Crane Annual Fund 2025-2026

Independent schools function with an interesting business model: we charge less for our services than they cost to run. In essence, we run at a deficit. Nearly every independent school in the country asks families to make a voluntary gift above and beyond the cost of tuition to help balance the budget. At Crane, that means we have to raise $1.1 million this year. The Annual Fund doesn’t cover the “extras;” it covers normal business operations—paying our Staffulty, keeping the lights on, and giving our teachers and students the tools and supplies they need to teach and learn each day.

If we were to charge families the true cost of educating our students, our tuition would increase significantly and our school would be inaccessible for many of our families. Instead, we maintain moderate tuition prices and increases each year, and ask families to make a donation to help cover the difference.

The image below illustrates Crane’s revenue sources and the role of the Annual Fund and endowment:

The Annual Fund in independent schools represents a collective community effort—many people coming together to support an organization that we love and want to thrive. It takes a village to educate our students, and we are grateful for your help in making our students’ educations at Crane a reality. We truly cannot do it without you.

The Annual Fund is felt everywhere. While gifts to the Annual Fund are unrestricted by nature, they play a critical role in giving Crane flexibility to address needs and opportunities as they arise each year.

Below are some specific ways your gift is put to use:

• Staffulty salaries and benefits (this makes up ~75% of Crane’s budget each year—our school is truly people-powered!)
• Tuition assistance for 25% of our students (Crane awards close to $2 million in tuition assistance grants each year)
• Classroom supplies for homeroom teachers, advisors, Upper School core classes, Lower School specials, and visual arts
• Athletics and team sports equipment
• Performing arts costumes, props, and scripts
• Field trips for students across all grades
• Guest speakers for Assembly and in classes
• Special supplies for Lower School Spring Study Week and Highly Experiential Education Days
• Community-wide events like Family Fiesta, Camp Crane, and Fun Family Fridays
• Accessibility services for families such as language interpretation and closed captioning
• Landscaping, maintenance, and campus improvements and beautification
• Property insurance for fires and floods, utilities, and other general costs of running an organization

Any excess funds raised for the Annual Fund are either added to the school’s endowment, added to our deferred maintenance fund, or are allocated to special projects such as classroom upgrades.

We encourage you to let us know what most inspires you to support our school. This helps us understand emerging needs and opportunities, and what you value most about Crane!

The image below illustrates Crane’s major expenses:

Gifts to the Annual Fund range from $20 to more than $50,000. We truly need and appreciate gifts of all sizes to help us reach our financial and participation goals. We encourage families to make a personally meaningful gift where your appreciation for Crane meets your ability to give. This will be different for every family in our community, and we are grateful for all of it!

Participation is an important mark of community support and cohesion. It’s also a point of school pride and a sense of collective effort—we’re all in this together.

Schools with high levels of participation in fundraising are able to do more because they understand that their families, alumni and alumni families, Staffulty, grandparents, and friends will back them up when needs, crises, or opportunities arise. It also helps to unlock additional funding through grants, foundations, or with major donors. Those people and organizations want to see that the school has a strong community and that they aren’t relying solely on a few key people or funders. Schools with lower participation are more limited in their ability to adapt to student or school needs, and are often unable to access these additional funds.

At Crane, we always strive for 100% participation from current families. Even a modest gift helps us in that effort.

Leadership giving to Crane starts at $7,500. We also recognize Annual Fund volunteers as leaders. As a small token of appreciation, we offer a reception at the end of the school year to thank these families. Leadership donors and Annual Fund volunteers are also gifted a special photo of their student.

If you are interested in having a bigger impact or accessing these benefits, please consider a leadership-level gift or joining our Annual Fund committee to help boost family participation. The school relies heavily on leadership donors and volunteers to reach our financial and participation goals each year.

Crane accepts cash and non-cash gifts. Cash gifts are considered checks, online gifts and digital wallets, and those made with your debit or credit card. They often come from your personal budget or accounts, or through a business account.

Non-cash gifts are those made through stock or securities transfers, donor advised funds, or foundation gifts. Crane also accepts gifts of real estate, IRA disbursements, bequests, and other assets.

We are happy to help you think creatively about how to best to show your support for Crane and our students.