loyalty Society. Loyalty Society members are the foundation of the Annual Fund and their longtime support and consistent giving allows Burke’s to maintain its high standard of excellence and ensures that every student will receive the tools necessary to thrive. As a token of our sincere gratitude and appreciation, Loyals receive a commemorative pin upon joining and annual invitations to select events over the course of the year, including the International Women’s Day student assembly with a special guest speaker and a special luncheon following.