He'atid's Fundraising

I know I said I was taking a break but I thought everyone should see the email below.

I think it makes sense that He'atid first set the tuition price & then sought donors to make it happen, rather than doing the reverse.  If you seek donors & hope to use their donations to make the school more affordable you won't collect as much.  Donors are worried that their money will be used to hire friends & relatives of admins to unnecessary positions.  But if you start with an affordable price you will attract more donations to help make it work.  The donors know that money isn't being wasted if the base tuition is so much lower than the other Yeshivas in the area.

August 7, 2012 Dear Supporters and Friends, This September, Yeshivat He’Atid will provide Jewish communities nationwide with a groundbreaking new model for high quality, affordable Jewish day school education. We’re re-imagining the Jewish day school classroom of the 21st Century. Opening with 110 students in our first year, Yeshivat He’Atid will save the community an astonishing $600,000 this year alone! When fully built out, Yeshivat He’Atid is estimated to save the community $5 million annually. We have hired a principal, teachers, and staff; ensured our facility is student-ready, and put in place the tools and curriculum to support our blended learning model. Yeshivat He’Atid benefits the entire community. Since Yeshivat He’Atid came on the scene, several schools have lowered tuition and others increased the hours children spend in school. The schools in our community continue to make efficiency strides, and blended learning is on the rise. We take pride in these accomplishments; our mission has always been to advance the community. The school’s impact transcends this community. Lay leaders and educators across the country are watching our progress with much enthusiasm. Yeshivat He’Atid’s goal has always been to see its model replicated in other Jewish communities. We are in contact with 10 Yeshivat He’Atid-style Jewish schools that are in the planning phases in places such as L.A., San Antonio, and Boston. National organizations are taking notice. Yeshivat He’Atid is grateful for early support from The Avi Chai Foundation to hire blended learning experts to develop our educational model. We are thankful to the Orthodox Union for providing seed funding to develop blended learning Judaic studies curricula. Our efforts have also inspired a group of philanthropists to form the Affordable Jewish Education Project, whose mission is to help schools like us grow to a point of sustainability. We need your support. Launching a new school necessitates significant start-up costs. We salute the many donors who have recognized the importance of this groundbreaking initiative and have generously contributed $1.3 million to date. We now ask the broader community to join our efforts to revolutionize Jewish day school education while also making it affordable. Please help us raise additional funds to continue to build out our blending learning model and help other schools replicate our efforts. Your tax-deductible donation will be matched dollar for dollar, ensuring that the community provides our children with educational excellence that is sustainable. With gratitude, The Board of Directors, Yeshivat He’Atid - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Your Contribution Will Make A Difference – Every Dollar Counts Every year, the Jewish community spends $2 billion on Jewish education. Our goal is to enhance Jewish day school education while simultaneously lowering costs. Checks can be mailed to:  Yeshivat He’Atid  139 South Washington Avenue  Bergenfield, NJ 07621 You may also donate online with a credit card:http://www.yeshivatheatid.org/donate.html