Giving

My mission is lofty, and my standards are extraordinary.

- ESD Manifesto

Thank you to the many who support The Episcopal School of Dallas. Through your contributions of time and talent, our talented teachers have access to resources required for an exemplary education, our community is strengthened, and our students flourish.

Make an Annual Gift or Pledge Online

Thank you for your support!

A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a philanthropic giving vehicle that provides an immediate tax benefit to you, and allows you to grant funds to charities of your choice over time. You can recommend a grant by contacting your sponsoring organization, or clients of Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, and BNY Mellon can easily make a designation through the DAF Direct window on this page. The Episcopal School of Dallas' Tax ID is 75-1451116.

For more information, please email Kam Bakewell, Director of The ESD Fund and Special Events, at bakewellk@esdallas.org.

Planned Gifts

Matching Gifts

Does your employer (or your spouse's employer) have a matching gift program? If so, you can ask your company to match your support for ESD. You can double or even triple the value of your donation simply by notifying your employer of your gift. ESD maintains a database of many matching gift companies. You may need to provide ESD’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) on the form. That number is 75-1451116. To see if your company is listed, click here.

Other Gifts to the School

The ESD Fund FAQ

ESD's highest giving priority is The ESD Fund as it serves as an integral part of the School's annual operating budget.

Please review the frequently asked questions below for more information. If you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to Kam Bakewell, Director of The ESD Fund and Special Projects.

Where do The ESD Fund dollars go?

The ESD Fund is fundamental to the School’s operating budget each year. Therefore, dollars raised ensure that the school can attract and support excellent faculty and staff, offer dynamic programming, and allow students access to technology. In these ways, the funds help to maintain small classroom sizes and makes possible professional development opportunities for our faculty and staff. The ESD Fund also enables the institution to offer financial aid opportunities that foster community.

Why should I support The ESD Fund?

How does it fit into the ESD business model?

The ESD Fund offers a tax-deductible opportunity to augment tuition revenue that supports the school’s operating budget. It allows the ESD community—parents, alumni, faculty, staff, board members, grandparents and friends of all financial circumstances—the ability to support the life of the school. This is a common practice for most independent schools throughout the country and is becoming more valuable as we continue to face challenging economic times and rising expenses.

What is the difference between The ESD Fund and other fundraising efforts hosted by the Parents’ Association?

All giving to ESD is greatly appreciated and offers important support to various areas of school life. The ESD Fund is a budgeted fundraising priority of the school because it offers significant, unrestricted operating support to ESD on a yearly basis. Other fundraising efforts hosted by the Parents’ Association, Booster Club, and other parent volunteer groups raise restricted dollars for special projects to build community and offer other ways for families to give of their time and resources to the school. These donations are counted toward your total contribution to the school but do not count for participation in The ESD Fund.

Why give more this year than last year?

The Board of Directors and Head of School are committed to minimizing tuition increases while continuing to offer every student an excellent education. The majority of any school budget is applied to people and facility maintenance, leaving little flexibility due to those fixed costs. The cost of providing an excellent education continues to increase significantly, putting pressure on the budget. We ask those who can stretch to please do so, given that not everyone can due to their current circumstances.

What is the “Family of Funds” and how is it different from The ESD Fund?

The Family of Funds is a subset of The ESD Fund. We believe you want to know exactly what your gifts accomplish and how they will be directed to the School’s expenses. The Family of Funds provides the opportunity to match your personal philanthropic preferences to ESD’s operating budget. When you make a gift to The ESD Fund, you will have the opportunity to direct that gift to one of the eight funds in the Family of Funds:

Where ESD needs it most
Academic Programs
Athletics
Diversity and Inclusion
Faculty Professional Development
Fine and Performing Arts
Outdoor Education
Technology
Tuition Assistance

Giving Societies

Our goal is to have every ESD community member demonstrate their support for our students and faculty through participation in the ESD Fund. Together, we can ensure that our students receive the distinctive ESD programming that sets our school apart.

Only you know what a meaningful gift is to your family. Your participation at any level helps ensure the success of our campaign and communicates your commitment to sustaining and strengthening ESD for future generations.

SOCIETAS FIDELIUM

FOUNDERS CIRCLE* $50,000+

HEAD OF SCHOOL CIRCLE* $25,000 - $49,999

DIRECTORS CIRCLE* $15,000 - $24,999

DEANS CIRCLE* $10,000 - $14,999

SOCIETY ’74

QUARRY CIRCLE* $5,000 - $9,999

SCHOLARS CIRCLE* $2,500 - $4,999

1974 CLUB* $1,974 - $2,499

ADDITIONAL GIVING LEVELS

COMMUNITY CLUB $500 - $1,973

ASSOCIATES CLUB $250 - $499

FRIENDS CLUB $1 - $249

YOUNG ALUMNI GIVING LEVELS (2012-2022)

1-4 years after graduation: $250 and above (2019-2022)
5-9 years after graduation: $500 and above (2014-2018)
10-15 years after graduation: $1,000 and above (2008-2013)
16+ years after graduation, $1,974 (1980 - 2007)

Special Recognition

*SOCIETAS FIDELIUM

Launched in 2019, The ESD Fund established Societas Fidelium (Society of Loyalty) to honor donors whose annual gifts help sustain ESD's mission. For inclusion, gifts must be made by November 1 of the giving school year.

SOCIETY ’74

Society '74, named in honor of the year ESD was founded, was launched in 2014 to recognize leadership annual giving to The ESD Fund.

Each spring, the Hobson Family Head of School Dave Baad and the Chair of the Board of Directors honors Society ’74 donors at a special reception in honor of leadership giving.

Sustaining Our Mission Via Endowment

Great schools rely on endowment funding to maintain exceptional outcomes for students.

Imagine ESD’s continued trajectory with a substantially stronger endowment. Your investment in endowment will secure ESD’s Mission for generations to come.

Opportunities to sustain ESD's mission via endowment:

Support Our Faculty: attract, recruit, develop and retain exceptional teachers
Invest in Our Students: enhance signature programs and allow flexibility to implement new, innovative program initiatives enriching the educational experience for students
Maintain Affordability: control tuition growth by relieving dependence on tuition revenue and funding increased tuition assistance
Generate a Healthy Balance Sheet: maintain our campus and programming despite fluctuations in the economy and unexpected changes in enrollment or demographics
Safeguard the Future: ensure ESD will survive and thrive for future generations of students

Through the generosity of ESD community members, 60 new endowed funds have been established as of July 1, 2021. We now have a total of endowed funds of 120.

List of Current Endowed Funds

Goals and Progress

- Increasing Endowment Per Student

- Growing Corpus, Comparative Size

With Gratitude: Donor Stories

Volunteer at ESD

Volunteers are essential to school life and are valued members of the ESD community.

Volunteering is a great way to get to know the faculty and staff and your child’s classmates and see ESD in action. There are many opportunities to get involved from staffing the concession stand at a football game to chairing the school carnival. Whatever your talent or passion and no matter your available time commitment, we are thankful for your support!

The ESD Fund

Purpose: To support the School’s annual operating budget, The ESD Fund provides financial resources that help make our academic and co-curricular programs extraordinary. The ESD Fund depends upon participation by families, alumni, faculty, and staff.

Parents' Association

Purpose: To foster a welcoming and inclusive community for all ESD families, the ESDPA is the umbrella for all parent-led activities

Dads' Partnership

Purpose: To promote activities involving dads and children, this inclusive organization is dedicated to honoring God by fostering positive relationships with their children, the ESD community, and the community at large.

ESD Booster Club

Purpose: To strengthen community camaraderie and nurture students’ physical well-being through athletics and wellness.

ESD Alumni Association

Purpose: To develop lifelong and mutually beneficial relationships, The Episcopal School of Dallas Alumni Association engages former students and graduates with programs and opportunities to remain engaged in the life of their School.

Fine Arts Network (FAN)

Purpose: To nurture an appreciation for the visual and performing arts within The Episcopal School of Dallas community.

Meet the Team