Annual Giving 2020-21

Annual Campaign2020-21

Nature Lab

Learn more about plans for the Nature Lab.

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MUSF was established in 2018 with a mission “to enrich and support each child’s potential through experience and innovative tools.”

Welcome back to school! My name is Thomas Jackson (TJ), and I am this year’s Montecito Union School Foundation’s (MUSF) Annual Giving Chair. As a board, we are very excited about the initiatives that we are taking on, and have assembled a wonderful team led by MUSF President Tara Fergusson.

For those new to our school, MUSF was established in 2018 with a mission “to enrich and support each child’s potential through experience and innovative tools.” Each year through donations from MUS families and our community members, we are able to support several ongoing programs and experiences for our students, as well as undertake new and impactful projects.

At the beginning of each school year, the MUSF board and school administration work in partnership to determine where additional funds and resources are needed. To that end - and as a continuation of the theme of last year's STEAM commitment - this year's contributions will go directly to the Nature Lab.

The Nature Lab is the 3-acre parcel of land adjacent to our school, where we will invite our students to imagine, build, and get messy in nature, as they care for the planet and one another. We will do this by creating an experiential outdoor ecosystem that includes the Collaboratory, a 200ft covered structure which will house a kitchen/nature-inspired art/science studies/presentations and more; the MUS Farm, which will house live animals, vegetable gardens and composting; and the Pond, a large-scale opportunity for children to fulfill water/environmental studies, bathrooms and more.

This development will gift our children access to endless possibilities for learning within a unique and ever-evolving natural setting. Through your donations, we will be able to continue our efforts from last year as we develop this beautiful piece of property as a legacy for our students and the community. Specifically, this year's donations will go to creating the Collaboratory, farm, pond, corral, and bathrooms.

We thank you in advance for your support!

TJ MUSF Annual Giving Chair

Campaign Tracker

Pre K and K Participation

1st Grade Participation

2nd Grade Participation

3rd Grade Participation

4th Grade Participation

5th Grade Participation

6th Grade Participation

Overall Family Participation

Overall Teacher Participation

Overall Staff (includes Teachers) Participation

Percentage of $135,000 Goal Raised

2000

Total Dollars Raised

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I write off my donation?

Your donation should be tax deductible. Please confirm with your accountant or a tax professional.

Montecito Union School Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is 100% tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt as your official record. We'll send it to you upon successful completion of your donation.

Can I pay by check? Credit card?

You can make your donation online through our secure payment form by clicking here. You can also choose to pay by check by making your check payable to the Montecito Union School Foundation and dropping it off to the school. A little bonus - when you pay by check we do not have to pay the 3% credit/debit card processing fees. We accept stock transfers and soon will offer ACH transfer from your checking account.

* Please include your child's grade and teacher so we can adjust our participation numbers accordingly. Participation is our most important metric.

If you would like to pay by check you can mail it to:

Montecito Union School Foundation
PO Box 5561
Santa Barbara, CA 93150

Is is safe to pay online?

MUSF uses is an extremely safe platform for making your donation. Our platform is a PCI Service Provider Level 1, which is the highest level of certification available in the payments industry. To put it simply, any payment made through this site is sent securely and safely. We do not store credit card information on the MUSF server.

Can I make more than one payment?

Of course! You can make a payment at any time to the campaign, either online or via check. If there is sufficient interest we will make it possible to make a recurring monthly donation. Please let us know if this is of interest.

Can I keep my donation private?

We do not publish individual donors unless you have chosen a named sponsorship. The only numbers we make public include the following:

Overall funds raised.
Percentage of goal raised.
Schoolwide percentage participation by entire school, staff only, teachers only and grade.

Does it count towards the family participation goal if someone other than a parent donates?

Absolutely! Just make sure to choose the teacher or teachers of the student(s) you are donating for. If your last name doesn't match, just let us know in the comment section the student's name. Every dollar counts and will help ensure our students have opportunities to learn in a vibrant and exciting environment.

Do you accept donations from people or entities that do not have kids in the school?

Yes! If you like what we are doing and want to support our students and school, we are happy and appreciative of your donation. If you would like to talk to us prior to making your donation you can reach our president Tara Fergusson at president@musfoundation.com.

MUSF Board

If you have any questions, suggestions or concerns, please reach out to any of our board members. If you'd like to join us, we have some open positions and can always find a program that needs more volunteers!

Annual Campaign2020-21

MUSF was established in 2018 with a mission “to enrich and support each child’s potential through experience and innovative tools.”

Ready to make your donation?

2000

Frequently Asked Questions

MUSF Board