Annual Fund

Our tuition gap ranges annually from 6-10%, and donor contributions are crucial to meeting the school’s budgetary goals. Our goal is to get 100% participation in the Annual Fund from our board members, parent community, faculty, and staff every year, and we receive donations ranging from $1 to $20,000.

At Cambridge-Ellis School, we encourage each member of the community to contribute to our annual fund goals. Annual Fund supports general operations in the following ways:

• Offset the tuition gap for the cost of each child

• Provide financial aid opportunities

• Maintain building & grounds

• Supplement Ann Murphy Artisan Program

• Support professional development

We strive for 100% community participation, which demonstrates the strength of community in our constituents and provides a solid base for furthering our fundraising opportunities. Our annual giving is made up of a collective group that includes:

• Current families

• Alumni families

• Faculty & Staff

• Grandparents

• Friends

Maintaining the annual fund is fundamentally important to Cambridge-Ellis and the high community participation rate illustrates the wonderful community support for the school.

Your Support of the Cambridge-Ellis Annual Fund:

Invests in Excellence: Professional Development and Enrichment

CES fuses a warm and caring environment with a child-focused curriculum. Teacher quality is a key driver of student success. A hallmark of a CES education is our three-teacher model (which gives us a 1:3 teacher-to-student toddler room ratio, with 1:5 in the young pre-school classes and 1:6 in pre-K). This organizational commitment enhances our teachers’ ability to navigate the classroom with greater presence, thereby providing a high-quality educational and social environment for our students. 

Promotes Diversity: Financial Aid Scholarships

Our efforts to increase access and inclusion across the CES community means ensuring financial aid support for lower- and middle-income families. Our financial aid offerings increased by 57% over the last five years thanks to CES Annual Fund supporters and donations. 

Protects Our Future: Buildings & Grounds Improvements and Future Fiscal Health

CES is a non-profit school with nearly a forty-year legacy of providing exceptional education and care to our children. Through the years, active Board and parent involvement has included fundraising initiatives that enabled our school to persevere through challenging times. Our children walk on the foundation of past philanthropic efforts every day: Donations from past families have allowed us to make substantial building updates, from replacing classroom flooring, sinks, and cabinetry to installing energy-efficient window walls. Recent successful fundraising efforts let us remodel our kitchen, add a cascade outdoor playground water table, and enhance the outdoor playground lighting.