The Annual Fund - Sterne School

Sterne School's 2025–2026 Annual Fund

We're celebrating Sterne School's milestone 50th Anniversary this year! Join Sterne's community of donors by making a secure online donation to our Annual Fund below. For more information about the Annual Fund campaign, and to learn about other ways to give, see the Giving to Sterne and Annual Fund FAQ sections of this page.

Make your online gift here

Giving to Sterne

Why Give?

So much is possible when our community comes together to support Sterne. The Annual Fund is the most critical component of our school's fundraising efforts, addressing all aspects of our program that tuition alone does not support. Your contribution to the Annual Fund ensures Sterne can provide all of the following, and a gift of any amount makes a difference!

Small classes and in-school, one-on-one intervention services for all students
Classroom resources, including technology and infrastructure
Experiential learning, field-based teaching, guest speakers, and class trips
Faculty recruitment, professional development, and compensation and benefits
Arts, athletics, and student life activities
Counseling, mentoring, and post-secondary planning services
Tuition Assistance to help keep Sterne accessible to all families

Double Your Donation

Donate Stock to Sterne

If you give appreciated securities to Sterne School, there are two benefits. First, you avoid paying capital gains taxes on the amount of the appreciation. Second, you can still deduct the full amount of the current value of the stock as a charitable income tax donation. To make a gift of stock, have the following information ready to complete the form below; our Business Office will then reach out to confirm the details and complete your transfer:

The information below will help expedite your gift:

Name of company and/or ticker symbol
Number of shares
Expected date of transfer
Your stockbroker’s name and phone number
Student name/grade (if applicable)
Designation of your gift to the Annual Fund

Stock Donation Information Form

Required

Give via a Donor-Advised Fund

A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is a charitable giving program managed by a nonprofit institution—known as a sponsoring organization—and created for the purpose of managing charitable gifts on behalf of donors.

What Are the Advantages of a Donor-Advised Fund?

Your gifts to your donor advised fund entitle you to an immediate income tax deduction at the time of contribution.
You avoid capital gains tax on appreciated assets you place in your donor advised fund.
Your fund’s investment gains accumulate tax free.
Funds are distributed to Sterne School in your name and immediately put to use to provide support to our students through our Annual Fund Campaign.

How Does It Work?

You contribute assets such as cash, stocks or bonds to a donor advised fund established in your name and managed by a sponsoring organization.
The sponsoring organization reinvests your gift as you direct.
The sponsoring organization makes distributions from your fund to charities you recommend, such as Sterne School.

How do I make a donation through my DAF?
Simply contact your sponsoring organization directly and recommend a donation in support of Sterne School. Provide your sponsoring organization with the following information:

The amount of your donation
Sterne's Federal Taxpayer ID Number:
94-2371065
Our mailing address:
Sterne School
838 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

We are happy to provide you with more information about donor-advised funds or answer your questions. Please contact our Business Office at 415.922.6081.

Give via check or phone

Sterne welcomes donations made through the mail or by telephone. Make checks payable to Sterne School and send to:

Sterne School
Attn: Annual Fund
838 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

Please also let us know if your gift is being made in honor, or in memory, of a family member, friend, or colleague.

To donate by phone, please call our Business Office at 415.922.6081.

Pledge now, give later

Pledging your support today helps our Business Office account for donations that can be fulfilled at a later date, and all pledged gifts count towards our community participation goal. Complete the pledge form below for our records, and ensure that your donation is completed by either December 31, 2025 (tax deadline) or June 30, 2026 (end of fiscal year).

Annual Fund FAQ

What does the Annual Fund support?

Your gift supports the people and programs that make Sterne so special:

Our staff of talented teachers, counselors, and administrators
Small class sizes and integrated academic support
Up-to-date curriculum and technology
A full complement of enrichment opportunities in arts and athletics, extracurricular activities, and experiential trips
Our urban campus and state-of-the-art facilities

Annual Fund donations are necessary to cover everything that tuition alone does not, which is why annual fundraising is a critical component for virtually all independent schools to thrive.

Why not just raise tuition or find ways to cut costs?

A for-profit business whose mission is to make money differs from a nonprofit school like Sterne, whose mission is to discover and nurture each student’s version of greatness. We do this by providing children with a top-quality educational experience that ensures academic, social, and emotional growth. By nature, high-quality schools are labor-intensive and people-oriented; salary and benefits make up about 80% of our school’s budget. Much would be lost and we would veer from our mission if Sterne became “more efficient” by combining classrooms, reducing staff, or cutting programs.

A tenet of Sterne’s mission is to celebrate uniqueness, and we strive to maintain a socioeconomically diverse and vibrant community. Raising tuition beyond competitive levels would have the adverse effect of discouraging families from applying. To offer competitive salaries and provide the programs we want our children to have, we try to minimize the year-to-year raise in tuition by soliciting current and alumni families, trustees, staff, and friends of the community for Annual Fund support. Further efforts are made to offset tuition increases by applying for outside grant funding and other fundraising efforts, such as the Spring Gala.

Why should we give when we already pay tuition?

While tuition at Sterne is comparable to most other independent schools in the Bay Area, there is no denying that it is a significant financial investment. Yet for the vast majority of independent schools—Sterne included—tuition alone does not cover the full cost of educating a child. With the cost of living in the Bay Area among the highest in the nation, the Annual Fund helps ensure we can continue to attract, develop, and keep highly-qualified, talented staff members; continuously maintain and improve our curriculum and facilities; and ensure the financial stability of our program in a dynamic marketplace.

Does my donation go toward tuition assistance?

The Annual Fund supports all aspects of Sterne—from staff and curriculum, to support services, facilities, and yes, tuition assistance, too. Our tuition assistance budget is not funded directly through donations, however; instead, we allocate a set percentage of the expected tuition revenue. But without donations sufficient to meet operating costs, more tuition dollars would have to go to operations, leaving fewer dollars for financial aid. On average, approximately 33% of Sterne families receive some amount of tuition assistance. Gifts to the Annual Fund make Sterne affordable to a wider range of students, bringing our entire school community the many benefits of social and economic diversity.

How much of a difference will my gift really make?

A donation of any amount is significant!

Simply put, Sterne has far fewer supporters than a university or a large charity does—fewer than many other local private or independent schools, for that matter. Because the number who will give is small but the need is large, every gift counts more. Moreover, when we can inform outside funders that 100% of our trustees, staff, and parent body support the Annual Fund, that show of support and belief in the school can lead to additional financial support from grantmakers. It may sound trite, but it is true: Every gift is an investment in a child’s future here at Sterne, and will make a real and significant impact.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF LAST YEAR'S STERNE SUPPORTERS!
Our gratitude to all of the donors who joined us in the 2024–2025 Annual Fund.
Make your splash at Sterne by donating to this year's campaign.

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