Why Fundraising is Necessary

Many people believe that property taxes along with local, state and federal revenues should cover the cost of a quality public school education. However, due to a number of voter decisions decades ago, California’s schools annually face a funding shortfall. Meaning what we receive each year from the state is significantly less than the actual cost of educating each student in LCMSD with the programs we all desire for our kids.

California ranks near the bottom in the nation in per-student funding for education and LCMSD schools receive among the lowest levels of per-student funding in California. The makeup of California’s funding formula has created a funding shortfall; what we receive from the state is significantly less than the actual cost of educating students in LCMSD.

Despite this funding shortfall, LCMSD’s three schools, The Cove School, Neil Cummins Elementary, and Hall Middle School are among the highest-performing schools in our region and the state due to the signature educational programs and services that are funded through generous donations that supplement public funding for our schools.

While our parcel tax revenue is used toward attracting and maintaining quality TK-8 teachers and bond measures are reserved for repairing and upgrading our aging school buildings to keep them modern and safe, SPARK raises the funds required to advance the academic experience beyond what is possible with public dollars alone. Donations to SPARK impact every LCMSD student by providing every student with access to Music, Art, Science, Technology/Engineering and Wellness/Counseling at all three schools, plus Spanish and Leadership at Hall Middle School.

With continued budget cuts from the state, maximizing fundraising and making efficient use of every dollar will be essential for preventing deep and devastating cuts to our programs and staff, enhancing the daily educational experience for every public school student. We risk these benefits and other school cuts if we are unable to meet our fundraising goals. The programming supported by community fundraising is the difference between our schools being good and our schools being great.

Annual Giving makes up approximately 70% of our overall revenue each year. In order to reach our $1.5M fundraising goal, we are asking for a donation of $1,250 per student with 100% family participation. Every single gift makes an impact on the students and it truly is a whole community effort to support our schools through SPARK. You can make a one-time donation online with a credit card or set up automatic monthly installments to spread your payments out over time. You can also pledge now and pay later.

WHY DONATE STOCK

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  • You don’t pay capital gains tax when you make a stock transfer directly to SPARK.
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  • You qualify for a tax-deduction based on the fair market value of the stock if you have held your stock for over a year.

TO DONATE STOCK

  1. Email your completed stock donation form.  (download: stock donation form)
  2. Or mail it to: SPARK Attn: Stock Transfers | 230 Doherty Drive| Larkspur, CA 94939
  3. Ask your broker to transfer the shares to SPARK’s Charles Schwab account. All transferred stocks will be recorded and valued on the date the donor relinquished control of the asset in favor of SPARK. Because Schwab does not attach donor names to the transfers, it is critical that the donor submit a completed stock donation form to SPARK.
Remember to check if your employer has a matching gifts program below to double your gift.
 
Last year SPARK raised $150K through employee matching programs. Taking advantage of your company’s corporate match program is a great way to increase – and in many cases double – your donation to SPARK!

Matching Gift and Volunteer Grant information provided by
Powered by Double the Donation
 

 

Financial snapshot: 2022-2023 gross revenues*

2022-2023 Family Participation
76%
Annual Giving $1,008,463
69%
Corporate Match $149,474
10%
SPARK Biz $86,879
6%
Schools Rule $26,973
Fundraising Events (Fun Run, Online Auction, Gala) $199,797
14%
$1,471,586 of $1.5M Goal
98%

*Percentages and dollar amounts are rounded up.

TOTAL: $1,471,586

Spark Dollars at Work

SPARK is dedicated to raising $1.5M for the 2023–2024 school year. These funds will be used to support 14 teachers salaries and benefits along with materials and supplies for 12 SPARK funded programs.

SPARK funds signature programs and services that directly benefit and impact the quality of education for every student from TK through 8th grade. Funded through the generosity of the our community, the programming and opportunities for our students make LCMSD schools a hallmark of our community.

Why Annual Giving Is So Important

In order to provide the well-rounded educational experience we have come to expect for our students, our schools rely on your donations to SPARK. The most important financial contribution you can make to SPARK is Annual Giving, which accounts for approximately 70% of our revenue.

What we Fund

Thanks to you, SPARK pays for salaries and benefits for 14 teachers across 12 programs in LCMSD, providing our students with access to a robust array of programs including: Music, Art, Science, Technology/Engineering and Wellness/Counseling at all three schools, plus Spanish and Leadership at Hall
Middle School.

investment Plan

The Larkspur-Corte Madera School Trustees and District administration determine the curriculum for the District, establish priorities for program development, and identify crucial District needs. SPARK then collaborates with the District to provide funding where needed to execute the Board-approved plan. All programs and services funded by SPARK are developed and managed by the District. As dollars are raised within the current school year, SPARK disperses those funds in four installments throughout the year to be used for The Cove School, Neil Cummins Elementary and Hall Middle School.

LCMSD BUDGET INFO

There are many ways to give your time to support our mission of building more opportunities for our kids.
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