Overview
The Monarch Fund is our most important annual fundraising initiative, and supports the people and programs that make Meridian so remarkable: inquisitive students, talented teachers, and a curriculum that provides a solid academic foundation. Students have access to many learning opportunities at Meridian that tuition does not cover. Philanthropic contributions make this possible.

How are gifts to The Monarch Fund spent each year?

The Meridian School Board of Trustees, supported by the Finance Committee, determines the school’s priorities in alignment with the school’s mission and strategic plan. Gifts raised through The Monarch Fund support these priorities and ultimately fulfill the mission and core values of the school: balance, contemplation, action, and community.

Why am I asked to give to The Monarch Fund on top of tuition?

As at all independent schools, tuition does not cover the true cost of educating each student. Monarch Fund gifts support the school’s dynamic and creative curriculum, competitive faculty compensation, enhanced professional development opportunities, well-maintained and safe learning spaces, and expanded access and opportunities for a diverse population of students.

Fall Campaign
Each fall we ask our community to support The Monarch Fund in a four-week campaign from mid-October to mid-November.

What is The Monarch Fund goal for the 2022–2023 school year?

This year we exceeded our goal of $250,000 in revenue, with 94% of parents contributing to The Monarch Fund and 100% of faculty, staff, and trustees making gifts. Thank you!

Who is asked to give to the campaign?

The entire Meridian community of families, trustees, faculty and staff, alumni, past parents/guardians, grandparents, and friends are invited and encouraged to contribute.

Giving
You can pledge or donate at https://www.meridianschool.edu/give-online/. It is quick and easy. If you prefer to make a donation by check, you can either mail it to The Meridian School or drop it off at the main office. Please be sure to write “2022–2023 Monarch Fund” on the memo line of the check.

How much should I give?

We hope that you consider Meridian as one of your top priorities for philanthropic support. We ask everyone in our community to participate, and to consider a gift that is meaningful to them, understanding that that looks different for every family. Every contribution truly makes a difference. The average gift to The Monarch Fund last year was $1,020, with gifts ranging from $25 to $15,000.

Can I break up my gift payments?

Yes. You can set up a recurring donation to be processed monthly or quarterly when making a gift online.

Can I restrict my Monarch Fund gift to a specific project?

Gifts to The Monarch Fund are unrestricted, meaning undesignated. This allows the school the flexibility to support a variety of programs and direct funds to the area of greatest need within the school.

Can I donate stock as my gift? 

Yes! When gifting appreciated stock, donors typically do not pay capital gains tax, making this a desirable avenue for supporting a nonprofit. For more information, please contact Direct of Development Lauren Collette by phone or email.

Do our company’s or organization’s matching gifts count toward our Monarch Fund gift?

Yes! Matching gifts count toward your family’s Monarch Fund contribution and are a wonderful way to leverage your gift. Matching gifts accounted for more than $40,000 in additional contributions to Meridian last year. Visit your organization’s HR department and ask if they match charitable gifts.

How will my gift be acknowledged?

All Monarch Fund donors will be listed in the Annual Report by level. You can request anonymity if you would like.

The Marilyn Easton Endowment was established by the Board of Trustees in 2015 to advance Equity and Inclusion goals for access and opportunity. The Endowment is dedicated to serving students from traditionally underrepresented racial groups who require greater than 50 percent tuition assistance. It is distinct from, and above and beyond, the 11% tuition assistance program that is part of the school’s operating budget. Together, these two sources of funds enable the school to do much more to promote equity and inclusion along multiple dimensions, including ensuring the school remains accessible to middle class families.

Unlike annual gifts, like The Monarch Fund or auction, your endowment support provides funding for both today and tomorrow, ensuring the school’s long-term stability and financial security. Your principal gift is never spent; instead, your gift is invested to provide annual distributions. Because endowment gifts are permanent, they create a lasting legacy spanning generations and demonstrate a deep commitment to the future of The Meridian School.

Currently, the Endowment principal rests at just over $2.5 million with an annual draw of 4 percent. This makes it possible for Meridian to welcome several families who might otherwise not be able to join our wonderful community. We are proud that this school year Meridian was able to offer $78,434 of financial assistance from the Endowment.

With your help, we can do more. Giving can be a single gift now or pledged over one to three years with specific date(s) determined by you. Please click below to make a one-time gift, or contact Director of Development Lauren Collette to make a pledge. Thank you for considering an investment in the endowment to create an impact for years to come.

Each fall the Meridian School publishes an annual report celebrating our yearly successes, detailing finances and fundraising, and recognizing our generous supporters.

2021–2022 Annual Report

2020–2021 Annual Report

2019–2020 Annual Report

Saturday, March 25, 2023

6-10 p.m.

The Foundry: 4130 1st Ave S, Seattle WA 98134

About Night to Shine

Night to Shine is an opportunity to socialize as a parent community, build lasting connections, and have fun – with no fundraising at the event.

The Meridian School is a community that values and demonstrates what it means to live within an inclusive culture of philanthropy.  For this reason, our spring event raises revenue for the school only through pre-event support to meet our fundraising goals for the year.  To help us accomplish this, we ask that you: 

Purchase Tickets: Valuing our community, we want to make sure everyone feels welcome at this event! Tickets are available on a sliding scale. You must register for tickets to attend. 

Consider a Sponsorship: By becoming an auction sponsor, businesses gain exposure and advertise to an audience of over 200 parents from neighborhoods across King County. Benefits include logo recognition on event and school websites, social media, communications, and night-of signage. Packages begin at $250. 

Please consider joining our event sponsors by selecting a level for your business: 

• Platinum: $2,500 or more 
• Gold: $1,000 
• Silver: $500 
• Bronze: $250 

To promote our value of an inclusive culture of philanthropy, all sponsors will receive the same recognition: 

• Name and company logo featured on event website, school website, and school newsletter.
• Recognition on social media.
• Featured, individual signage the night of the event (designed by Meridian).
• Special recognition by emcee at the event.

Underwriting: Underwriting a portion of the event helps by offsetting the cost of a product or service at the event so more pre-event support raised goes to our people and program! There are various elements you can partially or fully support – the DJ, photographer, dessert bar, and more! 

More Information: 

We will launch our Night to Shine website to purchase tickets, sponsor, and underwrite in January. In the meantime, please save the date! 

For questions or payments, please contact Lauren Collette, Director of Development, at lcollette@meridianschool.edu or 805-235-9411.

Pictures from the 2022 event:

There are additional opportunities – above and beyond the Monarch Fund – to give to specific needs at Meridian throughout the year. Past gifts have provided support for weekly COVID-19 testing for faculty and staff, the music program, the science program, and more. If there is an area of passion that you would like to make a philanthropic contribution to or you would like to have a conversation to learn more, please let us know. You may make a multi-year pledge or schedule monthly, quarterly, or annual payments.

2022 Capital Initiative: The Corliss House
This past year, families were invited to support the Corliss House, a capital project to expand our program and enrich our curriculum. From January to June 2022, our community contributed over $650,000 in philanthropic support to advance this project,  set to open in the fall of 2023. Thank you to our generous current families, alumni families, grandparents, and special friends who made this possible!  

Project Background
Meridian’s current Strategic Plan put forth its first goal to “secure sufficient, safe, and flexible space.” To that end, Meridian purchased the Corliss House, immediately adjacent to the Good Shepherd Center, in November 2019. 

The Corliss House will add a pre-K on the first floor to extend our exceptional program and accomplish several goals. We will welcome our inaugural class in the fall of 2023. By moving administrative spaces and planning a conference space on the second floor of Corliss, we will free up over 700 square feet of valuable space for student learning in the Good Shepherd Center building. Lastly, by incorporating elements of sustainable, locally sourced materials and green features into the design, the Corliss House becomes an exciting teaching tool and a visual demonstration of our commitment to sustainability. Given Meridian’s goal of educating our students about responsible global citizenship and environmental stewardship, Corliss will be leveraged as a teaching tool that will be integrated into our science curriculum. It will provide the foundation – literally – for teaching students about the importance of sustainable practices, and will offer new and relevant hands-on learning opportunities for students at all grade levels.