THE CARDINAL FUND

The Cardinal Fund is St. John's most important annual philanthropic focus. Like most private, independent schools, St. John’s relies on annual tax-deductible gifts, in addition to tuition, to provide the School with its margin of excellence. What's more, statistics of annual fundraising - specifically the percentage of parent participation in annual giving- are a common measurement of the health of a school. Parent participation is often reported to outside accrediting agencies, considered in grant application reviews, and can be impactful for rankings sites and employee recruitment and retention. 

Proceeds from the Cardinal Fund give St. John’s the flexibility to respond to new initiatives or programs that would not be possible through tuition revenue alone. The School is making a strategic focus on increasing parent participation percentage in order to foster a culture of philanthropy. Last year 100% of our faculty and staff, School Committee and PTF Board gave to the Cardinal Fund. This year, it is our goal to reach 100% parent participation in that effort. It is our goal that we can eclipse our parent participation from last year making the 2023-2024 Cardinal Fund strong. Simply put, when we’re all-in together in support of the Cardinal Fund, we can make a tremendous impact on all St. John’s students’ experiences, in and out of the classroom. For more information regarding the Cardinal Fund, please contact Heather Doddridge or Taylor Diaz in the Advancement Office.

“We support the Cardinal Fund to provide crucial professional development opportunities for our amazing teachers. We know that when St. John’s teachers further their education, our child also benefits in the classroom and beyond. Contributing to the Cardinal Fund also allows St. John’s to invest in the classroom infrastructure, technology, and provide our children with the tools they need to be successful learners while establishing a love for learning. By investing in our School we are investing in our children, who are our future leaders.”

– Britani Naisbitt, PTF President