Parent Partnership by Sacred Heart Greenwich

Parent Partnership A Guide to Giving, Volunteering, and Community Life at Sacred Heart Greenwich

Office of Advancement

A Letter of Welcome Dear Sacred Heart Families, Welcome to Sacred Heart Greenwich. In choosing this School, you have joined far more than a campus on King Street—you have joined a worldwide family of Sacred Heart schools in 41 countries, a community bound together for years by one heart and one mission: to educate and empower young women to pursue excellence, build courage and confidence, and lead lives of purpose and integrity. From our earliest days, this School has been built by partnership. The Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (RSCJ) who founded our first classrooms did so with the generosity of families who believed in the education of women when few others did. Every generation since—alumnae, parents, grandparents, educators, and friends—has added to what came before so that today’s students are, as the saying goes, warmed by fires built by others. Now it is our turn, together, to tend that fire for your daughters and for the girls who will follow them. This guide is our invitation to you. In these pages you will find the story of our School, the traditions that will soon become your family’s traditions, and a clear, honest explanation of how philanthropy and volunteerism sustain everything you will come to love here. We invite every family to participate, while recognizing that meaningful participation will look different for each household. Every gift of time, talent, or resources strengthens our community. We look forward to getting to know you and your daughter. Welcome home.

The Advancement Team

Contents

A Letter of Welcome

Our Mission and the Goals & Criteria

Our Story: 1848 to Today

Your Year at Sacred Heart: Calendar at a Glance

Advancement at a Glance: How School Fundraising Works

Giving Defined: The Fund for Sacred Heart and Beyond

Recognition: Giving Societies

The Cost of a Sacred Heart Education

Questions New Parents Ask

Volunteering: Gifts of Time and Talent

Ways to Give

Speaking Sacred Heart: A Glossary of Terms and Traditions

Our Mission & The Goals and Criteria

Sacred Heart Greenwich, an all-girls, independent, Catholic school, educates and empowers students to lead lives of faith, leadership, and service. We envision a world where all girls and women are able to shape the future through learning and service—transforming the world, one girl at a time. As part of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, we are guided by the Goals & Criteria of Sacred Heart Education, a shared commitment of every Sacred Heart school in the world.

Schools of the Sacred Heart commit themselves to educate to: Goal I: Faith Goal II: Intellect Goal III: Justice Goal IV: Community Goal V: Wisdom

A personal and active faith in God A deep respect for intellectual values A social awareness which impels to action The building of community as a Christian value Personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom

Everything in this guide—along with every gift, every volunteer hour, every tradition—exists in service of these five Goals. When you support Sacred Heart, you are not simply funding a school; you are sustaining a 200-year-old educational vision: faith, intellect, justice, community, and wisdom.

Timeline 1848

Mother Aloysia Hardey opens the school on Bleecker Street, New York—the foundation of Sacred Heart Greenwich.

1800

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat founds the Society of the Sacred Heart in France.

1818

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne brings the Society to America.

1945

The School moves to its present campus on King Street, Greenwich.

1905

The School moves to “Maplehurst” in the Bronx.

Our story

1848 to Today

Sacred Heart Greenwich traces its roots to St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, who founded the Society of the Sacred Heart in France in 1800 with a conviction far ahead of her time: that educating young women would transform society itself. In 1818, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne carried that vision across the Atlantic, planting the first Sacred Heart schools in the New World. Our own story begins in New York City. In 1848, under the leadership of the remarkable Mother Mary Aloysia Hardey—a pioneering educator who would found 25 schools from Halifax to Cuba—the Society opened a day school in a rented house at the corner of Bleecker and Laurens streets. The early Religious lived in genuine poverty, stretching out on mattresses in classrooms at night, yet they built an academic program so rigorous that graduates were later judged to have received the equivalent of two years of college. As New York grew, the School moved with it—to 17th Street in 1855, and in 1905 to “Maplehurst,” a gray stone villa in the Bronx. In 1945, seeking room for its students to flourish, the School came north once more, to the former Overlook Farm estate on King Street in Greenwich. Ninety-eight children were welcomed that first autumn; treasured furnishings—the chapel pews, the tabernacle doors, the statue of St. Michael—made the journey with them and remain part of campus life today. The decades since have been a story of steady, generous building: the 1960 wing and enlarged chapel; the athletic center that at last replaced a “temporary” Quonset-hut gymnasium; the Gillespie Science Center dedicated at our 150th anniversary in 1998, made possible by $13 million in gifts from parents, alumnae, and friends; the purchase of our full 110-acre campus in 2011; and the modern academic, athletic, and arts facilities our students enjoy today. Each was a dream first, then a gift, then a home for learning. That is the pattern of our history, and the quiet lesson of this guide: Tuition helps support each school year; generosity of our community has built the Sacred Heart Greenwich we know today.

1998

2015

Sesquicentennial celebration; the Gillespie Science Center is dedicated.

1975

The Goals & Criteria of Sacred Heart education are formally adopted across the Network.

The athletic center and turf fields open.

2011

The School acquires its full 110-acre campus.

Today

More than 175 years strong: an all-girls, independent, Catholic school, with a coed preschool at the Barat Center, part of a Network spanning 41 countries.

Your Year at Sacred Heart Greenwich

Calendar at a Glance

A Sacred Heart year moves to a rhythm all its own—feast days and field hockey, liturgies and lab work, surprise holidays and cherished ceremonies. The calendar below highlights the moments every new family should know, alongside the milestones of our giving year. The Fund for Sacred Heart operates on the School’s fiscal year: July 1 through June 30.

September School Life & Traditions Opening of school; new family welcome events; class coffees.

Advancement & Giving Fund for Sacred Heart kicks off; parent volunteers begin outreach.

October School Life & Traditions Feast of Mater Admirabilis (Oct. 20)—a day of pink and prayer; fall athletics; Celebration of the Heart.

Advancement & Giving Fund appeal letters arrive; Report on Giving published.

November School Life & Traditions Feast of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (Nov. 18); Thanksgiving liturgies.

Advancement & Giving Volunteer follow-up outreach.

December School Life & Traditions Advent liturgies; Christmas concerts; Come Home for Christmas; Feast Wishes.

Advancement & Giving Dec. 31 marks the calendar year-end for tax-deductible gifts.

January School Life & Traditions Winter athletics and arts; course selection.

Advancement & Giving Thank-you notes to donor families.

February School Life & Traditions Community life in full swing; MS & US Sweetheart Dances.

Advancement & Giving Give from the Heart—our Community Day of Giving.

March School Life & Traditions Class retreats; spring musicals.

Advancement & Giving Interim Report on Giving.

April School Life & Traditions Junior & Senior Ring Day; LS Sweetheart Dance.

Advancement & Giving Class participation push toward 100%.

May School Life & Traditions Feast of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat (May 25); Mother-Daughter Liturgy; Green & White Benefit (biennial); Golf & Tennis Outing (opp. biennial).

Advancement & Giving Barat Society Reception; Teacher Appreciation and volunteer gratitude.

June School Life & Traditions Prize Days; Commencement.

Advancement & Giving June 30—the Fund for Sacred Heart closes; every gift and pledge counts toward the year.

Anytime School Life & Traditions Congé—a surprise schoolwide celebration.... You’ll know it when it happens!

Advancement & Giving Matching gifts, stock gifts, and pledges welcome all year.

Advancement at a Glance: How School Fundraising Works Independent school fundraising can feel like a new language. This section offers a simple overview of the ways philanthropy supports Sacred Heart Greenwich. Like many independent schools, Sacred Heart sets tuition below the full cost of delivering its educational program. Annual giving, endowment income, and other philanthropy help bridge the difference while sustaining the breadth and quality of the student experience.

WHAT IT IS

WHAT IT DOES

The Fund for Sacred Heart

Every year

Bridges the gap between tuition and the true cost of a Sacred Heart education—put to work immediately for this year’s students.

Capital Giving

Periodically

Builds and renews the spaces where our students learn, pray, create, and compete.

Endowment

Regularly

Generates permanent income forever—the School spends only earnings, never principal.

The Senior Class Gift

Once— senior year

Honors each graduating class and marks a family’s Sacred Heart legacy.

Once in a lifetime

Secures Sacred Heart’s future for generations of girls not yet born; donors join the Aloysia Hardey Society.

Planned Giving

FREQUENCY

WHAT IT FUNDS

Academics across all divisions, arts, athletics, financial aid, educator excellence, and mission & ministry.

REAL‑LIFE EQUIVALENT

A checking account for the School’s day-to-day needs.

New facilities and major renovations identified in the School’s strategic plan and campaigns.

Putting an addition on a home you already own.

Financial aid, endowed faculty positions, professional development, and signature programs.

An investment account that pays dividends every year.

A priority chosen in the name of the graduating class; in addition to sustaining senior parents’ annual gift.

A milestone gift celebrating a graduation.

Endowment or a purpose of the donor’s choosing, through a will, trust, or retirement account.

Remembering the School in your estate plan.

Matching Gifts One additional way to increase your impact: Many employers will double or even triple a gift to Sacred Heart Greenwich at no additional cost to you.

Check your eligibility at

shgreenwich.org/giving/ ways-to-give

Matching contributions count toward your recognition level.

Giving Defined:

The Fund for Sacred Heart and Beyond The Fund for Sacred Heart The Fund for Sacred Heart is the School's annual giving program and the philanthropic priority for every family, every year. Gifts to the Fund are spent in the current school year, which means your generosity reaches your daughter's classroom, coach, chapel, and stage immediately. The Fund helps bridge the gap between tuition revenue and the true cost of delivering a Sacred Heart education, and it touches every corner of school life. Our goal each year is 100% parent participation—a gift from every family at a level personally meaningful to them. Gifts range from $5 to $100,000 and beyond, and every single one matters.

The Senior Class Gift In their daughter's senior year, parents are invited to make a special gift in the name of the graduating class – a cherished way to say thank you and leave a legacy. The Senior Class Gift is a special way to highlight both support for the Fund for Sacred Heart and an endowed gift.

Endowment Endowment is the School's permanent savings. The principal is invested and preserved forever, while a portion of the earnings supports the operating budget each year—funding financial aid, educator excellence, and signature programs in perpetuity. A strong endowment is the surest guarantee that Sacred Heart Greenwich will thrive for its next 175 years.

Direct Your Gift Where Your Heart Is Donors may designate a Fund for Sacred Heart gift to any of the following areas: Area of Greatest Need—the School's highest priorities, wherever they arise. Academics—enriching classroom experiences across all divisions. Arts—visual art, music, dance, and theatre. Athletics—coaching, equipment, facilities, and team spirit. Financial Aid—need-based aid covering tuition and essential non-tuition costs. Mission & Ministry—retreats, chapel, liturgies, and service learning.

Planned Giving Named for our founding headmistress, the Aloysia Hardey Society honors those who have remembered Sacred Heart Greenwich through a will, trust, retirement account, or other estate provision. These future-focused gifts often allow donors to make the most significant gift of their lifetime while realizing meaningful financial and tax benefits today. We encourage families to consult their own advisors, and our Advancement team is glad to help confidentially.

Capital Giving From time to time, the School invites the community to invest in transformational projects—the buildings, fields, and spaces that shape student life for generations. Capital gifts are customarily larger than, and given in addition to, a family's annual gift, and pledges may typically be fulfilled over several years. Your Advancement team will always share current campaign priorities; ask us what's next.

Recognition and Giving Societies Sacred Heart Greenwich gratefully recognizes donors at every level. Our society names are drawn from our own history and traditions—from our foundress to the French words our students still use today.

The St. Madeleine Sophie Barat Society Our leadership giving circle honors donors of $5,000 or more annually. Members are invited to the Barat Society Reception each spring. Barat

$100,000 and above

Mater

$50,000–$99,999

Duchesne

$25,000–$49,999

Stuart

$15,000–$24,999

Cor Unum

$10,000–$14,999

Très Bien

$5,000–$9,999

The Congé Society Named for our most joyful tradition, the Congé Society recognizes all other giving levels—because at Sacred Heart, every gift, no matter the size, strengthens our community. Salisbury

$2,500–$4,999

1848 Founders

$1,848–$2,499

Sacré Cœur

$1,000–$1,847

Cœur de Jésus

$500–$999

Goûter

$250–$499

Joigny

Up to $249

Young Alumnae Barat Society Alumnae in their first 10 years after graduation are recognized at accessible leadership levels—Goûter ($250+) and Joigny ($100–$249)—and are welcomed at the annual Barat Society Reception.

The Cost of a Sacred Heart Education Cost of Excellence

Small classes. Extraordinary teachers. A 110-acre campus, an observatory, a broadcast studio, chapels, pools, studios, and playing fields. Excellence is a deliberate choice—and it costs more than tuition covers. Beyond tuition, the Fund for Sacred Heart is the School’s primary source of immediately available, flexible funds, which is why a strong Fund is essential to the financial health of the School. Programs and facilities evolve, but people—our faculty and our students—remain our greatest investment.

Figures as of 2026

63% 15% 7% 8% 7%

Salaries & Benefits Financial Aid General Institutional Academic Program & Technology Plant Operations

Covering the Cost

Tuition builds the year. Generosity builds the School.

Figures as of 2026

88% 7% 4% 1% 12

Tuition & Fees Fund for Sacred Heart Investment Income Other

Sacred Heart Greenwich could not operate without the generosity of current parents, alumnae, parents of alumnae, trustees, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends. Tuition covers approximately 88% of the true cost of educating each student. The remainder comes from philanthropy—the Fund for Sacred Heart, endowment earnings, and other gifts. In other words: Every Sacred Heart student, in every grade, benefits directly from the generosity of this community.

Questions New Parents Ask Q

I already pay tuition. Why does the School ask for a gift, too? Because tuition alone does not cover the actual cost of a Sacred Heart education— intentionally. If the School charged full cost, it would put a Sacred Heart education out of reach for many qualified families and diminish the community your daughter learns in. Philanthropy keeps tuition competitive, sustains program excellence and, unlike tuition, is tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Why does participation matter so much? High parent participation is one of the most powerful statements a school community can make. It tells prospective families, accrediting bodies, and the foundations and corporations that award grants that the people who know the School best believe in it. A $25 gift and a $25,000 gift count identically toward participation—and our goal is 100%.

How much should we give? Whatever is personally meaningful for your family. Many families make Sacred Heart their leading philanthropic priority. Every gift is received with equal gratitude, and giving early in the year helps the School plan well.

When should we give? The Fund year runs July 1–June 30, and gifts are put to work immediately. Many families give before Dec. 31 for tax purposes; pledges may be made now and fulfilled by June 30.

Is my gift confidential? Giving information is handled with care and discretion by the Advancement Office. Donors are listed in the annual Report on Giving by recognition society, never by amount, and anonymity is always available on request.

Volunteering: Gifts of Time and Talent

Philanthropy at Sacred Heart is measured in more than dollars. Your time and talent are gifts, and volunteering is the fastest way to feel at home here—you will meet fellow parents, see the mission up close, and show your daughter what belonging to a community looks like.

The

Parents' Association

Every Sacred Heart parent and guardian is a member of the Parents' Association, which builds community all year long—welcoming new families, celebrating faculty and staff through Heart Appreciation, running the Tiger's Den spirit shop, and hosting signature events. Watch your inbox for opportunities, or simply raise your hand.

Fund for Sacred Heart

Volunteers

Each fall, a corps of parent, alumnae, and faculty volunteers becomes the heart of our annual giving effort— sharing the Fund's impact peer‑to‑peer and thanking those who give. Roles include: • Parent Co-Chairs—lead the volunteer team, partner with the Advancement Office on strategy, and set the tone with an early gift. • Class Volunteers—reach out to fellow parents in their daughter's grade with warmth and gratitude. • Alumnae Volunteers—connect with classmates and serve as a bridge between the School's past and future. • Faculty & Staff Volunteers—lead by example as mission-centered ambassadors.

More Ways to Lend a Hand

• Event committees—Green & White Benefit, receptions, and community celebrations. • Welcome ambassadors for new families. • Career mentoring and externships for students and alumnae. • Sharing professional expertise when the School calls on it. To get involved, contact the Advancement Office—we will find the right fit for your interests and schedule.

Ways to Give Supporting Sacred Heart can take many forms. Whether you make an outright gift, fulfill a pledge over time, recommend a grant from a donor-advised fund, or arrange a planned gift, the Advancement Office is here to make giving simple and meaningful.

Online

Donor-Advised Funds

Make a one-time gift, establish recurring payments, or record a pledge at shgreenwich.org/giving.

Recommend a grant to Sacred Heart Greenwich through your DAF.

Make a Pledge Commit now, fulfill by June 30; pledges help the School plan with confidence.

By Check Payable to Sacred Heart Greenwich, mailed to: Advancement Office 1177 King Street Greenwich, CT 06831

Stock or Wire Transfer Gifts of appreciated securities held more than one year typically qualify for a full fair-market-value deduction; contact the Advancement Office for transfer instructions. All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. TAX ID#35-2425019

IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions Donors age 70½ and older may give directly from an IRA, a tax-efficient way to support the School.

Matching Gifts Double or triple your impact at no cost; check eligibility at shgreenwich.org/giving/matching-gifts

Planned Gifts Include Sacred Heart in your will, trust, or retirement plan and join the Aloysia Hardey Society.

Visit us online shgreenwich.org/giving

Contact We are here for you—for questions about giving, volunteering, events, or simply finding your way as a new family. Please reach out anytime.

Advancement Team

203.532.3160 | advancementteam@cshct.org

Speaking Sacred Heart

A Glossary of Terms and Traditions Within a few weeks, your daughter will come home using words you've never heard—French words, feast days, names from our history. Consider this your translation guide, and welcome to the family vocabulary.

Our Heritage Society of the Sacred Heart—the religious order founded in France in 1800 by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat; its members are the Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), who serve in 41 countries. St. Madeleine Sophie Barat—our foundress and the patron saint of educators; her feast is celebrated May 25. St. Rose Philippine Duchesne—the first Religious of the Sacred Heart in America and patron saint of perseverance; her feast is November 18. Mother Aloysia Hardey—the pioneering educator who founded our school in 1848; our planned giving society bears her name. Charism—the special gift or vision of a religious order; ours is to share God's love with students and, through them, the world. Goals & Criteria—the five shared commitments of every Sacred Heart school: faith, intellect, social awareness, community, and wise freedom. Cor Unum—shorthand for Cor Unum et Anima Una in Corde Jesu: "one heart and one soul in the Heart of Jesus." Network of Sacred Heart Schools—our worldwide family of schools; students may participate in Network exchanges, and graduates belong for life. Espacio—a practice of carving out quiet space for silence, prayer, and reflection.

Our Traditions Congé—(kon-ZHAY) a surprise holiday when classes give way to games and celebration, planned in secret and announced when least expected. Goûter—(goo-TAY) "to taste"—a special treat/snack accompanying feast days and celebrations. Feast of Mater Admirabilis—Oct. 20—honoring the beloved fresco of the young Mary in her rosecolored gown; a replica graces every Sacred Heart school, and our students celebrate in pink. Ring Day—the spring ceremony at which juniors receive their class rings from the seniors—the passing of the torch. Green and White—our all-school spirit teams; every student is inducted into one and belongs for life. Prize Day—the year-end assembly recognizing academic growth and character. Mother-Daughter Liturgy & Sweetheart Dance—cherished annual celebrations of family. Très Bien—"very good"—historically the highest mark awarded at weekly assemblies; today a Barat Society giving level. Cache-Cache—(CASH-cash) a beloved historic game of hide-and-seek played at congés of old.

Our Advancement Vocabulary The Fund for Sacred Heart—our annual giving program; gifts support the current year's students and programs. Give from the Heart—our Community Day of Giving each February. Celebration of the Heart—our annual State of the School gathering celebrating our mission, momentum, and future. Barat Society / Congé Society—our giving recognition societies. Aloysia Hardey Society—recognizing planned and estate gifts. Report on Giving—the annual publication thanking every donor. Participation—the percentage of families who give at any level; our goal is 100%. Senior Class Gift—the annual effort made each year to celebrate and recognize the graduating class of seniors by supporting a special endowed effort in addition to an annual Fund for Sacred Heart gift.

Thank you for being part of the Sacred Heart Greenwich family. Office of Institutional Advancement | 1177 King Street, Greenwich, CT 06831 | shgreenwich.org/giving