Giving and Getting Involved
Welcome to a new school year
at Parkside. Here, your child’s learning style, strengths, and passions are nurtured through individualized attention, interdisciplinary teaching, and collaborative problem-solving — all grounded in a strong partnership with families. That partnership is at the heart of Parkside. For 40 years, parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends have strengthened our school through their involvement and generosity. This guide shares the many ways you can participate, contribute, and help sustain the community that makes Parkside so special.
Why
Your Support Matters
Parents
Parkside is built on a promise: that a child who learns differently will be met exactly where they are, regardless of what their family can afford. Nearly all of our students attend with public funding through the New York City Department of Education. That funding is essential — but it does not cover the full cost of a Parkside education. Small classes, specialized teachers and therapists, and our Art and Movement programs cost more than public funding provides.
The Association
The difference between what we receive and what it truly costs to educate each child is the tuition gap. Closing that gap, every year, is what allows Parkside to keep its promise and say yes to the next child who needs us. This is not charity for a school in trouble — it is a community keeping a forty-year-old commitment that your own child is living inside right now. That is what your giving makes possible.
The PA organizes beloved community events throughout the year — the New Family Cocktail Party, the Halloween Parade, the Book Fair, the Holiday Party, Staff Appreciation Week, and more. Each family is asked to pay PA dues, which cover community events, staff appreciation, graduation gifts, the yearbook, and other expenses across the year. Getting involved with the PA is the easiest way to find your footing at Parkside and help make the year wonderful for our children, teachers, and therapists.
The Parents Association (PA) is led by dedicated parent volunteers who build a welcoming parent community, support the school’s fundraising, and celebrate our teachers and staff. Whether you can give a few hours a year or a few hours a week, there is a place for you.
The
Annual Fund
The Annual Fund is the foundation of Parkside’s fundraising, and it kicks off each fall. It supports our operating budget and closes the tuition gap between public funding and the real cost of educating each child. Parents, grandparents, alumni families, staff, and friends all give to the Annual Fund each year. We are proud that 100% of our current families have supported the Annual Fund nearly every year — a remarkable statement of belief in this school, and one that strengthens our case when we apply for grants and accreditation. Every family is asked to participate at a level that is comfortable for them; a gift of any size counts, and together they add up to something extraordinary.
The
Leadership gifts start at $2,500, and we ask everyone in our community to be as generous as they are able, so that Parkside can continue to thrive as a funded school — able to welcome students regardless of their family’s ability to pay tuition. Leadership donors are recognized within our giving levels: 1986 Founders Club Leadership Circle Tuition Gap Partners Red Door Society Circle of Friends Classroom Patrons
$50,000+ $30,000+ $22,000+ $15,000+ $5,000+ $2,500+
Gifts of every size make a difference. Many employers offer matching gift programs that can double your contribution, and gifts may be made in installments or as recurring monthly donations. However you choose to give, you are helping keep our doors open to every child who needs us.
Spring Benefit This year, for the first time, the Spring Benefit is a family celebration. Beginning in 2026–2027, the benefit alternates each year between a joyful, family-friendly event and a traditional adults-only evening. This is the family year: a time for our students, parents, siblings, and grandparents to come together, celebrate our community, and support the programs our children love.
The Spring Benefit is Parkside’s signature spring event and a vital fundraiser for our Art and Movement programs — studio art, music, drama, yoga, and gym — the creative and physical programs at the heart of a Parkside education.
Working alongside the Director of Advancement, a committee of parent volunteers helps bring the benefit to life. Families can take part in many ways — attending, sponsoring, contributing to the auction, giving to the fund-a-need, or volunteering. It is one of the happiest days of the Parkside year, and one of the most important.
Galas, Major Gifts & Other Ways to Give
In milestone years, Parkside hosts a Gala — a landmark celebration of the school and its mission. Our 40th Anniversary Gala in 2026 was one of the most successful fundraising events in the school’s history, raising more than $530,000. Over the years, our galas have supported our endowment, the Fund for Teacher Excellence, the Renovation and Restoration Campaign, and the Rooftop Playground. Throughout your time at Parkside, there may be other opportunities to give — capital projects, major gifts, and special campaigns that mark transformative moments for the school. There are also many ways to give beyond a check: matching gifts, gifts of appreciated securities, recurring monthly gifts, and gifts made in honor or memory of someone special. Our Advancement Office is always glad to help you find the approach that fits your family best.
To learn more about giving and getting involved at Parkside, or to discuss how you can contribute to Parkside’s story, please contact our Advancement Office.
Anthony Kapp
Ways to Get Involved
Director of Advancement akapp@parksideschool.org (212) 721-8888 x153 (office) (720) 308-8489 (mobile) 48 West 74th Street New York, NY 10023
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Give to the Annual Fund — every family, every year
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Attend and support the Spring Benefit
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Volunteer with the Parents Association
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Volunteer for the Spring Benefit planning committee
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Serve as a class representative, encouraging your class to participate and give
TheParksideSchool
Spread the word — introduce Parkside to grandparents, colleagues, and friends
@parkside4874
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www.parksideschool.org/giving