Soundview School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit independent school that is dedicated to educating children using the most effective means possible.

Since we do not receive public tax money, we charge a tuition to help offset our costs. As with many independent schools, setting our tuition at a level that would fully cover all of our expenses would result in an amount that would be difficult for many of our families to afford and would limit the number of students that would be able to attend Soundview.

The difference between the amount we bring in through tuition payments and our costs to run the school is know as the "funding gap". This gap must be offset though our fundraising efforts. 

At Soundview School, we raise money in several ways:

The Annual Fund

This is our annual giving campaign, where our families, relatives and friends make donations of money directly to the school during our Annual Fund Campaign. Funds collected during this campaign are used to cover expenses in the year that they are collected. The campaign for the 2008-2009 School year begins on September 16th. Funds may be given in a single payment, or spread out through the entire school year until June 30, 2009.

The Inae Piercy Endowment

For those that would prefer to make an investment in Soundview's future, contributions can be made to the school's endowment fund. It was started in 2007 and is named after our founding Head-of-School, Inae Piercy.

The Auction

Soundview holds a benefit auction each year to support our programs. The auction is typically our largest single fundraiser of the year and is also a highly anticipated community event for the school. The auction is attended by school parents, freinds and community members. We typically have over 300 items between the silent and live auctions. Items sell for amounts from $10, all the way up to a few thousand dollars. Most items sell for less than $30 and there are typically many bargains to be found. Soundveiw families agree to procure a minimum of $150 for the auction each school year.

We deeply appreciate the support of our families, the community and businesses across the Pacific Northwest that donate items to our auction. There are also many sponsorship opportunities available each year that provide visibility to our auction guests for a variety of companies and products. Our thanks go to these supporters as well.

The Auction Raffle

In conjunction with the auction, we also hold a raffle for a major prize. In years past it has been a 7 or 8-day ocean cruise, and a trip to Las Vegas. Tickets are just $10 each and only 3,000 are printed, providing great odds of winning. Soundview families agree to sell or purchase 10 tickets.

The Fund-a-Need

Each year, one major need is identified as our Fund-a-Need. Funds are raised for this through donations. The past two years we have used the Fund-a-Need to purchase two major play structures for our early childhood and elementary playgrounds. The proceeds of our fall wrapping paper sale go toward the Fund-a-Need campaign.

Other Fundraisers

There are a limited number of smaller fundraisers that occur throughout the year. In the past we have sold candy during the holidays and a bake sale at Valentines' Day. Several opportunities are also available to earn money for Soundview as your purchase items that you use everyday. See the link "Earn When You Buy" in the menu at left.

Soundview School would not be able to operate without the generous assistance of our families and supporters. We thank them all for their help.