It takes the partnership and loyalty of our WNS community to continue its incomparable reputation for innovation and advancement. Like all non-profit, 501(C3)’s, WNS relies on the generosity of its Annual Fund contributions to take our program to the next level. Your Annual Fund gift makes a difference in the quality of the education that WNS offers all students and provides necessary operating dollars for initiatives that tuition alone does not cover.

The hallmark of our inclusive community is that every gift is meaningful, and every gift makes a difference.

Take a look at this year’s fundraising priorities!

Read Annual Fund FAQs
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Campus Enhancements

We are always working to improve our facilities from replacing furniture to planting trees to enhance safety and well-being. This year, we aim to replace the playground in our back lot. We would also like to create a light studio in the ECC Atelier so the students could utilize a Light Lab, along with overhead projectors and screens to support our STEAM curriculum and inquiry-based learning. This room would be available to all of the ECC students and classrooms on a regular basis.

Technology Needs

Technology Needs

This year, we are launching a major initiative to expand our Design, Code, Make curriculum all the way down to first grade. We would love to outfit our Multimedia Learning Commons maker space with a new 3D printer, new cameras for video creation, robotics sets, a Smart Display, and a set of iPad Pros for the younger students to create with.

Athletics

Athletics are a priority for the year as we continue to provide the full WNS experience to our students. We hope to increase participation, community support, student engagement and cross departmental engagement by building traditions, bringing in expert guest speakers and in turn raising camaraderie. Immediate improvements include new uniforms, enhancing athletic facilities, and increasing coaching salary budget, to name a few.

Safety and Security

The safety and security of our students and faculty continues to be of the utmost importance. Keeping our students, faculty, and staff healthy and safe while delivering our full program is our number one priority this year. Our hope is to make as few compromises to our program as we can, while managing the challenges of COVID, emerging variants, and limiting community spread. This costs money but we are prepared to continue to make the investment.

Program Enhancements

We are always elevating our programs to ensure our students receive the best and most current learning experience. We are also continuing to offer enriching, extra-curricular programs such as performing arts, visual art, music, service learning, etc. In the ECC we are implementing creative building projects as well.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is always at the forefront of our fundraising priorities. We value our diverse and dynamic community, but it comes with a cost and we are intentional and willing to put in the work.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

DEIJ work is vast and touches every aspect of our school community. This year we provided stipends for faculty to serve on the faculty/staff DEIJ committee and we able to hire a part time DEIJ coordinator. This team allows us to work towards immediate goals but also provides the space for big picture planning. The faculty/staff committee also supports in curriculum development, thought partnership, and problem solving as it pertains to our DEIJ and Anti-Bias efforts. Workshops and affinity groups continue to be of the utmost importance. We will continue to put in the work and invest in the resources to be a community that is as inclusive as possible.

Professional Development

Our goal is to bring in outside experts and advocates to help train our faculty and staff. We want WNS to be at the forefront of research and best practices. In addition to bringing individuals to our community, we want to send faculty and staff to external opportunities. With the opening up of the world, there are more opportunities that include travel expenses and increased registration rates. This includes conferences, workshops, and speaker series. For example, at the ECC and in K, we would like to continue to develop our Reggio Emilia inspired program with a visit to Sabot at Stony Point's spring symposium with the long term goal of the ECC becoming a leader in its own right.

Reconnecting our Community

It is imperative that we restore community and foster connections after the pandemic. We will achieve this through opportunities for faculty, staff, and parents/caregivers to work together to plan and celebrate special events and heritage months. DEIJ meetings for the parent/caregiver community are a space where caregivers can come together to examine and grow in a number of areas, using a DEIJ lens to guide the conversation. Whether in person or virtual, WNS is committed to connecting our families through family fun events, parent mixers, and more!

Exceptionally WNS

Performing Arts: Reimagined

Design-Code-Make: Innovation Unearthed

Giving Levels at WNS

WNS annually recognizes our most loyal and generous supporters at eight levels of giving:

Leadership Circle

Leadership giving at WNS helps sustain the socio-economic diversity that drew so many of us here and preserves this special community that we so cherish. WNS’s Leadership gifts make up almost 80 percent of the Annual Fund goal. While we rely on gifts of all sizes, leadership-level gifts ensure WNS’s financial stability and deliver a profound and immediate impact on the people, programs, and facilities that comprise our vibrant school.

WNS’s Leadership Donors exemplify the selfless partnership, commitment, and dedication of those who have built WNS into the outstanding institution it is today, and those who want to preserve and continue its mission for tomorrow.

Game-Changer Leadership Circle

$25,000 and above annually

Visionary Leadership Circle

$15,000 – $24,999
annually

Ambassador Leadership Circle

$10,000 – 14,999
annually

Benefactor Leadership Circle

$5,000 – $9,999
annually

To learn more about joining the Leadership Circle please email Nikea Johnson at njohnson@wns-la.org to begin the conversation.

Grandparents visiting student at school for fundraising day

Friends of the School

Every gift made to WNS has an impact.

The Friends of the School giving platform enables our parents, alumni, and grandparents to give at a level that is right for them.

Partner

$3,000 – $4,999/ Year

Supporter

$1,000 – $2,999/ Year

Contributor

$500-999/ Year

Count Me In

Up to $499

Ways to give

We strive to make the process of giving back to the WNS community as straightforward as possible. Gifts made to WNS (501C3 Nonprofit Organization) are fully tax-deductible.
make a pledge
Pledges may be made to any fund or campaign. Installment plans for pledges are available.
GIVE ONLINE
give a cash gift
Give using cash, check, or credit card. Gifts can be made in person, over the phone, or online.
GIVE ONLINE
give a stock gift
We accept gifts in the form of stock donations. Contact the Development Office for details.
EMAIL US TODAY
give a matching gift
Double the impact of your gift with a matching gift from your employer.
EMPLOYER SEARCH

Annual Fund FAQs:

learn about how you can make a difference at wns

The WNS Annual Fund is WNS’s most vital fundraiser each year and is essential to the school’s sustainability and success. WNS is a 501c3 non-profit organization and by design must fund a portion of our operating budget through voluntary giving, making our annual fundraising a critical part of our budgetary planning. This is no ordinary year, and this is no ordinary Annual Fund. Typically, gifts to the WNS Annual Fund bridge the gap between what tuition covers and the actual cost of a WNS education. It supports the school’s greatest and this year’s fund will also cover the unforeseen but necessary costs related to the pandemic.

We ask that all families help us close the gap by considering a gift of $2,700 per child. We recognize that in our socioeconomically diverse community gifts will range from $25 to $2,500 to $25,000 or more. Every gift from every family is valued and makes an impact. We are deeply appreciative of families who are able and willing to give over the gap and join our Leadership Circle which begins at $5,000. Every family’s participation in the WNS Annual Fund is vital!

All WNS Annual Fund donation dollars are used in the current school year. By launching the fund at the beginning of the year, we can better anticipate the dollars raised and utilize the funds immediately. We ask all families to pledge early and by the deadline of December 16. Pledge payments can be made and completed by June 30, at the end of the fiscal year.

As you saw in our Philanthropy Report, support for WNS comes in many forms! Our giving levels are determined by all cash donations to WNS within the fiscal year. These donations include support to the WNS Annual Fund, the Raise the Paddle (from our Gala) and other various initiatives during the year.

We have an employer search button on our Giving webpage where you can enter your company name to see if they have a matching gift program. Or, contact the Development Office at development@wns-la.org and we will help you research.

1) The school uses the dollars in THIS current school year and allocates them to the areas of greatest needs as part of the year’s operating budget. The dollars go directly to the faculty and students. 2) WNS begins to apply for foundations in the new year and these foundations gauge their support based on our community involvement and participation. This means our parent partnership in this initiative is a multiplier and so important!

You can create deferred or monthly payments between the kickoff date in the fall through June 30. All we ask is that you make your initial pledge by the end of the campaign on December 16. This is because the school uses these funds for THIS current school year so pledging early helps us allocate to the areas of greatest need for the year. If you have any questions about your pledge, please email: development@wns-la.org.