Smile Report: Unity Christian raises $368,000 in ‘Gift of Unity Challenge’

Media release: In October, a group of donors pledged a matching gift of $110,000 to Unity Christian School to encourage support for the school’s fundraising efforts. The challenge gift was a catalyst for donations far beyond expectations. Not only did the school receive donations in excess of the $110,000 needed to receive the original pledges, they doubled them.

“We have said repeatedly that this would be a December to remember at Unity, and it certainly was,” said Courtney Cash, director of advancement. “We received more individual gifts than we have ever received in one appeal, and far surpassed our normal total for year-end gifts. We are very thankful to the donors that gave us this opportunity, and to all those who gave so generously to show their support for Unity.”

The Gift of Unity year end fundraising challenge was designed to help support continued growth of the school and to create additional scholarship offerings for students. “We experienced a 7% increase in student enrollment this year, and we are projecting similar numbers in 2016,” said head of school Eric Munn. “This fundraising effort will allow us to continue to pursue planned growth and our strategic vision for the school.”

The desire to raise funds to establish new scholarships was a priority of the challenge. Tuition assistance is growing need at a growing school. The goal to increase scholarship offerings through this fundraising effort was met and exceeded beyond expectation. In all, four new scholarships were created including awards for the dependents of veterans and military personnel, minority families and widowed mothers.

Unity also announced the receipt of a single gift of $128,000 to establish the Founder’s Scholarship Award. In honor of the churches that founded Unity Christian School in 1998, these scholarship funds will be used to provide 25% tuition assistance to the dependents of those working full-time in Christian ministry.

Also, as a part of the challenge, Unity Christian School students and their families stuffed stockings with personal donations to honor their favorite teachers. According to Cash, “It is a testimony to the influence of our faculty that donations were received in honor of every teacher at Unity. They are the heart of our school, and it was great to see how our Unity family chose to recognize them in this way.”

Second grade teacher April Carter and high school teacher Susan Payne were both awarded their own special “stuffed” stockings filled with goodies and gift cards in honor of the recognition they received from the student body.

Unity is a multiyear process of upgrading curriculum and technologies for all grade levels. The funds raised in this effort will help to expedite this process and enhance learning environments at the school. In addition to these benefits, the donations will also help with the outfitting of seven new classrooms in a new modular complex adjacent to the school gymnasium.