The Annual Fund is essential to ensuring an exceptional experience for all students. Gifts to the Annual Fund allow the school to deliver programs and opportunities for students and faculty beyond what is covered by tuition. Your gift to the Annual Fund has a direct impact on the everyday student experience. From CA’s greatest needs to specialty areas such as the arts, athletics, financial aid, faculty support, technology enhancements, diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives, and everything in between, the Annual Fund is there to make it happen.

You can designate your Annual Fund gift to an area for which you are most passionate, including CA’s greatest needs, financial aid, arts, athletics, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), faculty support, and technology enhancements.

Being a non-profit independent school, Cheshire Academy does not receive financial support from local or federal taxes. While tuition income covers a large part of the expenses of running a boarding and day school, it does not cover everything. The Annual Fund bridges the gap between tuition revenue and remaining operational costs – including, but not limited to, financial aid and student programing.

Endowment funds are invested monies that generate income based on interest rates. As the principal of the fund grows, so does the available income. This income is then used for financial aid or other areas of support needed by the school. The most common example of an endowed fund is a scholarship fund. As the endowment grows, so does the available income – and the principal never falters. Though important, an endowment gift is not a gift to the Annual Fund.

Capital funding supports large-scale projects that help to enhance the CA experience. Most often these projects are building-based, however, capital giving can also strengthen our endowment. Simosa Field and the upcoming new building project are examples of capital giving opportunities. To learn more about making a gift in support of an upcoming capital project, please call Barbara Davis, interim chief advancement officer, at (203) 439-7228.

In the simplest terms, the Annual Fund helps us today, and capital funds help us build for our tomorrows. Cheshire Academy’s Annual Fund is used to supplement day-to-day operations and expenses that directly benefit the education and growth of our students, while capital funds provide the resources for CA to continue to grow and offer state-of-the-art facilities and programs necessary for a 21st century student.

Yes! Being a non-profit independent school, it’s possible that your gift to Cheshire Academy is tax-deductible. We encourage you to consult your tax preparer regarding the tax-deductibility of your contribution. Keep in mind, gifts to the Annual Fund correspond with CA’s fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30.