Giving

Support St. Catherine’s

Generations of individuals connected to St. Catherine’s School have contributed to the School to make it what it is today – one of the nation’s premier all-girls’ schools. Alumnae give because they are grateful for the education that they received. Parents, past parents and grandparents give in honor of family members who have watched their girls grow into strong, smart and confident women. Faculty, staff and board members give to demonstrate their commitment to the School’s mission. Friends give because of the gifts and talents that the St. Catherine’s community shares with the world. All of them give to pay it forward for future generations of girls to receive the best possible education.

Participation is Power

Every gift matters. When outside funding sources and grant makers see a strong commitment from those closest to our School, it gives them the confidence to make an investment in St. Catherine’s School.



The Impact of Giving

List of 5 items.

  • Endowment

  • Annual Giving participation

    from Faculty and Staff, Alumnae Boards, Board of Governors and Foundation Board
  • 2,500+ community members

    contributed $1.7 million Annual Giving dollars in 2016-2017
  • More than 320 members

    in the Arcade Society Planned Giving Program
  • of the School’s operating budget

    comes from Annual Giving

Types of Gifts

List of 5 items.

  • Annual Giving

    Providing essential funding to every aspect of School life
  • Capital Gifts

    Supporting new construction or renovations to improve the campus
  • Endowment Gifts

    Ensuring the School's financial health by creating income in perpetuity
  • Matching Gifts

    Making your gift multiply for even greater impact.
  • Planned Gifts

    Leaving your legacy through estate planning

Ways to Give

List of 9 items.

  • Gift of Cash

    By far the most frequent gift received by the School, an outright contribution has an immediate and important impact on St. Catherine’s. A cash gift typically entitles you to a deduction against income in the year in which the gift is made. These gifts can be made by check or credit card. Checks should be made payable to St. Catherine’s School Foundation and mailed to 6001 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226. Attention: Development Office.
  • Gift of Appreciated Securities

    Appreciated securities are a particularly cost effective way to support St. Catherine’s. When you donate appreciated securities that you have owned for more than one year, you are entitled to a charitable deduction equal to the fair market value of the securities and you avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation of the stock.
  • Matching Gift

    Many gifts to St. Catherine’s are doubled, or in some cases tripled, because corporations and foundations match gifts to educational institutions made by their employees, retirees and directors. Your eligibility, and the amount and timing of your match, are at the sole discretion of the matching gift company or foundation.

    Please check with your human resources or employee benefits office to determine if your employer will match your gift to St. Catherine’s. If you are eligible, obtain a matching gift form from your employer, complete and sign the form, and send it to St. Catherine’s along with or following your gift. To see if your company matches gifts, please click here.

    For questions or assistance, contact Blair Huss, Gifts Processor, at 804.281.7141.
  • Bequest

    Over the years St. Catherine’s has been the recipient of numerous bequests from alumnae, parents and friends. These bequests have funded endowments, paid for major capital improvements, and even perpetuated Annual Giving gifts. Bequests of all sizes are welcome, and are fully deductible for estate tax purposes. When you develop your estate plan, please consider naming St. Catherine’s in your will.
  • Life Income Gift

    A life income gift allows you to make a substantial gift to St. Catherine’s while providing you and/or a beneficiary with an income stream for life or a set number of years.  Life income gifts are also attractive from a tax perspective.  You may achieve one or all of the following benefits through a life income gift:

    • Income tax charitable deduction
    • Avoidance of capital gains tax on gifts of appreciated property
    • Tax-free income
    • Reduction of estate taxes
    Examples of life income gifts include:
    • Charitable Gift Annuity: You make a gift to St. Catherine’s and, in exchange, you and/or another beneficiary receive a fixed income for life.
    • Charitable Remainder Trust: Assets are transferred to a trust which provides income to named beneficiaries until death. Thereafter, the trust assets are transferred to the School. This arrangement benefits the School in the future while providing tax benefits and income for the donor during his/her lifetime. 
  • Gift of Retirement Plan

    Gifts of qualified retirement plan assets and IRAs have become increasingly popular.  When these assets are owned at death, they can be subject to combined income and estate tax rates of up to 80 percent. A gift to St. Catherine’s of all or a portion of your retirement plan can avoid these taxes, thus enabling you to make a significant gift to the school at a relatively low cost to your estate.
  • Charitable Lead Trust

    With a charitable lead trust, you can provide current income to St. Catherine’s while preserving the trust assets for you or your beneficiaries. With this gift you remove assets from your estate, receive immediate tax savings and provide the School with income from those assets for a period of years. At the end of the gift period, the assets may be returned to you or transferred to a designated beneficiary at substantial tax saving. Parents and grandparents find the charitable lead trust an excellent way to provide for a future generation while accomplishing good work today and decreasing their estate taxes.
  • Gift of Real Estate

    For many donors, the most advantageous way to support St. Catherine’s is through a gift of real estate such as a home, farm, vacation property or land. Deeding the property outright avoids capital gains taxes and provides a charitable tax deduction for the full fair market value of the property. It is also possible to make a gift of real estate while retaining use of the property during your lifetime. Such a gift provides a current income tax deduction for a portion of the value of the property.
  • Gift of Life Insurance

    A gift of life insurance can provide a significant charitable deduction. You can donate a policy that you currently own but no longer need or purchase a new policy. To claim a charitable deduction, you must designate St. Catherine’s as both the owner and beneficiary. The full cash value of a donated policy may be deductible, as well as any continuing premium payments that you make.

Meet the Team

List of 11 members.

  • Photo of Deborah Dunlap

    Deborah Dunlap 70

    Director of Development
    804-288-2804, ext. 3028
  • Photo of Laura Birdsey

    Laura Birdsey 96

    Director of Alumnae Relations
    804-281-7141, ext. 3052
  • Photo of Katherine Ferguson

    Katherine Ferguson 

    Assistant Director of Development
    804.288.2804, ext. 3047
  • Photo of Elizabeth Harvard

    Elizabeth Harvard 76

    Senior Development Officer
    804-288-2804 x3083
  • Photo of Judy Hawthorne

    Judy Hawthorne 75

    Senior Development Officer
    (804)288-2804, ext. 3087
  • Photo of Laurie McCarthy

    Laurie McCarthy 87

    Assistant Director of Alumnae Affairs and Annual Giving
    804.288.2804, ext. 3056
  • Photo of Michelle Siewers

    Michelle Siewers 

    Parents’ Association Fundraising Coordinator and Volunteer Manager
    804-288-2804, ext. 3428
  • Photo of Katy Moore

    Mrs. Katy Moore 

    Development Office Manager
  • Photo of Blair Huss

    Blair Huss 

    Development Associate
    804.288.2804, ext. 3395
  • Photo of Carroll Keiger

    Carroll Keiger 72

    Events Coordinator
    804-288-2804, ext. 3088
  • Photo of Marybeth Neckowitz

    Marybeth Neckowitz 

    Development Office Database Manager
    804-288-2804, ext. 3068
    • Private Girls Elementary School: St. Catherine's School
6001 Grove Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23226 | 804-288-2804
(c)2021 St. Catherine's School. All rights reserved.