Give Now!

What is the Annual Campaign?

As a public school, ISM cannot and does not charge tuition; however, we can and do ask our families for financial contributions. We receive only basic funding from the State of California. The ISM Foundation, a nonprofit organization of ISM parents and other supporters operating independently from the school for the sole purpose of supporting the school, augments our funding through its Annual campaign.

ISM asks all families for voluntary contributions to cover the gap between what the state provides and the additional costs of the value-added programs that set us apart from other public schools. The goal is for all ISM families to participate and make contributing to their children’s education a top priority. The level of contribution is expected to vary by the financial circumstances of each family; however, we ask that every family contribute as generously as possible. 

Go Monthly

You can set up a monthly recurring donation to support ISM in a seamless way throughout the year. 

Involve the Whole Family

In addition to parents and guardians, grandparents and other extended family members often contribute toward the Annual Campaign. They are usually very pleased to help you provide the best for your children. We've even seen some employers step in to contribute!

Cut Elsewhere

Some families have gone through their spending to identify amounts they can redirect toward the Annual Campaign. For example, one parent reported cutting out a few Starbucks runs in favor of home-brewed coffee to free up a few dollars per day. Another family sat down with their cable and wireless bills and figured out how to reduce costs while keeping what they needed. Then, they directed the significant savings to ISM as a monthly online contribution. Yet another cut dinners out in half.

Do we have to participate?

No. Participation is completely up to you. We hope that you'll join, however, as participation is critical! Only through the broad and enthusiastic giving of ISM families have we put together our amazing educational program. Sustaining that giving is critical to retaining everything we have worked together to build here at ISM. The school administration and board of trustees work diligently to secure grants and donations from outside foundations, corporations, and individual donors. Family participation directly impacts our chances of getting these external grants and gifts, as many donors want to know that the beneficiaries of the services that they are being asked to support give themselves. In fact, several foundations intentionally work to encourage family participation by offering matching grants. 

To whom may we talk if we have questions?

Please contact the Head of Development with any questions.