Give what you can. Together we fund the year.
Annual Giving is the campaign we run at the start of every school year — the PTA's core fundraiser, and the one that funds the year. What's different this year is that it also covers K–5 Class Funds and streamlines some of the middle-school costs that used to be collected separately. Our suggested gift is $750 per child, and the number we care about most is 100%: every Hillcrest family giving something, at whatever level works for them.
We'll post our progress here once gifts are rolling in. Until then, the number we're watching is participation — and the fastest way to move it is to give any amount today.
What your $750 buys
Last year's fundraising survey asked for a clearer picture of where the money goes, so here is the entire $750, line by line.
The people your gift keeps on campus: our Early Literacy Teacher and reading support, added academic support in the upper grades, an elective art teacher, science and technology, and the librarian who keeps the library open a full school day, plus substitute coverage so teachers can attend 504 & IEP meetings. Nearly half of every dollar goes to people.
K–5 families fund class funds (field trips and classroom needs); 6–8 families fund middle-school activities like Sports and graduation. Tracked by the PTA and tax-deductible.
The overhead that makes every other line on this list possible: insurance, state PTA dues, licenses, payment processing, and the hard costs of our fundraising events. About 15% of your gift — typical for a parent-run nonprofit our size.
Community support and recess supervision, our attendance specialist, and community programming that keeps students connected.
Broad school support plus upkeep of campus facilities and grounds.
Across our 400 students, the PTA will invest close to $2,000 per child this year. Your $750 is the foundation; the rest comes from the fall Benefit, the Walkathon, and reserves.
Those events all cost real money to run — venues, catering, printing, insurance. A dollar given right here is the cheapest one we raise, so more of it reaches classrooms.
What changed this year
Three things, and not one of them is "more programs." The biggest comes straight from what families told us in last year's fundraising survey: fewer separate asks, and a clearer picture of where the money goes.
Class funds are folded in. K–5 families were already paying about $150 per child by Venmo, with no receipt. Now it is one deductible gift, tracked openly by the PTA.
Middle-school costs are covered up front. Middle school's own fundraising doesn't cover everything it funds. Paying for it here heads off later asks to 6–8 families, and keeps activities like sports and graduation from getting leaner.
The PTA picked up staff the district cut. Oakland Unified cut roughly $150,000 this year — about 2.5 positions: our Early Literacy Teacher, half our Community School Manager, and the TSA who gave literacy support and much more.
What actually changes for your family
If you gave the suggested amount last year and also paid class funds in cash or Venmo, here is the real difference.
If class funds were never part of your year, the change is larger, and we would rather say that plainly than bury it. Give what makes sense for your family.
If we fall short of our goal
If we fall short, nothing changes overnight. We will draw on reserves before touching a single program. But reserves are a bridge, not a budget — they can cover a gap for one year, not the year after. Meeting the goal this year is how we keep next year's decisions in our own hands.
- Early Literacy Teacher & reading tutors
- An elective art teacher, plus science and technology
- STEM in elementary classrooms
- A full day of library programming — and a library open before and after school
- Substitute coverage so teachers can attend IEP & 504 meetings
- Restorative justice & conflict resolution
- On-site mental health support
- Writing support in middle school
- Extra noon-yard safety at recess & lunch
- Outreach to students who stop showing up
More ways to give this year
Last year 57% of Hillcrest families gave to Annual Giving. Our goal this year is 100% — every family in, at whatever size fits. If you are able to give above the suggestion, that is what makes room for the families who cannot, and we are grateful for every one of those gifts.
$10, $100, $750, or more — there is no minimum and no maximum, and no one sees what you gave. Every gift moves the participation number the same way.
Monthly giving is now built right into the form. The suggested gift works out to about $63 a month, and any monthly amount is welcome.
Hundreds of Bay Area employers match gifts to schools, often dollar for dollar. A few minutes of paperwork can double your gift — the three steps are in the FAQ below.
A school where every family gives something is a different school than one where half do. It changes what the board can commit to for next year, and it is the clearest evidence we have that this community backs its school.
The questions we actually get
Give what you can — $10, $50, the full suggested gift, or more if you are able. What we are really hoping for this year is that every single family gives something. That is the Cardinal way.
Hillcrest PTA · Oakland, CA
Hillcrest Elementary PTA is a registered 501(c)(3). Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. EIN 94-6172363. Questions? Reach the PTA at hillcrestdonation@gmail.com.