Support St. Mary’s

Since 1945, Saint Mary’s Catholic School has carried out its mission of teaching Courage, Wisdom, and the Love of God. Throughout its history, our school has been sustained by the generous financial and volunteer support offered by parents, parishioners, friends, and alumni. The Development Office is responsible for coordinating and implementing the school’s fund raising program.

Various fund raising efforts conducted throughout the school year are vital to the success and enhancement of the school. Every gift made to Saint Mary’s School is important and appreciated, and all donations are put towards the best possible educational experience for the students at Saint Mary’s School. All families are encouraged to support these activities.

If you have questions about supporting Saint Mary’s, or you want to give an offline gift, please contact:

Christa Jackson
Director of Admissions and Advancement
cjackson@smsrome.org / 706-234-4953

Ways to Give

Annual Fund

The Annual Fund is the cornerstone of giving to Saint Mary’s. As with most private schools, tuition does not cover the full cost of educating our students. Each year the Annual Fund is an indispensable part of the school’s operating budget, enabling the school to fulfill its commitment to faculty salaries and academic programs.This healthy support from those closest to us is a valuable endorsement of the school’s mission and helps make us a stronger candidate for foundation and corporation grants.

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Matching Gifts

Gifts to Saint Mary’s Catholic School can be doubled or even tripled by including your company’s corporate matching form.

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Gifts of Stock

An excellent way to maximize the tax benefits of giving is to donate a gift of stock. By giving stock, you can take a tax deduction of the stock value on the gift date and forgo paying taxes on the gain on your investment.

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Honorariums and Memorials

Saint Mary’s School offers a unique way to pay tribute or respect to a loved one. Opportunities exist within the school to honor or memorialize a family member or friend. A recognition card will be sent to the family or honoree and acknowledgment to the donor.

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Dennis Heller Scholarship Fund

Dr. Dennis Heller graduated from Saint Mary’s Catholic School in 1973, and he was so proud to participate in the great SMS tradition of graduates leaving their mark on our school by putting his handprint on the wall. He actually did his handprint on the same day that his son David graduated from Saint Mary’s and put his hand on the wall. Dr. Heller was involved in all areas of the school as a student and later as a parent of Saint Mary’s students. He especially loved the opportunity to coach basketball and led the SMS Knights to many victories. Dr. Heller’s sister and daughter are also Saint Mary’s graduates and were proud to place their handprints together in family love and loyalty. Dr. Heller passed away on December 21, 2020, and because of his lifelong devotion to Saint Mary’s, his family established the Dennis Heller Scholarship in his memory. Their desire is that this scholarship will make it possible for more students to experience the faith formation and academic excellence that Saint Mary’s provides.

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Jamie Hughes Scholarship Fund

In Memory of Jamie Hughes. Jamie requested to always help the school who loved him and made him the strong person he became and always was. Thank you in advance. It means the world to our family to keep his name and scholarship alive.

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Gifts in Kind

Donated goods, commodities, or services are a giving option. Significant gifts have included printing & graphic services, technology support, computers, and landscape enhancements.

San Juan Diego Scholarship Fund

Patrons interested in helping a student in need of financial aid can become a sponsor of the San Juan Diego Fund. Contact the Church or the Development Office for more details.

Planned Giving

Saint Mary’s welcomes planned gifts in the form of Bequests, Real Estate, Trusts and Life Insurance. Donors can make these gifts with beneficial tax advantages and such giving will make a significant difference to the school in the future. Making a bequest or any other type of planned gift entitles the donor to membership in The 1945 Society.

The Verso L’Alto Endowment Fund

The Italian phrase “Verso L’Alto” means “To the Heights” and has come to be associated with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a patron for youth who devoted his life to Christ. He inspired youths with his exuberance for life and for his faith, and incorporated his love for mountain climbing with his Catholic outlook on life. After what would become his final climb, he wrote a simple note on a photograph: "Verso L'Alto.” Just like Frassati, young people today continue to set out on a voyage in their everyday lives "to the heights" to encounter Christ in all things.

Saint Mary’s Catholic School has been blessed with the generosity of Karen and Patrick Marks who created the Verso L’Alto Endowment Fund. Donations to this endowment are used to sponsor special events for our school that would inspire our own students “to the heights” in their personal journey of faith. Your gift to this unique fund provides experiences that will enrich the spiritual lives of the children at Saint Mary’s.

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Georgia Private School Tax Credit

In 2008, the state of Georgia passed legislation that established the Georgia Private School Tax Credit. This law allows Georgia taxpayers to divert a portion of their state tax obligation to a Student Scholarship Organization (SSO) of their choosing to be used as financial aid at a Georgia private school. Soon after this piece of legislation was passed, the Archdiocese of Atlanta partnered with the Archdiocese of Savannah to form GRACE Scholars, Inc., the Catholic SSO allowed under this law. Beginning in the Summer of 2024, all schools currently served by GRACE will now be served by the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program. If you owe Georgia State taxes and would like to divert a portion of those taxes to Saint Mary’s Catholic School, please consider participating in the Georgia Private School Tax Credit program.

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