Over the past few weeks, you have undoubtedly seen the exciting news for this year’s Cardinal Annual Fund (CAF): an anonymous donor has issued a Parent Participation Challenge! A second challenge, made by Billy Barksdale (a JRDS grandparent and Trustee), will provide an additional $1,000 gift in honor of the first grade-level to reach 100% parent participation. These two challenges together provide an immediate impact in CAF giving.
The Cardinal Annual Fund is our most critical fundraising effort, offering essential support to the School’s mission of creating scholars, leaders, and citizens. As an independent and non-profit school, we rely on the generosity of our community–our Board of Trustees, current and past parents, current and past grandparents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends–to support this mission.
Families at James River are asked to support the CAF each year for several reasons. As is the case at most independent schools, tuition alone does not cover the full cost of a student’s education and proceeds from the CAF support approximately 7% of our operating budget. All of our students are beneficiaries of the CAF! Strong participation in the CAF by current parents, at any level, is an important measure used by many grant-awarding foundations and inspires other members of our community to also support our mission monetarily.
In the past year, James River Day School has used funds received from the CAF to create a new art studio and purchase art supplies, new Apple TVs, new chromebooks and computers, and new band equipment. The CAF has also supported professional development for faculty and staff as well as the maintenance of our buildings and grounds.
Our students are the direct recipients of your philanthropic support, and we–and they–thank you. If you want to know more about how you can have an impact on the Parent Participation Challenge, please