As operational costs rise nationally and the demand for enhanced educational resources grows, initiating fundraising efforts has now become essential. This shift reflects a proactive approach to sustaining and expanding the school's mission while keeping costs below the national average - ensuring that affordable and quality child care is accessible to all.

Our goal for Raleigh Nursery School is to implement a yearly fundraiser that will help offset rising costs and diminished funding. Fundraising will now become a yearly strategy, which will prevent any rising tuition or administration costs for parents and caregivers.

For our initial campaign in 2025, we will use a staggered milestone approach to fundraising that will provide a structured and motivating pathway to reach the $250,000 goal for Raleigh Nursery School. This method breaks down the overall target into smaller, achievable benchmarks that can keep donors engaged and energized throughout the campaign.

Our plans for each milestone can be further reviewed below in the “Post-Fundraising Plan” section. Based on our fundraising performance this year and the completion of priority items from our strategy, this goal will change going into next year.

Pledges allow for individuals to make a commitment to our school fundraiser without having to make the financial donation at that time - it’s a great way to ensure that we capture everyone’s interest “in the moment”. A community member may come across our fundraiser, but not have the means at that time to make a donation - with Pledges, you are able to essentially let us know how much you would like to donate, and then do so at a later time when it is more convenient.

To make a Pledge, simply tell us your name, email, contact number, and then the amount you would like to donate (at a later time), and that’s it!

When a Pledge is made, we are able to count it towards our fundraiser at that time. Afterwards, we follow-up with the Pledger to secure the financial donation within a thirty (30) day period.

All Pledges are considered a “one-time” pledge, unless you select that you would like to be a monthly giver.

This initial fundraiser is important to Raleigh Nursery School because of the priorities we want to address immediately for our students and parents. Below represents, in order, our priority areas to address, implement, or take care of at the completion of our fundraising efforts:

1. Tuition assistance for existing parents & caregivers with children currently enrolled at Raleigh Nursery School where economic mobility challenges exist (tuition assistance).

2. Make core improvements to indoor and outdoor (play area and children’s garden) learning environment for children and staff (environment / equipment improvements).

3. Invest in staff / teacher training, staff resources, personnel, and the retention of existing and recruitment of new learning specialists (staffing).

4. Implement scholarship program for new parents & caregivers where economic mobility challenges exist (tuition assistance).

5. Build and implement a child care partner network of organizations and businesses that support Raleigh Nursery School, and also, where parents, caregivers and staff can utilize those organizations for services - such as healthcare providers, family support service organizations, and other groups (resources).

At the end of our initial fundraiser, we will have a small “Thank You” event for all of our supporters, donators, parents, caregivers, students and staff. The event will be held at Martin Street Baptist Church.

It will be a small, modest event, but important - and one where we can come together and fellowship with food, music, art from the students, and just have an opportunity to say “Thank You” to everyone. We will also talk about the fundraiser, our goals, and strategy going forward.