This year, St. Paul School of Northern Lights has made a big investment in our students by moving to a new building. To ensure we can continue to take full advantage of our new facilities and keep growing as a school, the Board of Directors is launching an annual fall fundraising campaign: Help Northern Lights Shine Bright!
This fall, we've set one big goal: raise $130,000 in pledges and donations by Give to the Max Day, November 21. This money will go directly into the general fund that pays for regular expenses and helps fund just about everything that makes St. Paul School of Northern Lights unique. A healthy general fund is also required as part of our charter school authorization and will be necessary for future growth and expansion.
As a public charter school, St. Paul School of Northern Lights receives both federal and state funding for operation. However, unlike public school districts, charter schools are unable to benefit from local property taxes or levies; this difference has significant budgetary impact. Northern Lights receives approximately $8500 less per pupil (39%) than St. Paul Public Schools.
While we have gotten this far without doing a lot of fundraising, the move to a new facility is a key milestone for the growth of the school and a perfect time to begin further investment in the long-term success of St. Paul School of Northern Lights.
Our goal will be reached if we raise $570 for each student ($47.40 a month with recurring donations).
You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring donations
No donation is too small—any amount will help us reach our goal
Consider asking your employer if they have a donation matching program
Donations can also be made via cash, check, or stock
We don’t expect everyone to make a monetary donation. Students come from households that look different in many ways, including financially.
Breaking down the fundraising goal to a dollar amount per student helps to paint the picture of this campaign, but donating $570 per student may be unrealistic for some. A donation is not required, nor should anyone feel pressured to donate.
Some families may be privileged to have a financial situation that allows them to give above that amount. If you were able to consider private school but ultimately chose Northern Lights because of the truly unique educational experience it provides, we hope you will think deeply about a meaningful, generous contribution to help sustain and improve our facilities and educational offerings for all students.
A donation is only one of many meaningful ways to contribute to Northern Lights. These are other meaningful ways to support the school:
Tell people about the school! Enrollment is our most significant source of funding.
Get involved with the Parent & Family Group, our school's version of a PTA, and work on staff appreciation, fun events, and/or fundraisers to support our school community.
Ask friends and family to donate.
You are a valued member of this school community, and we look forward to your continued involvement and contribution to Help Northern Lights Shine Bright!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this going to happen every year?
Yes!
Do I have to donate?
Absolutely not. Donations are not required.
Will the funds always go into the general fund?
Probably not. This year, we would like to build our general fund back up to support the overall financial wellness of the school, but future campaigns may have different goals.
Why now?
To support the move to a new building, we had to use money from the general fund. This money was used for leasing the new space for the 2023–2024 school year so we could modify the building to meet our needs, as well as other associated costs. With less money in the general fund, we are not as capable of weathering financial fluctuations. The desire is to rebuild our general fund to support the long-term success of the school.
Do other schools have to fundraise?
Many schools choose to fundraise, and most other charter schools have similar annual fundraising campaigns. Even public school districts often have fundraisers.
What’s the difference between donating to Help Northern Lights Shine Bright and donating to the Parent & Family Group?
St. Paul School of Northern Lights and the Parent & Family Group are separate entities with separate financial structures and goals. The school educates our children, and this fall fundraiser will strengthen the school’s general fund. The PFG supports our community of students, staff, and families, and donations to them go towards fun events, staff appreciation, and building connections within our school community.
Where did you get the data for funding per pupil?
St. Paul Public School Fiscal Data
St. Paul School of Northern Lights Fiscal Data
Who can I contact with questions, comments, and feedback?
Feel free to reach out to Northern Lights school board chair Steve Voerding at steve.v@schoolofnorthernlights.org.