The McQuaid Jesuit Fund

Through the McQuaid Jesuit Fund, McQuaid administers a broad-based, ongoing campaign including alumni, parents, and friends to provide the private support needed to both sustain and advance McQuaid’s reputation as a high quality secondary educational institution in the Jesuit tradition.

Students are the primary beneficiaries of the McQuaid Jesuit Fund through:

• Lower overall tuition costs;
• Scholarships including the Xavier Scholars' and Jesuit Grant Program;
• Quality faculty;
• Up-to-date facilities and student services.

Bottomline, the McQuaid Jesuit Fund provides students with the resources they need while keeping a McQuaid education within financial reach for their families.

Each fiscal year beginning in September, McQuaid Jesuit launches its annual fund appeal through direct mail solicitation to alumni, current and past parents, and friends of McQuaid Jesuit.  During the solicitation, individuals are asked to make a contribution to the annual fund during the current fiscal year that runs from July 1- June 30.  There is also online giving capability for our donors' convenience from our web site.

As a critical initiative of McQuaid Jesuit and the Advancement Office, the annual fund comprises approximately 15 percent of McQuaid’s operating revenue.  It enables McQuaid Jesuit to pay competitive salaries to our teachers in order to maintain the high level of excellence that we enjoy with our faculty. 

McQuaid Jesuit Fund Goals

• To educate alumni, parents, and friends of McQuaid Jesuit's activities and potential, as well as demonstrate that a gift to McQuaid Jesuit is a wise investment
• To continually improve the participation rate and the dollars contributed by all key donor constituencies

Alumni Giving

Gift giving by alumni constitutes the largest portion of McQuaid Jesuit ’s annual fund.  McQuaid Jesuit is appreciative of the loyal support our graduates provide us and is blessed with the knowledge that there are no more supportive alumni than our own.  Our alumni are also aware that the training they received as “McQuaid Jesuit Knights” offers them opportunities not always accessible to alumni from other schools. Our alumni realize that McQuaid Jesuit is dependent upon their generosity. Each year the development office holds an alumni phonathon during the Fall. 

Current Parent Giving

McQuaid Jesuit introduced an important initiative entitled the "Bridge the Gap Program." It is primarily an effort to educate our parents on the economics of education at McQuaid Jesuit. (Parent Information Sessions)

Every year, McQuaid Jesuit continues to be faced with a gap between tuition paid and the actual cost to educate each student.  In 2007-08, each student will cost approximately $10,550 to educate (this cost per student is notably less than the comparable cost structure in our neighboring public schools). Despite this, our tuition price, inclusive of fees, is approximately $2,000 per student less than our cost. Hence, our nearly 825 families are benefiting from nearly $1.6 million in financial aid and most never realize it.

Bridge the Gap

This gap (or deficit) is offset by two very critical factors:

• Nearly $350,000 in religious contributed services from the Jesuit Community primarily;
• $1.3 million in annual contributions from alumni, current parents, graduate parents, and loyal friends.

While we realize that parents are making great sacrifices to send their sons to McQuaid Jesuit, it is also necessary to solicit them for an McQuaid Jesuit fund gift. Since the current endowment is modest, the majority of the monies needed to offset this gap must be raised through annual giving. We ask that parents consider a gift to the McQuaid Jesuit fund through the "Bridge the Gap Program" as a way to ensure our future and to enable us to keep a McQuaid education accessible to as many young men as possible.

The "Bridge the Gap Program" provides various levels of giving. A full gap gift (Premier Gap Gift) is $1,700. Individuals who contribute a gift of $1,500 or more automatically become Knights Council members.

During the Fall, current parents receive a "Bridge the Gap" solicitation appeal letter. Additionally, a phonathon is held for current parents during November.

Graduate Parents/Friends Giving

Graduate parents and friends are another key component of the McQuaid Jesuitfund.  Graduate parents understand the value of the education their sons received while at McQuaid, and want to ensure that other young men receive the same opportunity as their sons.  Many individuals who are friends of McQuaid Jesuit give to the annual fund because members of the Jesuit community or students themselves have touched their lives in some way. Whatever the reason, McQuaid Jesuit has come to rely on their gifts to the McQuaid Jesuit fund as well. They are solicited in the Fall as well through our direct mail campaign.

Other Information

During the Fall solicitation, individuals may make a gift or pledge to the McQuaid Jesuit fund by completing the envelope enclosed in the mailing and returning it to the Advancement Office.  If a pledge is made, contributors may indicate what months they wish to be billed Gift may be made also in full by check or credit card.  To make it easier for individuals who wish to make their gift by credit card, the development office has the capability to accept charge card payments over the phone (585-256-6142) as well as establish an installment payment via charge card if preferred.  As mentioned there is also online capability from McQuaid Jesuit ’s web site providing another payment alternative for donor gifts.

Individuals may also make gifts of stock to McQuaid Jesuit as their annual contribution.  Our staff is able to assist contributors in their transfer of stock to McQuaid Jesuit. (585-256-6110)

Annual Giving Levels

 The Knights Council:

• The Chancellor’s Circle $25,000+
• The President’s Circle $10,000+
• Laureate Member $7,500+
• Regent Member: $5,000+
• Distinguished Member: $2,500+
• Member: $1,500+

The Partners: $750+

The Associates: $500+

The Black and Gold Society: $250+

The Founders: $100+

The Benefactors: $50+

For more information on the McQuaid Jesuit Fund, please contact Mary Jo Jesmer, Annual Fund Director at 585-256-6110.