Nueva is a leading independent school for high-ability learners. According to Dr. Linda Silverman, director of the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development, and its subsidiary, the Gifted Development Center, “The Nueva School enjoys the reputation of being the best school for the gifted in the country.” In order to develop and deliver this nationally-recognized education to your children, Nueva, like most independent schools, depends on the charitable support of parents, grandparents, alumni, faculty, and friends. Tuition and other sources of operating funds do not entirely fund Nueva’s operations (see below). According to National Association of Independent Schools statistics, tuition and other operating funds cover an average of eighty percent of day schools’ operations. The remainder is supplied through the personal philanthropy of parent communities and other constituencies such as parents of alumni, alumni, grandparents of current students, friends, faculty, and staff.  

Thanks to the careful consideration and thorough planning of the school’s administration and Trustees, and the generosity of the community, Nueva is financially stable and its facilities are first-rate.  Charitable giving to Nueva supplies the extra ingredients that propel the school from “good” to “great.” Other sources, such as tuition, provide the school with a core of operating capital, but the philanthropy of our community enables Nueva to: develop innovative world class initiatives including social emotional learning and design thinking; offer language programs in Mandarin, Spanish, and Japanese that include study trips and unique cultural experiences; build and maintain state-of-the-art facilities; attract and retain the best faculty members; invest in professional development for faculty; purchase the information technology, library materials, and scientific equipment necessary to deliver advanced curriculum to students; fund signature programs in art, drama, and music; and, underwrite co-curricular programs such as athletics and field trips.  Without charitable giving, Nueva couldn’t deliver the education you expect for your children.

The largest part of Nueva’s operating budget is covered by tuition. While one might expect that tuition would cover all of the operating expenses, it does not. This is also the case at other independent schools in the area and around the country. The school deliberately sets tuition below full cost in order to keep the school more affordable to a wider range of students and to provide community members with opportunities to support the school with tax-deductible, philanthropic commitments. As a community, we believe this practice is conducive to building the type of inclusive school we all wish to have. Again, this practice is typical of most independent schools. In fiscal year 2012, the Nueva community contributed $2 million to the school’s greatest institutional needs through The Nueva Fund and the Benefit Auction ($1.3 million from the Nueva Fund and $750,000 from the Benefit Auction).

Last year, the above mentioned $2 million in fundraising accounted for approximately sixteen percent of the school’s operating budget. This year, tuition and fees will cover only 86% of the actual costs of a Nueva education. Fundraising efforts support the remaining amount and represent the second largest form of fiscal revenue at Nueva.

As is typical of independent schools, Nueva relies mostly on gifts from individuals within its constituency: parents of current students, parents of alumni, alumni, grandparents of current students, friends, faculty, and staff. Occasionally, the school also requests grants from charitable foundations and corporations, if you are aware of any foundations or corporations that might donate to Nueva, please notify the Advancement Office.  However, as an independent school, Nueva is often not eligible for most forms of foundation and corporate support (except for corporate matching gift programs).

The school’s annual giving program is called the Nueva Fund. The campaign kicks off each fall and most of the pledges and gifts are received between October and December. We are proud of Nueva’s tradition of providing a personal gift request to every family at the school. Such requests are made mostly by Nueva parent volunteers via letters, calls, and/or emails.

All levels of giving are sought by the Nueva Fund, and every gift helps the school fulfill its mission. We urge you to consider your gift in light of your personal circumstances and your family’s total philanthropic plan for the year. Typically, the family participation rate for the Nueva Fund is between ninety-five and one-hundred percent. We strive for one-hundred percent parent participation because it is a strong sign of approval of the school’s mission and educational philosophy -- a factor that charitable foundations closely consider when deciding which organizations to support. While all gift amounts are appreciated, leadership gifts begin at the Director's Circle level.

 

$50,000 and up	Pioneer
$35,000-$49,999	Head of School
$25,000-$34,999	Benefactor
$15,000-$24,999	Vanguard
$10,000-14,999	Visionary
$5,000-$9,999	Director's Circle
$2,500-$4,999	Founder's Forum
$1,000-$2,499	Community
$1-$999	Supporter

 

While fall is dedicated to the Nueva Fund, springtime is focused on the annual Benefit Auction. This year’s benefit -- Midnight in Paris -- will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2013. In addition to being a fun-filled evening and bringing together Nueva community members, the Benefit Auction raises significant funds for financial aid, faculty professional development, faculty salaries, and other high-priority school needs. In order to encourage participation and build excitement, an online auction takes place the week leading up to the event.

Other fundraising activities may seek funds for curricular programs, plays, music performances, or athletic teams. In addition, Nueva has a golf tournament each fall (5th annual Nueva Cup was on October 5!), hosts a book fair, and offers a variety of merchant programs such as eScrip.

It is a good idea to consider the range of fundraising activities you may be asked to support in planning your overall annual philanthropic commitment to Nueva.

Please note: Gifts in support of the Benefit Auction, Nueva Cup Golf Tournament, and other classroom and co-curricular activities are greatly appreciated by the school, but such gifts do not count toward participation in the Nueva Fund.

Capital gifts allow the school to remodel its facilities, augment programs, and add to its endowment. Such gifts are transformational in nature, as they enable the school to improve measurably. For example, during the three years of the last capital campaign (2005–2008), Nueva community members banded together to raise $26 million to renovate the mansion, construct the Hillside Learning Complex, and increase Nueva’s endowment. Each year, the school identifies a list of needed capital projects that align with the school’s strategic plan and vision. Parents may be asked to support these initiatives with capital gifts. If one or more of your children are at Nueva for eight to ten years, you may expect that the school will conduct a capital campaign at some point during that tenure.

You can give to Nueva in a variety of ways. Please select the method that works best for you:

• Online Giving -- Make your gift instantly through our online giving page. We accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. It's secure, fast, and easy. Donate now!
  
  
• Checks -- Checks should be payable to The Nueva School and can be dropped off at the Advancement Office or mailed to: 6565 Skyline Boulevard, Hillsborough, CA 94010.
  
  
• Credit Card Gifts -- If you prefer, you can always call the Advancement Office with your credit card information 650-350-4518.
  
  
• Gifts of Stock -- Gifts of appreciated stock are a great way to give to Nueva and receive significant tax benefits. If you wish to transfer stock or other securities to Nueva please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
  
  
• Matching Gifts -- Corporate matching gift programs are a great way to double or triple your gift. Check with your employer’s Human Resources Department to find out how to apply.
  
  
• Wire Transfers -- For details on how to wire funds to Nueva please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
  
  
• Planned Gifts --  Planned gifts can come in the form of bequests or gifts of real estate, life insurance, and appreciated securities. Gifts of charitable remainder trusts are also an excellent way to donate while receiving both immediate tax benefits and income. For more information please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Director of Advancement.

Thank you for considering making a gift to Nueva. All gifts are appreciated and truly make a difference. Feel free to contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions 650-350-4518.

Many Nueva community members are employed by corporations with matching gift programs that will match their employees’ philanthropic gifts to independent schools like Nueva. If you work for a company with a matching gift program, please consider enhancing your annual commitment to The Nueva School by filling out the necessary paperwork and submitting it to the Advancement Office. Many employers have adopted the use of online forms to help expedite your matching gift. Please check with your company’s HR department for details. If you are not sure whether or not your employer will match your gift please contact Nueva for help. Companies currently matching gifts at Nueva include: Apple, Blue Shield, Cisco, Electronic Arts, Franklin Templeton, Gap, Genentech, Goldman Sachs, Google, Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft, and Synopsis.

Yes.  Both annual and capital gifts may be fulfilled by pledges and you may pay in installments. We ask that pledges to The Nueva Fund be documented in writing and fulfilled by March 29, 2013. To work out a monthly installment schedule for your Nueva Fund donation, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in the Advancement Office at 650-350-4518. Capital gifts may be fulfilled over a three-year period. In this case, Nueva will send you a pledge reminder approximately one month before your payment is due.

Nueva is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit corporation. As a result, all gifts to the school are tax-deductible to the extent of the law. Please consult with your tax advisor before making your gift, especially if you are giving securities or other non-cash gifts.  If the claimed deduction of a gift-in-kind exceeds $5,000, (whether it is a single gift-in-kind or a series of gifts-in kind) an appraisal of the item(s) must be secured from an approved, independent appraiser, and IRS Form 8283 (which can be downloaded from http://www.irs.gov/ or obtained from your professional tax advisor) must be completed and submitted with your tax return.

All gifts to Nueva are recognized in two ways. Gifts are acknowledged by the school, and all appropriate tax information is forwarded to donors, usually within one week after the gift is made. Also, unless donors wish to remain anonymous, their gifts are acknowledged in an annual report to donors appearing in the school calendar. On a more personal level, thank-you letters are sent to all donors. Donors may also be invited to events that enable them to view first-hand the benefits their philanthropy have bestowed on the school. Such events also allow the school’s administration, faculty, and governing board to express their appreciation to Nueva donors.

Volunteers are essential to all school operations, and especially to philanthropy at Nueva. Some individuals prefer to help with events, the Benefit Auction, mailings, and office operations, while others agree to request gifts from their peers. The Advancement Office seeks parents to become involved with the Nueva Fund as annual solicitors, Benefit Auction committee chairs, writers and archivists for school communications, and event planners for advancement and alumni/grandparent relations activities. If you are interested in volunteering for any of the activities conducted by the Advancement Office, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 650-350-4557.

The Advancement Office is here to serve you. Please feel free to contact any member of the advancement team with questions or concerns about philanthropy, volunteerism, alumni relations, and campus communications. Meet the advancement team or call 650-350-4518.

Expanding the Vision – An Opportunity of a Lifetime will support the school’s expansion to include grades 9-12, in accordance with the approved 2012-17 Strategic Plan. Just as Nueva created a path-finding, innovative model for preK-8 education, the new high school will reinvent high school education for the 21st century. The high school program will double the current size of the school and create a unique preK-12 program for gifted learners.

No. Thanks to the generosity of our community, Nueva has had two successful capital campaigns to support the school’s mission and vision. Our first campaign raised over $11 million for the Gymnasium Community Center (GCC), the athletic fields, and the middle school buildings, completed in 2001. Our second capital campaign raised $26 million to construct the Hillside Learning Complex (Library, Innovation Lab, Cafe, and J-Building administrative and classroom wing) and renovate the lower school Mansion in 2007.

Given our strategic priorities, the campaign will support the programmatic expansion for grades 9-12 and the design and construction of the new high school campus in nearby San Mateo. We are also conducting a master planning exercise for our current Hillsborough campus that will assess renovation, growth, and programmatic needs for the lower and middle school.  The master plan is going through a review process. Once completed, we will do a complete assessment of costs and conduct a feasibility study on how the school will undertake the funding for the initiatives on this campus.

The campaign will raise $85 million to fund construction and development of the new high school program in a combination of capital and debt. We arrived at that number based on a multi-year strategic planning process and a detailed budgeting exercise. The key drivers of the capital requirement are the cost of land, construction, and the need to fund some operational expenses prior to enrolling students. The capital campaign seeks to secure $50 million in support of Nueva's high school expansion over the next three years. As of September 30, 2012 the school has raised just over $30 million toward this goal. Thank you to the generous donors who have pledged their support and are helping to make this vision a reality!

In addition to the philosophical benefits of creating this new paradigm, there are direct financial and strategic advantages to the school in expanding to include a high school program:

• Faculty recruitment and retention -- Many great teachers aspire to work at the high school level and many more look forward to the opportunity to develop extracurricular programs and partnerships with the high school classes. Having a preK-12 program allows for professional development as well as recruiting and retention opportunities.
• Programming -- With increased resources, the school will be able to offer more languages and additional electives in mathematics and sciences, to expand the arts and writing programs throughout the school, and to build out the engineering strand. In addition, we are building a new resiliency program for high school students. For those students who are accelerated, the extended programming allows them to go as far as they can, and further than we had facility for, both with their peers and out of grade placement.
• Visibility -- Increased visibility will support our efforts to attract high quality teachers, institutional funding from the many esteemed foundations that only support high schools, and new collaborations (like the innovative partnerships we have forged with the Stanford Design School and KIPP Schools). It also supports the future school placements of our current students and alumni as schools become more familiar with the strengths and capacity of our Nueva students and program.
• Alumni Support -- Financial support and direct involvement of alumni is much stronger at the high school level than for elementary or middle schools, with direct benefits to students with internships, mentoring, coaching, on task forces and committees
• Teaching our Children to Give Back (and to Pay it Forward). The school’s core values include giving to others and teaching empathy to our children. We have directly benefited from the philanthropy and vision of our predecessors and we are intentionally building a culture of philanthropic giving in our community. Many of our founding donors, whose children have already passed through and graduated from Nueva, have already recognized this commitment and have graciously embraced the opportunity to now pay it forward.

There are many people who can answer any additional questions you may have. 

Feel free to contact the Nueva Advancement Office at any time.
Main Line: 650-350-4518
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Muneerah Merchant, Director of Advancement
650-350-4559 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Capital Campaign Co-Chairs
Bruce Cozadd
Karla Jurvetson
Dennis Wong

Community Campaign Co-Chairs
Vernon C. Grigg, III
Mara Wallace