Sponsorship

Sending a child to Maple Street School as a Sponsor is the beginning of a most rewarding relationship. The child is guaranteed support by the school for the duration of years he or she will attend. The family is assured of continuing support. And the school is enriched by gaining loyal friends who can see the positive impact of a Maple Street School education through the lens of one special child.

The Sponsorship Program was initiated in response to the great need among Vermont families for financial aid and our desire to educate the most promising children we could find. The need is strong.

When we started the school the Board of Trustees made a commitment to provide funding for up to one third of the total enrollment. Each year as we have increased the size of the school we have increased the number of children we support. This has been quite a challenge. To meet this worthy challenge we seek to increase the number of sponsors who will help send a child to Maple Street School.

To define how a Sponsorship works to the benefit of all involved, the Trustees adopted the following guidelines in the form of the most commonly asked questions.

Q. Will students have contact with their sponsors?

A. Yes, but only in eighth grade when students who have named sponsorships will write directly to their sponsors, inviting them to celebrate graduation.

Q. Will the donor be kept confidential?

A. That depends on the donor. Donors may choose to sponsor anonymously or may choose to name his or her sponsorship, in which case the family of the child will be informed.

Q. What is the advantage of a sponsorship to a family receiving aid?

A. The advantage is the assurance that the school will have the capacity to meet the School and Student Service for Financial Aid recommendations at the highest level from year to year.

Q. How long will sponsorships last?

A. When a sponsorship is set up there should be the understanding that the child will be sponsored as needed until the end of their enrollment at Maple Street.

Q. Who promotes the continued relationship between sponsor and child?

A. The Head of School working with the Development Officer will inform donors throughout the school year of the child’s educational progress.

Q. How do sponsorships contribute to the Maple Street operating budget?

A. Because of the school’s strong commitment to scholarships for one third of the students, sponsorships become a critical contributor to the school’s capacity to provide funds. Sponsorships currently add to the 12% -13% drawn from tuition revenue to support scholarships. Financial planning suggests that new sponsorships might be wisely used both to defray the school share and, in addition, to increase the school’s ability to cover increased numbers of students on aid.

The exact attribution of new sponsorship funds would be at the discretion of the Head of School and the Finance Committee.