Why Give to TCA?
A Generous Community
TCA is, and has always been, a generous community.
Parents, grandparents, community members and staff pour their time, their love, and their expertise into making this a place where students can grow in mind, body, and spirit.
In addition to gifts of time and talent, your financial gifts are also needed to keep TCA strong.
Why?
It's because of the unique financial challenges we face as a charter school.
Financial Challenges of a Charter School
The wonderful thing about being a charter school is the freedom we have to self-govern and to shape an extraordinary learning environment.
The challenge with being a charter school—especially one dedicated to small class sizes—is taking on financial constraints that traditional public schools don't have.
Like all public charter schools, TCA receives the same state, federal, and local educational funding that every school in our district receives. But in a charter school, those funds stretch to cover more needs than they do in other D20 schools:
- At TCA's founding, we provided our own facilities, and the payments on those facilities make up about 10% of our annual budget. Traditional public schools do not provide their own facilities.
- We have more educators per child in every classroom, so there are fewer students' funding supporting each educator.
To empower TCA to recruit and retain the very best educators, compensating them fairly while operating within these constraints, the Annual Fund has been established.
TCA Annual Fund
The Annual Fund is some of the most focused and purposeful fundraising you will ever see.
- The Annual Fund supplies each returning staff member a "returning staff bonus" each fall, starting in their second year.
- The Annual Fund also provides our Principals a modest budget for building staff culture, which is crucial in retaining great staff members.
- Less than 6% of Annual Fund giving covers the direct costs of fundraising.
That's it. Over 90% of your gifts go directly to honor and support our staff in very tangible ways. This is our biggest need, and it's the place where our community can make the most difference. We ask that every TCA family commit to making a monthly gift to the Annual Fund.
Other Designations
Can you give to another cause within TCA beside the Annual Fund? Yes you can, through the dropdown on this donation form. As you consider your designation, please consider that the Annual Fund is the best way to support your child's school and teachers—even above designating a gift to his or her campus.
In addition, Titan Club does an amazing job of supporting Athletics and Activities and is the best way you can place your support behind our sports teams and fine arts students.