2024-2025 Annual Fund

Thank you for asking! Seneca Academy encourages and appreciates parent participation at school both during class time and at other times. Teachers often provide opportunities for interested parents to volunteer in the classroom. The Seneca Academy Parents Association (SAPA) encourages the participation of every parent and has a variety of volunteer opportunities. Please email the Steering Committee at sapa@senecaparents.com for more information.

In accordance with best practices in school safety procedures, Seneca Academy requires a criminal background check for all volunteers who have direct contact with students. Prior to volunteering with students, a Background Check Authorization Form must be signed and returned to the office. Background checks are conducted on the following websites: casesearch.courts.state.md.us/casesearch and www.nsopw.gov. Information obtained through these searches is considered confidential and used strictly to determine eligibility for volunteering. Background checks are valid for 3 years. Seneca Academy reserves the right to determine eligibility for volunteering at the school in its sole discretion and to withdraw such eligibility at any time.

Thank you for asking! The Seneca Academy Annual Fund is a yearly request for financial contributions from all members of our school community. The funds raised go directly to support the school’s operating budget. Requests for contributions begin in October and continue through the end of the school year.

In any given year, tuition revenue accounts for approximately 80% of Seneca Academy’s operating budget. Like most nonprofit independent schools, with the exception of those with an endowment, the remaining 20% comes from charitable contributions to Seneca Academy’s Annual Fund and the annual Auction and Gala.

Annual Fund donations support all aspects of the budget, including the cost of professional development, extracurricular programs, faculty benefits, and campus improvements. Donations cover the gap between tuition income and annual expenses.

Seneca Academy is committed to diversity and does not want tuition to be a barrier to families who wish to be a part of our community. The Board of Trustees and the Administration are committed to keeping tuition increases to a minimum.

Members of the entire Seneca Academy community participate in the Annual Fund. The school requests donations from current and past parents, trustees, faculty, grandparents, and friends from the community. The broad participation Seneca Academy enjoys from all these groups shows the widespread support for Seneca Academy’s mission.

Meeting Seneca Academy’s budget needs requires contributions – of all sizes – from the entire community. In addition, the school seeks grants from foundations and non-profit organizations. These groups are more inclined to award grants to schools that have high participation levels. So whether you are giving $20 or $3,000, the most important part is that you are giving.

As a member of the Seneca Academy community, you are likely to hear a lot of talk about both the Fund and the Gala. Both are important fundraising activities. The Annual Fund supports the general operating budget, while the annual Gala and Auction is a social evening of fun and giving to support tuition assistance, professional development, technology upgrades, and other miscellaneous items.

Yes! Seneca Academy is grateful to the many corporations that support the school through their generous matching gift programs. This kind of corporate support makes a significant contribution to Seneca as it can double or triple the size of your gift.

If you need more information on your employer’s matching gift program, we’d love to help! Click here to fill out an inquiry form.

Our goal is 100% participation and your gift, no matter the size, will help us meet that goal. Donations to the Annual Fund typically range from $20 to $3,000. We ask each family to carefully consider what they may be able to give. Gifts of any amount are greatly appreciated and go directly to support school programs and services in the current year.

The Administration and Trustees recognize the financial commitment every family makes to be a part of Seneca Academy and therefore do not continually ask them to participate in additional “fundraisers” during the year. At the beginning of the year our parents’ association, SAPA, collects a fee for every registered student. SAPA uses these funds to sponsor a variety of family activities throughout the year at no additional charge. In addition, they provide several events and activities throughout the year where proceeds from the event support the school. Examples of these activities include book fairs, restaurant nights, and no-uniform days. However, there is no requirement that families participate in any fundraising event or activity, other than the request of participation in the Annual Fund.