Foundation
At St John’s Grammar School, every child learns to soar.
It is our commitment to this philosophy that creates the unique environment of St John’s Grammar School. Our school is part of a community that encourages our students to be the best they can be. For this reason we’re proud to nurture bright minds, intuitive thinkers and compassionate feelers, and moving forward it is important that we give our students the best chance at success by providing facilities that will enhance their learning.
The Foundation will continue the St John’s Grammar tradition; connecting generations of old scholars, parents and friends, local businesses and the community with present generations of students, who will also one day look back upon their education with the highest regard.
Our Foundation will continue the St John’s Grammar tradition; connecting generations of old scholars, parents and friends, local business and community with present generations of students, who will also one day look back upon their education with the highest regard.
Our goal is to establish sustainable, futures focussed, flexible infrastructure and facilities to support the education of St John’s students. The Foundation will foster philanthropic giving, supporting the School’s dedication to a culture of positive achievement.
The St John’s Grammar Foundation will secure the School’s financial independence by providing a fiscal basis for the School to continue its ongoing development. The Foundation will provide the school with a pool of funds that it can use to support its growth moving forward.
Now is the time to ask our community – our old scholars, staff, parents, grandparents, and friends, local business and community – to support the future of St John’s Grammar students.
Foundation Funds
The St John’s Grammar Foundation has three core components that people can donate to:
St John’s Grammar Foundation Fund
Donations toward the ancillary fund will support all aspects of the Foundation and will be used to fill any shortfall in funding for any projects.
St John’s Grammar Building Fund
The Building Fund will provide money for acquiring, constructing or maintaining the School buildings, over and above the capital works achieved with Capital Levy and Government Grant monies. Money is directed from the Foundation to the Building Fund either as requested by the donor or at the discretion of the St John’s Grammar Foundation’s committee.
St John’s Grammar Scholarship Fund
Donations toward the Scholarship Fund will provide money for scholarships for students who would not otherwise have an opportunity to have an education at St John’s Grammar School.
Donors may have a particular area of interest and can donate within the above outlined structures toward the ongoing growth of St John’s Grammar.
Donating to the St John’s Grammar School Foundation is an active step in securing the future for the next generation of students. By contributing toward the School’s ongoing development, you will be continuing to grow the St John’s community, extending its reach to more students.
You can contribute to the St John’s Grammar Foundation by donation, bequest, Foundation membership or corporate partnership.
Donations
Donations can be made in many ways including:
- Once-off giving
- Regular giving (monthly, quarterly, biannually, annually). Payment methods include cash, cheque or credit card. A secure online payment facility is also by clicking on the Online Donation button. Donations to the St John’s Grammar Foundation are fully tax deductible and St John’s Grammar has accreditation as a Deductible Gift Recipient. Thank you for your donation towards the future for St John’s Grammar.
Bequests
Making a gift in your Will to the St John’s Grammar Foundation is a way to leave a lasting legacy to future students. Bequests are a generous and highly personal way to assist the School continue to help shape the future aspirations of St John’s Grammar students. St John’s Grammar understands that bequests are highly sensitive and a personal issue.
If you would like to discuss making a bequest please contact Richard Anderson on (08) 8278 0205.
Foundation membership
Foundation membership is offered to those who provide significant financial support to the Foundation. There are five levels of membership:
- Member – $2,000 or more
- Associate – $5,000 or more
- Fellow – $10,000 or more
- Silver Patron – $25,000 or more
- Gold Patron – $50,000 or more
Payment of membership can be made over a period of up to five years depending on your personal preference or situation. Members will not only take pride in their contribution to the St John’s community, but will also receive membership benefits of various levels including a recognition certificate, event invitations and honour board mention.
Corporate partnership
Corporate partnerships will connect St John’s Grammar with organisations that share the School’s vision of Learning To Soar. A corporate partnership will offer businesses the opportunity to connect and gain exposure to a unique market involved with the St John’s Grammar Foundation as well as the wider St John’s community. Corporate partnerships will be negotiable and tailored to each individual business’ objectives and situation. Corporate partnerships can be in the form of a donation of a product, service or cash. The St John’s Grammar Foundation welcomes your enquiry to discuss a corporate partnership.
The School’s Building Master Plan has well and truly commenced, with a number of major projects now underway, including our new Visual Arts Precinct, Technology and Enterprise Precinct and Education Centre. It is indeed an exciting time for the School, and I look forward to sharing in more detail the designs and plans for our Campuses in the coming weeks and months.
The School’s Foundation was established many years ago, with the purpose of generating funds that ensure the School’s ability to build resources that complement the superb educational experience for all members of our community, especially our students.
The Foundation has been recently reinvigorated, and going forward will focus on supporting a number of projects and appeals, such as one of our recently completed precursor projects to the Master Plan, the development of Stage 1 of the Junior School Science and Enterprise Precinct, the Junior School Science Laboratory.
This project has now been realised, with the creation of a contemporary and agile teaching and learning space within the undercroft of our Centre For Creativity. The Junior School Science Laboratory was officially opened at the end of May and is fast becoming the heart of our Science and Enterprise Precinct at the Junior School.
The Junior School Science Laboratory has been specifically tailored to further our students’ learning within the spaces of environmental studies, sustainability and biodiversity, deepening our already established relationships with Belair National Park.
As with all components of the School’s Master Plan, the development of these spaces will enable a richer, more relevant and inspirational learning experience for our students.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our Foundation Committee, our Parents and Friends Association, and especially you, our School Community, as without your ongoing support, both in-kind and financially through donations, we would not have been able to complete the Junior School Science Laboratory in the time frame and to the calibre that we have been able to present to our students.
As we move forward into the next stages of the School’s Master Plan, I invite you to consider contributing to the Foundation, to support the development of these projects as we create an enhanced learning environment for all of our students.
Donations can be made online prior to the end of the financial year via our secure donation portal HERE.
I understand that all of our circumstances are different, and please know that any support that you can provide is greatly appreciated. So, I invite you, to become a part of our history, by giving for our future.
With thanks
Richard Anderson
Principal
Why does St John’s Grammar need a Foundation?
To secure its future, St John’s Grammar is establishing a Foundation to support the School moving forward, reducing the reliance on Government funding or on loans that will leave the school servicing a large debt. The St John’s Grammar Foundation will provide a pool of funds that it can use to draw upon in the future and is separate to the daily operations of the School.
Why can’t St John’s Grammar borrow the funds to complete the projects?
It is important that St John’s Grammar keeps its debt at a level where it can be comfortably serviced without affecting the provision of education services. By starting a Foundation, St John’s Grammar will ensure it is able to sustain its educational mission.
Who will be managing the funds raised by the Foundation?
The St John’s Grammar School Board of Governors, as Trustee, will be responsible for managing the funds raised by the Foundation within the parameters of the Trust Deed. The money raised by the Foundation is to be kept separate from the daily operations of the School and for this reason will be administered by the Trustee who can independently monitor the investment and flow of cash.
Are my donations tax-deductible?
The St John’s Grammar Foundation has deductible gift recipient status, which means that all donations are completely tax deductible.
How much money will go into administration costs?
As with any charitable organisation or Foundation, a small portion of the money raised must go toward administration. Because of the philanthropic nature of the Foundation, the amount put towards administration will depend on the amount raised and the projects undertaken. Payments from the Foundation for expenses are limited to those that are specified in the Trust Deed.
What about the Capital Levy?
St John’s Grammar charges a compulsory Capital Levy with its school fees. This Levy contributes to the costs of ongoing capital works upgrades and renovations to the school. Unfortunately, the Capital Levy funds are not enough to enable all required capital works to take place – particularly large-scale projects – which necessitates the creation of a Foundation to fund these works that cannot be covered by the Capital Levy.
