2023-24 Giving Dates

The fiscal year for giving to Serra runs from July 1 to June 30 each year,  although gifts are appreciated anytime during the year. 
Annual Parent Gifts
We encourage all families to make their gifts by December 31.  (Gifts are accepted until June 30 each year.)

We host several philanthropic opportunities:

ThanksGIVEday | Alumni Fall Appeal: Thursday, November 16, 2023
Fund A Dream: Saturday, March 9, 2024

Matching Gifts:
  Double the impact of your gift through your employers matching gift program. 

 


fund descriptions

 

Unrestricted Funds

These gifts can be spent where the school believes the need is greatest. Consider this the funding of a particular need.

Restricted Gift Funds

These gifts can be spent only for a specific purpose designated by a donor such as scholarship support or a particular academic or extracurricular program.

Padre Fund Annual Giving

The Padre Fund is the lifeblood of Serra’s fundraising efforts each year.

Serra counts on the annual year gift to the Padre Fund from our community, consisting of alumni, parents, grandparents, board members, friends and faculty, to help underwrite the cost of a Serra education.

Annual gifts to the Padre Fund serve as Serra’s greatest source of unrestricted income, allowing us to enhance curriculum, attract and retain the finest faculty, augment tuition assistance, and sustain the operation and maintenance of the facilities. 

Annual Parent Gift to the Padre Fund

Since tuition and fees do not cover the overall cost of a Serra education, parents are asked to make an annual tax-deductible donation to the Padre Fund each of the four years they have a son at Serra. Annual gifts from parents to the Padre Fund assure the very best resources for their son. Every gift matters and makes a lasting impact on each Serra student. A high level of participation is just as important as the gift amount and visibly demonstrates the dedication of the community to the school. Every year, Serra seeks 100 percent participation from the parent community through their generosity to the Annual Parent Gift for the Padre Fund.

ThanksGIVEday—A Proud Past . . . Powering our Future

Each November, the Serra community unites in the spirit of giving on ThanksGIVEday, Serra’s own unique 24-hour day of giving.

Contributions to ThanksGIVEday are directed to the Padre Fund which helps to provide innovative programs and campus improvements for current students.

While ThanksGIVEday is our alumni-centric annual fall event, it is also a day where parents and the greater Serra community can come together and make a difference. Most important, it provides an opportunity to instill in our students the collective spirit of philanthropy by implementing a 100 percent student participation challenge each year. Friendly class competitions, for current students and alumni alike, make this a fun and memorable one-day way to support Serra and the Padre Fund. 

(Please note: ThanksGIVEday donations are separate from Annual Parent Gift donations, though they both support the Padre Fund.)

Fund A Dream Scholarship Benefit

Each year since 2005, Fund A Dream has helped raise the additional funds necessary to ensure that all qualified applicants who dream of becoming a Serra Padre are afforded that opportunity.

Fund A Dream is a dynamic event that unites Serra’s alumni, current and past parents, and friends of Serra to celebrate the school’s proud history and exciting future. This evening dinner social event is held during the spring semester and is a fun-filled evening where keynote speakers have captivated the community with stories about their high school days, career highlights and philanthropic endeavors. 

All proceeds from this annual event, generated by donations, cash gifts, table and event sponsorships, support the Tuition Assistance Program. To date, the Fund A Dream event has raised more than $9 million. 

Endowment Giving

Endowments are essential assets which serve as a significant source of continual support for Junípero Serra High School and its mission. Each of Serra’s endowment funds are separate and distinct from other funds and only the interest earned on these investments are used to fund scholarships. 

A gift to Serra’s Memorial Endowment Fund can perpetuate the values and ideals that guided a loved one's life. Gifts provide a tribute in memory of a loved one's passing, or may honor a person during his/her lifetime. When a gift is made, his or her name will be entered into the Serra memorial book. The honoree will also be remembered with an acknowledgement card sent to the family. All contributions to the memorial program help fund tuition assistance for deserving families, assuring the continuance of Serra's legacy of inclusiveness and diversity.

Endowed Scholarships

Scholarship endowments may be designated as restricted or unrestricted.

Unrestricted: Unrestricted endowment funds give Serra a greater amount of flexibility to designate the use of funds toward areas most in need and can apply these to tuition assistance, advancement, maintenance, professional development and other needs.

Restricted: Funds can be used for student scholarships with specific criteria (e.g. Serra student with a 3.3 GPA who participates in at least one extra-curricular activity and is of good character and citizenship; or simply a performing arts student.) 


Additional ways to give

Planned Giving

Planned giving can be a tax-efficient way to achieve financial and estate planning goals while leaving a lasting legacy at Serra.

Planned giving donations can be made through an annuity, insurance policy, real estate, or most commonly, a bequest in a will or living trust.

Donors can work with their financial advisers and the school to determine the best type of planned gift to include in their estate planning. Members of this group are referred to as the Father Serra Heritage Society. 

Capital Giving

To maintain the leading edge of 21st Century learning requires an investment in infrastructure, technology and facilities which cannot be paid for by tuition. While capital gifts are usually for new facilities or major renovations, the term can also apply to endowment gifts. They can be unrestricted or designated by the donor for use in support of specific programs, initiatives or building/ renovation projects. Gifts to a capital campaign may be requested along with an every year gift to the annual fund, as they are each vital to Serra in its own way. The school must continue to meet its operating costs (annual fund gift) even as it expands and makes major improvements (capital gift).

Gifts in Kind

In-kind donations to Serra are greatly valued and appreciated. These gifts are defined as non-cash items such as supplies, computers, printing services, food and beverage for fundraising events, prizes for raffles, silent or live auctions that are transferred from the donor to Serra without compensation or consideration in return. In keeping with IRS regulations, these special gifts are tax deductible. Donors have the privilege and responsibility in determining the dollar value of in-kind donations and should consult with their tax advisor regarding valuation of their gift for tax purposes.