2014-15 guide to philanthropy at harker

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A “virtuous cycle” is a beneficial cycle of events or incidents, each having a positive effect on the next. At The Harker School, philanthropy creates a virtuous cycle. The generosity of our donors each year offers our students more robust opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. This in turn leads to more engaged students and teachers, attracting the best of both and drawing in families who want to be a part of strengthening our community.

Philanthropy is cyclical in another way: over the passage of time, as current families whose children have benefited from the generosity of previous families give back so that future generations may have similar advantages. Every student at Harker is a beneficiary of charitable contributions made by donors in years past.

Harker is an independent private school. As such, Harker does not receive funds from government, religious or other organizations. We must raise all funds for operations and capital improvements through tuition and fees, annual charitable contributions and capital contributions.

Harker follows the Independent School Financial Model. Independent schools depend on charitable giving to provide enhancements to student programs. At Harker, these annual enhancements – our Margin of Excellence – are funded by annual giving (see page 4).

While gifts to the annual giving campaign support the school’s annual operations and fund education enhancements for the children every day, capital and endowment gifts have a longer-term benefit. All of these types of gifts are necessary to sustain Harker’s educational excellence into the future.

This year, as we launch our campaign to fund the construction of the events center on our Saratoga campus, we are encouraging all members of the Harker community to join us in “Rising to the Challenge” and participate in this comprehensive campaign, combining a gift to annual and to capital giving. Your gifts can be eligible for two different challenge matches, multiplying the positive effect of your donation; more details may be found on the insert sent with this brochure.

There are many different ways to support The Harker School with your philanthropy. Thank you for taking the time to learn about the various charitable options available.

Sincerely,

Christopher NikoloffHead of School

Message from the Head of School

Guide to Philanthropy | 1

Harker has a continued tradition of charitable giving, and these gifts help to create the best possible learning environment for our students. Every aspect of the school is touched by annual giving, including academics, the library, technology, the arts, athletics, and other student activities.

It is our philosophy that all members of our school community should support annual giving at a level that is appropriate for their situations; most importantly, we want our donors to feel good about their contributions.

Parents often come to Harker with very different views of and experiences with philan-thropy, and many have questions. To help provide a better understanding of Harker’s philanthropic philosophy, we provide this list of frequently unasked questions, featuring topics you may have questions about but may be uncomfortable asking.

Frequently Unasked Questions

Why does Harker have the annual giving campaign?

Harker, like all independent schools, relies on income beyond tuition to fully support its students and programs. Gifts to annual giving are used in the year in which they are re-ceived, and so Harker depends on these donations to support current student programs each year. In fact, making a gift to annual giving has the most direct and immediate impact of any type of gift to the school.

2 | Guide to Philanthropy


Why doesn’t Harker operate like other businesses and charge the full cost instead of asking for donations each year?

The tuition that would be necessary to fund our current level of education would restrict the number and type of families who could afford to attend. This would limit enrollment which, in turn, could mean a cutback in programs and opportunities for students.

In addition, a for-profit business can cut costs through consolidation and streamlining. To employ these strategies at Harker would mean reducing staff or combining classrooms, making us un-able to provide the individual attention and quality of education that everyone wants and expects for Harker students.

Finally, a gift to annual giving is tax-deductible. Tuition is not.

What if I don’t like something at Harker and feel the only way to be heard is to withhold support from annual giving?

We ask that you please contact the person involved or a school administrator. Please do not jeopardize the students’ educational experience to make your point, but instead handle it directly and appropriately. Harker encourages open discussion and strives to communicate effectively with all members of the school community.

Does annual giving pay for faculty and staff children’s tuition remission at Harker?

No, annual giving is not used for this purpose. However, it is important to note that, as in most independent schools, faculty and staff do receive tuition remission as an employee benefit. This initiative has been critical in helping us to retain high quality teachers and staff members in a geographic location where other industries often pay far more. Attracting and retaining the high-est quality faculty and staff is one of the most important and desirable features for parents, and tuition remission has proven to be one of the most effective techniques towards achieving this goal. In addition, having their own children within the community makes faculty and staff more personally invested in building a vibrant and cohesive school environment.


ANNUALOOPERATIONSSS

Salaries

Benefits

Mortgage

Taxes & Utilities

Insurance

Core AcademicExtracurricular Programs

Maintenance & Operations

Some Capital Additions

Provides the Margin of Excellence

Student Programs & Services

Athletics

The Arts

Clubs

Field Trips

Technology

Library

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL FINANCIAL MODEL

The Harker School is a nonprofit organization, tax ID# 94-1613808. The IRS allows people to make

tax deductible gifts to 501(c)(3) nonprofit schools like Harker. Thus families can take advantage of

this opportunity to direct dollars to help support student programs at Harker using funds that

might otherwise go to the U.S. government in the form of taxes.

Annual GivingTuition & Fees


Gifts of Securities

Transfer stock by mailing or faxing your completed Transfer of Securities form. Click on “Support

Harker” on the Harker website to download the form.

Outright Gift

You may make a gift online using a credit card or via ACH (electronic check). Simply go to www.harker.

org/onlinegiving. Or you may complete the annual giving pledge envelope (stapled into this brochure),

and do one of the following: enclose a check*; provide your credit card information; make a pledge

of a specific amount and pay it before May 31, 2015.

* When you provide a check as payment, you authorize us to either use the information from your check to make a one-time electronic funds transfer from your account or to process the payment as a check transaction.

In-Kind Gifts of Tangible Personal Property

Click on “Support Harker” from the Harker homepage to download the in-kind gift proposal form. You

may then submit the form to the in-kind gift acceptance committee for review. Once it is determined that

we can accept the gift, we can make arrangements to receive the property and provide you with a letter

of tax deductibility.

Matching Gift

Many gifts to The Harker School also qualify for corporate matches. Please check with your employer

on matching gift policies. You can begin the matching gift process by obtaining a matching gift form

from your company’s human resources department. Complete and mail the form to us with your gift

or pledge payment. Some corporations handle this process online.

Ways to Give


We ask Harker families to contribute to annual giving at a level

appropriate to their financial situations. The average gift per child

is $1,000. However, since each family has a unique financial situ-

ation, the fairest way to achieve the funding needed for the Margin

of Excellence is to have all families participate by giving a similar

percentage of their annual incomes; families with higher annual

incomes may be able to contribute more money than families with lower annual incomes. This way

each gift, no matter how big or small, is meaningful and matches a donor’s capability to give.

Deciding How Much to Give

Annual GiftsEach family is asked first to make a gift every year to the annual giving campaign. The greatest

percentage of each dollar donated via the annual giving campaign goes to student programs. After

a family has made their primary gift to the annual giving campaign, there are two events, the picnic

and Night on the Town, that provide fun and entertainment to everyone while generating some funds

for the students. Everyone is welcome to join the fun and participate.

Periodic GiftsEach family will be asked to make a gift to our capital campaign at some point during their time at

Harker, and that time is now. This year we are raising funds to build an events center on our Saratoga

campus.

Planning Your Gift


Rising to the Challenge

How Matching Gift Challenges Work for You

This year, in addition to focusing on fundraising to support immediate student programs with the annual

giving campaign, we are launching our capital campaign to build the events center on the Saratoga

campus. We need support from our entire community to achieve these goals and provide students with

programs and facilities that are equal to their amazing efforts.

The Rising to the Challenge campaign encompasses gifts to annual giving and to capital giving. We are

asking members of our community to make pledges now to both efforts for up to the next three years.

Gifts that meet certain specific requirements (see insert sent with this brochure) are eligible for matching

programs, which can multiply the effect of your gift.

PledgesMust BeReceived ByOct. 12, 2014


Leadership Circle Gifts of $25,000 and above

Eagles’ Circle Gifts of $10,000-$24,999

Trustees’ Circle Gifts of $7,500-$9,999

Benefactors’ Circle Gifts of $5,000-$7,499

Head of School’s Circle Gifts of $2,500-$4,999

Graduates’ Circle Gifts of $2,015 (families of graduating seniors)

Ambassadors’ Circle Gifts of $1,000 and above

Alumni Leaders Gifts greater than Pacesetter amount

Alumni Pacesetters Gifts of $5 per number of years since graduation (e.g., $5 x 5 years = $25)

Friends Gifts up to $999

Each year we recognize donors in our online Annual Report, according to these gift clubs:

Annual Giving Gift Clubs


* If your gift is designated, please specify on your check, when giving online, or when transferring securities to which program you would like your support designated.

Memorial or Honorary Gifts Pay special tribute to a family member, friend, colleague or group by making either a restricted or unrestricted gift in memory or in honor of someone.

Athletic Boosters

Patrons of the Arts

Friends of the Library

Friends of Debate

Friends of Robotics

Friends of Journalism

Financial Aid

Business and Enterpreneurship

Unrestricted Gifts

Unrestricted gifts to the annual giving campaign are most appreciated by the school because these gifts provide us with the opportunity to fund the approved items requested by the faculty for their programs.

Designated Gifts*

You can also designate your contribution to one of the following programs:

Designating Your Gift


See the Harker website for information about tax deductibility of gifts.

Family & Alumni PicnicSun., Oct. 12, 2014

Join us for Harker’s 64th annual Family & Alumni Picnic! The entire Harker community gathers together each fall to kick off the beginning of the new school year. More than a “picnic,” the event includes games and prizes galore, great food, fantastic student entertainment, our ever-popular silent auction, fun-filled themed activities and more! For how to get involved, see page 15.

Rising to the Challenge CampaignCombining gifts to annual and capital givingPledge Week: Oct. 5-12, 2014

Annual giving is the school’s main effort to raise money for student programs (such as athletics, the arts, technology, library, and much more); it funds our immediate needs as requested by teachers, de-partment heads and the administration. Capital giving provides stu-dents with excellent facilities suited for their programs.

This year we’re asking families to continue contributing to annual giving at the same level as in the past and also to make a gift of any amount to capital giving, in order to qualify for two separate matching gifts. (More details can be found on the insert sent with this brochure.)

Our phoneathon takes place the week of Oct. 5 this year, but you don’t have to wait for a phone call. You can go ahead and make your gift online or use the envelope provided.

All gifts are fully tax deductible.

Planning Your Philanthropy 2014-15


Planned and Endowment GivingHarker has recently established a general endowment and two restricted endowments in honor of former history teacher John Near, one funded by Jim and Pat Near, and the other by the Mitra family. Restricted endowments can be established with gifts of $100,000 or more. Gifts in any amount can be con-tributed to the general endowment or to an existing restricted endowment.

While most types of gifts (cash, securities, real or tangible property, IRAs) can be given to an endow-ment outright, it can be advantageous to make a “planned gift” to the endowment or other Harker funds as a part of your estate plan.

Bequests are the most common “planned gift” given to schools. Please consider naming Harker as a beneficiary of a specific amount, a percentage or a residual portion of your estate in your will. Families making “deferred planned gifts,” such as privately held stock or equity funds, or “revocable planned gifts” such as bequests, charitable remainder trusts or charitable lead trusts, become mem-bers of the Nichols Planned Giving Society. “Irrevocable gifts” are credited to the donor at the net present value of the gift.

The Harker Gala | Night on the Town San Jose Marriott • Fri., Feb. 27, 2015

Harker’s gala and auction offers a fun and formal evening out for parents and guests. Casino games and live entertainment enliven the cocktail hour. The dinner features student perfor-mances and highlights of student activities, followed by an exciting live auction and dancing (and more casino games!). This event provides a fantastic opportunity for parents and guests to socialize in a lively and elegant environment, while their children can also enjoy an evening of special activities just for them, organized by Harker’s own BEST staff. And it’s all for a great cause because all pro-ceeds benefit Harker’s financial aid and building funds. For how to get involved, see page 15.


Graduates’ Club/Senior Brick ProgramFamilies who contribute $2,015 (for the Class of 2015) or more to annual giving become

part of the Graduates’ Circle gift club. Their graduating senior receives a brick inscribed with

his/her name and class year in Graduates’ Grove on the upper school campus. Families

participating in the Senior Brick Program are also included in the Senior Parent Appreciation

Gift and are invited to the Head of School’s Circle Celebration.

Senior Parent Appreciation GiftThe Harker Senior Parent Appreciation Gift is a way for parents of graduating seniors to

honor their students by making a gift in honor of the time their students have spent at

Harker.

Participation in the Senior Parent Appreciation Gift is based on incremental giving. Senior

families who make a donation to annual giving that is greater than the gift made the previ-

ous year will be included as participants in the Senior Parent Appreciation Gift. These incre-

mental dollars will go to a Class of 2015 fund within Harker’s general endowment. (Note

that senior families’ incremental giving will also be matched by the trustees and fellows, to

encourage support of the Senior Parent Appreciation Gift.)

Students whose parents participate in this program have their names included on a perma-

nent plaque on campus. The Senior Parent Appreciation Gift enables graduating classes to

leave behind a legacy for future Harker students and is in recognition and appreciation of

the fine education and wonderful memories that Harker has provided.

Senior Class GiftThe senior class gift is funded by donations contributed by the graduating seniors them-

selves. Working with the school administrators, the students select a project to be funded.

The Class of 2014 raised more than $8,000, which funded an orchard in memory of teacher

Jason Berry. This class gift also funded the walkway between Shah Hall and Davis Field.

Gifts Honoring the Senior Class


*Your graduation year is the year that your cohort graduated from Harker, regardless of whether you completed your studies at Harker. The Class of ‘97 is the last graduating middle school class. All sub-sequent alumni should use their high school graduation year.

Class of* Years Since Graduation Gift Amount2014 1 $52013 2 $10 2012 3 $152011 4 $202010 5 $25 2009 6 $302008 7 $352007 8 $402006 9 $45 2005 10 $502004 11 $552003 12 $602002 13 $651997* 14 $70 1996 15 $751995 16 $801994 17 $851993 18 $90

Pacesetting Gift Amounts

Harker Alumni: Every year we ask alumni to make a gift to the annual giving campaign as a way to give back to their school and to the students currently attending. In addition, alumni may choose to contribute to capital campaigns and/or endowment funds. Planned gifts are also an excellent way to leave a legacy at Harker.

Alumni Pacesetters & Leaders: For our young alumni, we especially appreciate participation at any level. The Pacesetting gift amount is $5 for each year since graduation.For more information, contact MaryEllis Deacon, director of alumni relations, at [email protected] or 408.345.9264.

Alumni Giving


If you would like to support either of these events, you may do so by:

making cash contributions

donating an auction item

providing in-kind donations (gifts of tangible personal property)

volunteering your time

and, of course, attending the event!

Contributing gifts of cash or personal property can also provide donors with tax deductions. Sponsorships paid through charitable foundations may not receive sponsorship benefits according to foundation regulations.

The Harker Gala | Night on the Town

This is an exciting dinner event with student entertain-ment and a live auction. Proceeds support financial aid and capital building projects.

Harker Family & Alumni Picnic

The Harvest Festival is a fun family event for the entire Harker community. More than a “picnic,” this event provides fun and games for the whole family. Proceeds from the picnic benefit the school’s general endowment.

Supporting Harker’s Two Main Fundraising Events


For information about investing in capital giving at Harker, please contact Joe Rosenthal at [email protected].

Gift club ranges are as follows: Leading Visionaries $2,500,000+

Visionaries $1,000,000 to $2,499,999

Harker Group $100,000 to $999,999

Leadership Group $25,000 to $99,999

Friendship Group $2,500 to $24,999

Community Group Up to $2,499

The Harker School’s Cornerstones for Success Campaign, our multiyear, multiphase capital campaign, is based on the central concept that an outstanding Harker education consists of four “cornerstones”: outstanding students, motivating faculty, quality curriculum and outstanding facilities. We are working to bring the standards of our facilities up to the standards of our students, faculty and curriculum.

We have completed the first four phases of the master site plan and now are working to build an events center on our Saratoga campus. A new gym and theater for our upper school will provide students and teachers with much-needed facilities appropriate to their programs.

Capital gifts are usually larger than annual gifts and can be paid over a number of years. In addition to having their names listed on the capital campaign donors’ wall, donors may “name” a space on cam-pus in recognition of their gift.

Capital Giving


The Harker School General EndowmentThe school’s most critical and fundamental endowment is a quasi-endowment known as The Harker School general endowment. Established by the Board of Trustees to provide a major source of support for the school, the general endowment is composed of unrestricted funds and enhances the school’s ability to sustain it-self, evolve and grow, hire and retain outstanding faculty and staff, attract and nurture gifted students. The Harker School general endowment is overseen by the audit committee of the Harker Board of Trustees to provide a perpetual stream of income to the school.

Donors to the general endowment are assured that only the in-come from their gifts will be distributed, allowing the principal to remain intact. Harker welcomes gifts in any amount to the general endowment.

Donor-Restricted Pure EndowmentsA donor-restricted pure, or named, endowment is expended over time, as the donor has described in his or her gift instrument. Acceptance of gifts establishing pure endowments is subject to prior approval by the school, and endowment management and investment is in accordance with prevailing law. These pure en-dowments may fund faculty chairs, student financial assistance, curricular innovation, faculty development, academic initiatives or other special uses. They may be named for individuals, fami-lies or other honorees. A pure endowment can be established with a minimum initial gift of $100,000. An example of a pure endowment is The John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund.

Deferred Gifts FundGifts to this Board-designated deferred fund, such as gifts of privately held stock or private equity funds, are used after they materialize and/or are redeemed.

An endowment fund is money that remains largely intact in perpetuity and is carefully invested to earn income that is used to support the school. Endowment is critical to The Harker School’s long-term financial stability. Donors can make contributions to our existing endowment funds in any amount.

Endowment Giving


Estate PlanningPlanned gifts are commonly made as a part of a person’s estate plan. For many of us, estate planning is something we know we should do, but somehow manage to put off. While understandable, it is not wise. There is simply too much at stake. Estate planning involves the accumulation, conservation and distribution of assets. Your “estate” is your real and personal property which you intend to use to benefit yourself, your family and your community.

With good planning, one can substantially increase the amount that one leaves to heirs and to favorite charities.

The Nichols Family Planned Giving SocietyThe Harker School recognizes those who make a planned gift by enrolling them in the Nichols Family Planned Giving Society. Becoming a member of the Nichols Family Planned Giving Society is simple — all you need to do is notify us that Harker is a part of your estate plan.

Types of Planned GiftsBequest through a living trust or will

Gifts of privately held stock

Gifts of private equity funds

Naming Harker as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy

Gifts of real estate, insurance policies or IRAs

Gifts of a trust: CRT, CLT or an Insurance Replacement Trust

There are numerous vehicles and strategies available for individuals and families to maximize the benefits that come from making a planned gift. Some planned gifts bring funds to charities right away, others defer gifts to the charity until a later date. Some can be adjusted (revocable) and others cannot be changed (irrevocable).

For more information please contact Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement, at [email protected].

A planned gift is defined as, “a mediated gift, that is, a gift which a charity receives through or by means of an agency, such as a will, a contract or a trust.” Planned giving is often a part of a family’s estate planning. Planned giving does not always need to be associated with a death for the tax incentives to be advantageous to a donor.

Planned Giving


Recognition & Thanks Website

We are very grateful for the charitable contributions we receive, which benefit all students, and we are happy to recognize our generous donors. All donors are listed on our Recognition & Thanks website (http://rt.harker.org), which is updated monthly. Those who have pledged are listed in gray, and those who have made their gifts are listed in black. When you make a gift, you may want to check the website to make sure your listing is accurate. If you have any corrections or questions about your listing, please contact our director of stewardship, Allison Vaughan, at [email protected].

Head of School’s Circle Celebration

For those donors who make a gift to annual giving of $2,500 or more, Chris Nikoloff hosts the Head of School’s Circle Celebration. The evening includes stories from students about how annual giving donations have benefited them in their educations, entertaining student perfor-mances, festive company, and elegant food and drink. In order to be included in this special evening, please make your gift before April 1, 2015, as the event is held at the end of that month.

We provide you with a letter of tax deductibility for all gifts greater than $75 (as required by IRS regulations), and for most gifts less than that amount. Our goal is to mail you this letter within three days of your making your gift, but during our heavy donation times this time frame may be extended. If you haven’t received your letter within two weeks after making your gift, please contact our office so that we can make sure your donation hasn’t been lost in the mail or oth-erwise missed.

In January of each year, we provide you with a letter of tax deductibility for specific charitable donations you’ve made in the previous calendar year, to help you in filing your taxes. This letter includes gifts to annual giving, capital giving, endowment giving and event giving.

If you have questions about your letter of tax deductibility, or if you haven’t received yours, please contact our director of stewardship, Allison Vaughan, at [email protected].

How Gifts are Recognized

Contact InformationJoe Rosenthal

Executive Director of Advancement408.345.9266

[email protected]

Melinda GonzalesManaging Director of Advancement

[email protected] of C: 8/14 (BHDG-ED) 1800

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PAPER

Harker Advancement Office500 Saratoga Avenue • San Jose, CA 95129

408.249.2510

2014-15 guide to philanthropy at harker

Documents

harker school

harker community

annual giving campaign

annual enhancements

school community

capital contributions

schools annual operations

independent private