Support St. Mary Catholic Schools
Each and every contribution of time, talent and resources helps ensure a bright future for St. Mary Catholic Schools and continuing excellence in educational opportunities for our students.
Generous donations from parents, grandparents, alumni, parishioners, faculty and friends allow us to provide strong academic programs, offer stimulating student activities and helps us sustain competitive tuition rates.
Like most independent schools, St. Mary Catholic Schools sets tuition below the cost of educating each student, making an SMCS education affordable to more families. Philanthropic contributions make a significant impact in our schools and help to bridge the gap between tuition and actual costs.
We hope you will participate in the many giving opportunities and become a part of the legacy of St. Mary Catholic Schools.
We Need Your Help
Whether you make a financial gift to the SMCS Annual Fund, attend one of our exciting fundraisers or sponsor an event, each gift makes possible everything that is extraordinary about SMCS and is enjoyed every day by grateful students and teachers. Options for making financial gifts include online and postal options.
Online Donations (OneCause)
Online Donations through OneCause are quick and easy, and allows you to designate to which fund you’d like to give. Thank you for your consideration!
Mail Your Donation
If you prefer a more traditional option, mail your donation check to:
SMCS Advancement Department
1050 Zephyr Drive
Neenah, WI 54956
Giving Opportunities
Whether you would like to support our essential operating expenses through the SMCS Annual Fund or have a favorite cause or group to whom you would like your financial donation to go, SMCS has many opportunities for giving. Questions? Contact the Advancement Department at (920) 722-7796.
Annual Fund
A gift to the St. Mary Catholic Schools Annual Fund directly and immediately benefits students and faculty members at our schools. As a supporter, you help fund curriculum, technology, tuition assistance and faculty professional development. Your contribution to the SMCS Annual Fund also provides student leadership opportunities and supports SMCS’s outstanding arts and athletic offerings.
St. Mary Catholic Schools Foundation
This opportunity paves the way for you to make a legacy gift that will be forever etched in time as a meaningful gift that you shared with future generations of Zephyrs. The newly formed SMCS Foundation is a separate legal entity that allows you to make gifts from wills, bequests, life insurance, retirement plans, stocks or cash that are meant to benefit St. Mary Catholic Schools in a long-term sustainable manner.
It also firmly aligns with school initiatives and needs, as it is managed by a local Board of Directors who have a passion and affinity for St. Mary Catholic Schools. You can begin to create your legacy today. Questions? Click here to learn more, or contact the Advancement Department at (920) 722-7796.
2024-25 SMCS Foundation Board of Directors
Ryan Valentine, Foundation President
Helen Englebert, Vice President
Terry Jack, Foundation Treasurer
Ryan Wirth, Secretary
Lori Vegso, At-Large Member
Dan McKenna, SMCS President
David Diedrick, SMCS Director of Business Services
VACANT, SMCS Director of Development
Josh Diedrich, Representative of the Bishop, Diocese of Green Bay
Endowed Funds
St. Mary Catholic Schools is blessed to have dozens of endowed funds that continue to benefit our school community in specific ways. Please consider participating in an existing account or creating a new fund for an area of Catholic education that is dear to you. F.A.T.E. endowed funds include Fine Arts, Athletic & Activities, Technology & Emerging Educators.
Planned Giving
When you make a planned gift, you will be investing in our students, the future, and in the values and ideals that are fundamental to SMCS. Your planned gift will help us sustain competitive tuition rates while maintaining our outstanding faculties and strong academic programs.
Every person’s financial situation is unique, and donors often find that a combination of planned gifts produces the best result. Therefore, we welcome the opportunity to consult with you, your family, and your financial and legal advisors to design for you the most advantageous ways of giving.
Annual Fundraising Events
Each SMCS school holds an annual fundraiser planned and hosted by parent committees to support student activities and campus enhancements. In addition, SMCS hosts a system-wide fundraiser in November where school families and Zephyrs supporters come together for a night of fun and camaraderie.
Tuition Assistance
- Make a Donation Now! (Link Under Construction)
Your support has a direct impact on the lives of students who would otherwise be unable to afford a Catholic education, who in turn positively influence our local community and our world. Your investment in their journey has a ripple effect that reaches the lives of many.
Booster Club & Sponsorship Opportunities
Our schools offer an impressive number and variety of co-curricular organizations and activities ranging from athletics and robotics to math activities, forensic teams and faith-based and academic clubs. More than 90% of students at the middle and high school levels participate, most in two or more co-curriculars. Your sponsorship donation will help fund expenses such as athletic trainers and referees, new uniforms, materials and supplies for co-curricular groups and field maintenance.
Project Lead The Way (PLTW)
We are committed to providing our students with a strong educational experience in all disciplines, including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). As a result, SMCS has implemented Project Lead The Way (PLTW) in grades K-12. PLTW is a curriculum system that drives learning through interactive, hands-on experiences that strive not only to educate our students in the subject matter but teach them the tools for a lifetime of self learning in the STEM fields.
Zephyrs Fine Arts Booster (ZFAB)
The Fine Arts program is among the best in the area and are supported in part by Zephyrs Fine Arts Boosters (ZFAB). Our students are blessed with state-of-the-art facilities and technical equipment, musical instruments and dedicated personnel to maximize their talents.
Throughout the school year, our sponsors win as they enjoy advertisement recognition in the program booklets for all student fine arts productions. Our community wins because we are preparing our young people to be the best they can be as they move forward into business and community positions.
Employers’ Matching Gifts
Many area businesses offer their employees the opportunity to increase their contributions by matching a percentage of their financial donations, or by making a donation to an organization after a certain number of community volunteer hours have been recorded.