Informational Update Vol. 5

November 4, 2004

This is the fifth in an ongoing effort to inform parents and parishioners of the progress of our Major Gift Effort for the purchase and expansion of the Snoqualmie Campus. This is an incredible opportunity and the Focus On Our Future Committee  wishes to thank those who have already generously stepped forward to support this effort.  

Project Summary

Pledges are currently being made toward the major gift effort of $800,000, which combines the purchase phase and Phase 1 expansion. Currently, we are applying all pledges to the first part of the project, the purchase of the campus.

All families should have received a new letter of intent (pledge sheet) within the past few weeks for the Focus on Our Future – Snoqualmie Purchase Project. Please complete the form and return to the school office as soon as possible. The parishes and school have approximately 60 days to buy the Snoqualmie Campus at the current price and financing terms as explained in the previous newsletters.  If you would like more information or have further questions on the project, a member of the Focus on Our Future Committee would be happy to meet with you at any time to further discuss the details of the project. Please call Jennifer Ballsmith at 425-396-4251 with any questions.

Project Progress

The church and school community have been working diligently towards making our initial Major Gift Effort milestone of $300,000 by December 31, 2004. The Focus on Our Future Committee is pleased by the excitement in our community over this project. The Committee continues to fundraise within the parish communities at St. Joseph and Mary, Queen of Peace. We have also begun the process of securing donations from outside corporations and will begin grant writing in 2005.  The Committee welcomes the assistance of individuals in our community that have successful grant writing experience. Please contact Jennifer Ballsmith at 425-396-4251 if you can support the project in this way.

A building committee has been established to work with our architect, the City of Snoqualmie and the Archdiocese on permits and drawings for our proposed expansion. Our building expansion plans have shifted from a one-story to a two-story facility that will preserve the soccer field and play space, but will not increase the total cost of the project. Much work remains to be done by the Focus on Our Future Committee and the parishes to raise money towards this expansion. Fundraising and architectural reviews will be taking place with Pastoral Council, Parish Finance and the Archdiocese before final project approvals and groundbreaking take place. As we progress forward, more communication and updates on this phase of the project will take place in newsletters.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.      After we complete the purchase of the Snoqualmie Campus, why do we need to do an expansion also?

The current Snoqualmie Campus consists of 10,515 sq. feet and includes five classrooms, a gymnasium, kitchen and separate house for specialists. Our five-year plan, which includes enrollment projections, shows that we will need seven classrooms at the Issaquah campus for grades K-3, and 10 classrooms at Snoqualmie for grades 4-8. There is currently no additional space in Issaquah for classrooms, and with only five classrooms now at the Snoqualmie Campus, we need to expand the facility to be able to continue to educate the children of our existing school families. The expansion will add approximately 9,000 sq. ft. of classroom space and will allow the school to have two classrooms per grade for K – 8. Without the expansion, there will not be room for all our existing school families to complete their K-8 education at St. Joseph.

2.   What was the benefit of the Anthony Kearns concert for the Snoqualmie Purchase?

St. Joseph School was fortunate to have Anthony Kearns, one-third of the famous Irish Tenors, perform at Mary, Queen of Peace on Sunday, October 24 with all proceeds going to the Snoqualmie Purchase.  Thanks go to Mary, Queen of Peace for providing their facility, Mudd McHugh with Mick McHugh Restaurants for catering the reception following the concert and Brown Bear Carwash and one anonymous donor for sponsoring the event.  The concert was a huge success and those attending expressed their hope that we could invite Anthony to return at a later date.  Although final accounting is a few days away, we are happy to report that the concert has netted approximately $20,000 toward the purchase of the Snoqualmie Campus. The Focus On Our Future Committee thanks all those who attended and supported this outstanding musical event.

3.   What are matching funds and how do I know if my company contributes?     

Many companies encourage their employees to give to charitable causes and will further the goals of those organizations by matching the donations of its employees. Each company program is different; some companies will match a donation dollar for dollar and some match 50 cents to the dollar. Some examples of companies with matching gift programs are Boeing, Microsoft, and Washington Mutual just to name a few. St. Joseph School qualifies as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and therefore meets the qualifications for most programs. This is a great way to increase the value of your gift to our school.

If you are unsure if your company participates in a matching, please contact the Human Resources department in your company. A matching form, supplied by your company, needs to be completed and forwarded on to the school office.