Philanthropy FundamentalsYour questions - answered!

* how participation aids fundraising efforts* why we ask for gifts in addition to tuition

* what volunteers mean for our communityand more!

A Culture of Philanthropy

The International School depends on the philanthropic support of our community to provide exceptional educational resources and experiences for our students, above and beyond what tuition alone can cover.

The generous support of families and friends has made our school the center of excellence that it is today. Past donations have provided professional development opportunities for our dedicated teachers, new educational technology, hands-on learning resources, critical facility improvements, guest presentations by local artists and musicians, and much more. So many of the programs that make TIS special are the result of philanthropic support from our community, both past and present. Your gift to TIS allows us to continue to offer the best possible education, resources and opportunities for our students.

TIS Philanthropy Fundamentals is intended to provide an overview of our giving opportunities and avenues for involvement both as a donor and a volunteer. With consideration for your philanthropic priorities, we hope to provide a road map that will help you choose the opportunities that resonate most with your family and maximize the value of each dollar so generously donated.

A Culture of Philanthropy

FAQs: Fundraising at The International School Q: Why does TIS fundraise? I already pay tuition.

A: Donations from all community members provide resources and opportunities that go above and beyond what tuition alone can cover. Roughly 6% of our operating budget comes from philanthropic gifts.

Donations touch every one of our students and teachers by providing new educational resources, funding staff professional development opportunities, enriching our community through tuition assistance, and much more. That 6% might not seem like a huge slice of the pie, but imagine if it didn’t exist!

Q: Do other schools fundraise?

A: Yes, all independent schools seek donations to provide the best possible education while managing tuition costs. Public schools also fundraise to be able to operate at their best.

At The International School, we try to limit the number of fundraising events and opportunities to those which we have found to benefit our students the most.

Q: What are the different giving opportunities and events at TIS?

A: The following pages provide detailed information on the different giving opportunities available, including our

• Annual Giving Campaign• Auction Gala & Special Appeal• Run for the Arts• Wine Tasting & Spring Social• Endowment Fund• and more!

Q: How much are families expected to give? Are we required to participate in every fundraising event?

A: We only ask that you contribute to the projects that speak to you, at a level that is meaningful. Whether your donation is $10 or $10,000, we will gratefully receive it on behalf of our students and keep you updated on how your donations are being put to work for our students and teachers. However, we do ask that every family, staff member and trustee make an annual gift to either our Annual Giving Campaign or Auction Special Appeal. Gifts of any size matter - 100% participation is the goal.

Q: Why is 100% participation so important?

A: Participation shows dedication and support for TIS’ educational mission and vision. It makes our community strong, provides new opportunities for our students, and shows external donors and foundations the strength of our school.

Many grant-making foundations want to know that a school is widely supported by their own parents, alumni, board and faculty before making a contribution of their own. Your gift of any size can help put grants within reach by showing the strength of our school and community. 100% participation literally makes other gifts possible!

We are always happy to answer questions or provide more details on any of these opportunities. Contact the Development Office at

dev@intlschool.org or 503.226.2496.

Giving Opportunities

Run For the Arts intlschool.org/rfa

The Run For the Arts (RFA) jogathon occurs at the end of September, raising restricted funds specifically for our Art and Music programs. Students enjoy this time to run through a fun track with their classmates while feeling rewarded for their hard work. Run For the Arts provides funding for many necessary expenses as well as fun, one-of-a-kind experiences, including:

• field trips to the symphony, art museum, and zine workshop• ipads with tripods for filming, music making and production apps, and more• clay and glaze for sculptural projects• renewable art supplies such as paint, paper and brushes• maintenance and repairs for all instruments• professional development opportunities and certification renewal for our distinguished teachers

The International School partners with the external non-profit organization Young Audiences for our Run for the Arts jogathon. For this reason, your gifts are not recorded directly through The International School, although a tax receipt may still be obtained from Young Audiences upon request.

Volunteers are greatly appreciated during this fun event to help classes stay on schedule for run times, track student laps, and cheer for our student runners throughout the day.

Giving Opportunities

Auction Gala intlschool.org/auction

Occurring in late November, the TIS Auction Gala is our largest fundraising event of the year. More than 400 guests gather to bid on fantastic packages donated by our community while celebrating one of our three language tracks. Sales from the Auction Gala support our operational budget - funding school and program necessities including teacher salaries, educational resources, tuition assistance, and much more.

There are many ways to get involved with the auction. Volunteers are needed for planning and preparing, as class-room basket and artwork coordinators, as well as for decor, set up and clean up during event day. Other related giving opportunities, namely event sponsorships and teacher ticket sponsorships, are also essential to help the auction run smoothly while making sure all proceeds directly benefit our students.

Auction Special Appeal

The Special Appeal is an opportunity presented on auction night to fund an educational priority as determined by the Head of School. Each year, community members come together to support these priorities, maintaining TIS’ ability to offer excellent educational resources for our student population. Previous Special Appeals have funded a gym renovation, early childhood classroom essentials, educational technology, math and science resources, library materials, and more.

Giving Opportunities

Annual Giving intlschool.org/annual-giving

The Annual Giving Campaign is a critical component of our fundraising program. Annual Giving gifts supplement the school’s operating budget, strengthening our school for both today and tomorrow. With our Family of Funds, donors can opt to designate their gift to a particular area of operations that is the most meaningful for them. Our Family of Funds includes: Tuition Assistance, Educational Resources, Professional Development and the Area of Greatest Need.

Every year we aim for 100% participation from our community of families, staff and trustees in the Annual Giving Campaign. Gifts to the Special Appeal also count towards this participation goal. Making a gift to the Annual Giving Campaign or Special Appeal is a tangible way to show your support for TIS. It can also inspire additional gifts. One way that grant-making foundations evaluate an organization’s internal support is through our annual giving participation rate. The Annual Giving Campaign is an important way for TIS to show the commitment of our parents, staff, trustees, alumni and friends. Contrary to popular belief, foundation grants are not necessarily awarded to the neediest organizations, but to the most promising ones – and there is no better indication of the overall stability of a school than the degree of participation among its core constituents. The Annual Giving Campaign takes place for five weeks beginning at the end of January, but donations are accepted throughout the fiscal year.

Giving Opportunities

Wine Tasting and Spring Socialintlschool.org/wine

Each May, the Wine Tasting and Spring Social celebrates and raises funds for our multi-lingual library media center while highlighting boutique local wineries. Parents, grandparents and friends join us to sample wines and gourmet hors d’oeuvres while cultivating friendships and supporting the TIS library.

Each wine purchase makes a difference - our guest wineries generously donate 20% - 50% of event sales to the TIS library. Book sponsorships are also offered as an additional way for anyone to support - each sponsored book is fitted with a personalized legacy bookplate showing the honored TIS student and book donor.

Funds from the annual Wine Tasting and Spring Social provide:

• library-supported events such as read in your pajamas day, 3rd grade poetry slam, and the annual reading challenge

• fiction, non-fiction, and reference books in various subjects and skill levels for all students in English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese

• apps and media for enhancing our students’ reading, comprehension and language skills

The Wine Tasting benefits greatly from a small team of parent volunteers to plan from March until the event in May. We also need a group to help on event day for set up and clean up of the venue. Volunteers are also appreciated for the various literacy events hosted by the library throughout the school year.

Giving Opportunities

Endowment FundAn endowment fund is a critical component of an independent school’s long-term financial stability, planning, and growth. Comprised of donations, an endowment is a long-term investment in which the principal is invested and remains intact while the interest becomes an important income source for the school.

TIS’ first general endowment fund was established in 2013 by the Board of Trustees. Income from the endowment fund will support TIS’ mission, program and educational priorities for years to come.

In 2014, The Leadership Fund, a special restricted-purpose endowment, was created by a small group of dedicated current and past TIS parents and trustees. This fund will strengthen our community by providing annual tuition offsets to enhance the socioeconomic diversity of the student population.

For more information on the endowment fund, or to make a contribution, please contact the TIS Development office.

Matching Gifts and Recurring Donationsintlschool.org/giving

Matching gifts are a great way to enhance the value of your gift, at no extra cost to you! Many employers in the Portland area offer charitable giving programs, often doubling the value of a gift from an employee. Check with your Human Resources office to find out the options at your workplace.

We are extremely grateful for those who value our mission of educating world citizens and feel that a recurring donation is appropriate for their philanthropic needs. With recurring gifts, a donor can register through our website to make a gift on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. These donations are most often applied to the Annual Giving Campaign, with the option to designate your gift to one of the four choices highlighted on page 5. Check with the Development Office at TIS for options and details on registering as a recurring donor.

Volunteering at TIS

Time and Talents intlschool.org/volunteer-opps

Volunteering enriches the TIS experience for children, families and staff in so many ways.

By volunteering at TIS, you can:

• Show your child that school is important in your family’s life• Get to know teachers, administrative staff and other parents• Teach your child the value of service by example• More easily help improve the school with your suggestions and experience

Parents, grandparents, graduates and friends of TIS are all invited to volunteer. The success of all of our fundraising events, plus many other facets of school life, depend on dedicated volunteers. Opportunities are often posted through our weekly bulletin, In The Know, and also at intlschool.org/volunteer-opps by category. We are happy to help direct eager community members to the area and staff member they might want to get involved with most - just ask!

Each family is asked to log 25 hours minimum per year with TIS at intlschool.org/volunteer. Our families are invaluable to our success, and we love the opportunity to thank you for your time and talent while representing your contribution in grant applications.

Commitment to the TIS community

Reporting of Funds and Donor Recognitionintlschool.org/gifts-at-work

The contributions of our dedicated community allow our students to reach their full potential as individuals and global citizens. We are dedicated to keeping you informed of how donations are put to work and recognizing all of our donors for their valuable contributions. Each summer, we publish an annual report that highlights TIS’ annual achievements, details our financial standings, and celebrates our generous donors and volunteers. In addition, we regularly update our Donations at Work webpage to share video, photos and testimonials on how donations are making a difference for our students every day.

The International School has a duty to protect the confidentiality of our donors’ information. Respect for a donor’s right to privacy is a fundamental standard for all TIS campaigns. The TIS Development Office adheres by the Donor Bill of Rights developed by the Association of Fundraising Professionals as a guiding principle for the development of its donor publicity and confidentiality policies. Please let us know if you have a preference on how you would like your generosity to be recognized amongst the school community.

Making A Giftintlschool.org/donatenow

There are several convenient ways to make a gift:• visit the website above to donate securely online with a credit card• deliver a check to any TIS receptionist or mail to:

Development OfficeThe International School025 SW Sherman Street Portland, Oregon 97201

Unlike tuition, your gifts to The International School are tax deductible. You will receive a receipt for your donation(s), which you can use for tax purposes. Our tax ID number is 94-3126167.

To learn more, visit intlschool.org/giving, call us at 503.226.2496, or email your TIS Development Office:

Lauren Riegelnegg, Development Director: laurenr@intlschool.orgLaura Hippensteel, Development Coordinator: laurah@intlschool.org

TIS opens the door to a world of possibilities for over 480 children. Imagine the powerful team that TIS, our parents and extended community can make working together for our students.

Your philanthropic support is essential to the school’s success. Your donations support the people and programs that make TIS special.

Every gift counts. Every gift makes a difference.