DONATIONS "For it is in giving that we receive." - St. Francis of Assisi
The Westside Waldorf School is grateful to our generous parents, faculty, alumni community, friends and foundations for
their support of the school. The school relies on these donations to create a supportive environment which nurtures
our students' development and education.
As the school continues to grow our community of donors expands as well. We welcome and encourage you to be a part
of this growing community and support the education of our children.
SIGN-UP FOR DONATION NEWS! click here WHY THE “McCOMB CAMPUS”?
The McComb Campus of the Westside Waldorf School at 17310 Sunset Blvd. is named after the Marshall and Margherite McComb Foundation, the Trustee of which is Paul J. Livadary. Over the past two years, the McComb Family Foundation extended substantial financial gifts to the school to facilitate the school's relocation to and renovation of its scenic campus in the Pacific Palisades, now named the McComb Campus of the Westside Waldorf School. The McComb Foundation was created under the will of Margherite McComb. Mrs. McComb, maiden name “Germo”, was raised in San Pedro, in an Italian Catholic family. She was a modern woman well ahead of her time, supporting herself for a number of years in various capacities, during which period she worked at the William Morris Agency. Her life was not without adversity: Margherite’s first husband died one year into their marriage and her sister died soon thereafter in a plane crash. Happily, she remarried Judge Marshall McComb, a Yale educated lawyer who served many years as a Justice on the California’s highest court. The McCombs were married for 35 years and kept homes in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. After he died, Margherite created the Foundation in both their names. Following her death, the McComb Foundation has, among other charitable purposes, established a law library at Southwestern University School of Law, and supported research for medical problems of aging including at the Hospital of the Good Samaritan and UCLA. The Westside Waldorf School is forever full of gratitude for the McCombs and is proud to be part of their prodigious legacy.
Margherite McComb
ANNUAL CAPITAL AND SPECIAL
FUNDRAISING Recap of 2006-07 Fiscal Year
FUNDRAISING. During fiscal 06-07, through April 30, 2007, the School raised a total of $1,431,000 as follows: (i) $1.1 million in grants from five foundations; (ii) $61,000 from the community dedicated to the new playground at the Sunset campus; plus (iii) $270,000 through May 1, 2007 for the Annual Giving Campaign. We began the 06-07 school year with loan commitments/funding aggregating $2,065,000 million: $1,350,000 from the Rudolf Steiner Foundation, $350,000 from a local bank and $365,000 from parent lenders. (The school also raised $371,000 in outright grants and gifts from the community prior to the beginning of fiscal 06-07 for our capital projects.) In October 2007, the RSF and local bank loans were repaid from the proceeds of a $3 million tax exempt financing issued through the State of California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank. To facilitate that loan, the school community formed a parent group to guarantee $1 million to the letter of credit provider.
DEVELOPMENT. The School completed an expansion of the Waldorf Early Childhood Center (two kindergartens were added), including playgrounds and gardens. Volunteer parents, children, and neighbors participated in the creation of the playground and gardens, which also received a $25,000 Water Conservation Grant from the City of Santa Monica and awards for Sustainability from Santa Monica Sustainable Works/the Chamber of Commerce. GRANTS. One grant application is pending to help fund a diversification program for the middle school. 8th GRADE. The School is graduating its first 8th Grade class this year. All children received acceptances to the high schools of their choice. An 8th Grade class from the Rudolf Steiner School of South London visited our 8th Grade this spring.
FUNDRAISING. During fiscal 06-07, through April 30, 2007, the School raised a total of $1,431,000 as follows: (i) $1.1 million in grants from five foundations; (ii) $61,000 from the community dedicated to the new playground at the Sunset campus; plus (iii) $270,000 through May 1, 2007 for the Annual Giving Campaign. We began the 06-07 school year with loan commitments/funding aggregating $2,065,000 million: $1,350,000 from the Rudolf Steiner Foundation, $350,000 from a local bank and $365,000 from parent lenders. (The school also raised $371,000 in outright grants and gifts from the community prior to the beginning of fiscal 06-07 for our capital projects.) In October 2007, the RSF and local bank loans were repaid from the proceeds of a $3 million tax exempt financing issued through the State of California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank. To facilitate that loan, the school community formed a parent group to guarantee $1 million to the letter of credit provider.
OUTREACH. The Parent Association hosted an All School Dinner under the stars by candlelight on September 16 at the new campus. The Winter Faire in December was our inaugural festival at the new campus with 300+ attendees and an auction that raised $45,000. (We skipped our signature "Halloween Enchantment" last year because the campus wasn't ready. It is on the calendar this year for October 27, 2007.) Our May Faire/Silent Auction on May 5 had 500 + attendees and the school raised over $100,000 in net proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction. Several guest lecturers appeared during the year to the wider community including Eugene Schwartz. A series of "thought leader" events was planned for the year to come in line with a May 16 event entitled "An Evening of Consciousness Parenting" led by author Mallika Chopra. These events will be widely publicized and feature topics of interest to the general community pertaining to developing intelligence and healthy child development.
A committee of volunteers has formed around creating the series as well as writing companion articles and columns for publication.
VOLUNTEERING
THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING! Volunteer hours by enrolled parents for the
2005-2006 school year. represent (but actually under-represent) the
astonishing degree of goodwill, engagement, time and energy that community
members give to our school. Estimated Value of recorded hours @ $14 per
hour approaches $100,000. (This is the hourly rate for valuing volunteer
hours established by national organizations for volunteerism.) Furthermore,
parents carry our Festivals forward and in so doing weave our social fabric,
attract new families to Waldorf education, and help to support our programs.
During 2005-06, the Fairs and the Silent Auction raised in excess of
$100,000 net for the School. Beyond these financial elements, your children
respond to your shared experience and results are tangible. Witness the
award-winning gardens and playground at WECC so lovingly created by Waldorf
faculty, staff and families working together.
As the school continues to grow our community of donors expands as well. We welcome and encourage you to be a part
of this growing community and support the education of our children.
Scholarship Fund
The Tuition Assistance program at the Westside Waldorf School helps make Waldorf Education accessible to all who value
it. Beyond what the school provides in TA, the Scholarship Fund provides supplementation for those families in need of
further assistance.
Capital Campaign
Westside Waldorf School is to relocate to the historic Santa Ynez Inn. Through the Capital Campaign, the community will
be creating a state of the art Waldorf School with environmental integrity and sustainable design in a magnificent
setting abundant in nature and tradition. All gifts will be recognized in perpetuity. Westside Waldorf School is
to relocate to the historic Santa Ynez Inn site at 17310 Sunset Blvd in Pacific Palisades for a term of 25 years.
Just up Sunset Boulevard from the Pacific Coast Highway and adjacent to the splendid grounds of the Self Realization
Fellowship's Lake Shrine property, the 1.5 acre site provides natural scenic beauty overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The Waldorf School will be ground-leasing the property for twenty-five years and completing a renovation of the
17,000 square foot existing buildings. The School is blessed to have found such a quality property and compatible
landlord. This new property and buildings are picturesque. This is an extraordinary place to teach and grow healthy
children. We can see the ocean and smell the ocean breeze. There is ample space for the children to hike and explore,
for playing fields and gardens. The interaction of this spectacular site with Waldorf principles will create a learning
environment unparalleled in greater Los Angeles. Improvements to this charming building, with its fireplaces and
courtyards, will be true to its rustic character. The School's plan is to move from 4th Street into this new campus
during 2006 with preschool and 8 grades. The Waldorf Early Childhood Center, with additional nurseries and early
childhood programs, will remain in Santa Monica at 1441 15th Street. Self-Realization Fellowship Church is a worldwide
nonprofit religious society founded in 1920 by Paramahansa Yogananda.
The initial cost of the renovation is $2.5 million. The School will be adaptively reusing the Saint Ynez Inn, a
Clifford May inspired charming and historic property in an extremely poor state of repair. Well-knowns from the
golden age of Hollywood stayed and partied at the Inn. The building compound has eight fireplaces, huge beams,
amazing charm, and beautiful courtyards. Our plan is to restore her splendor without changing the footprint or façade.
We are following green building and sustainable site development. The School plans to pursue special recognition for
environmental design from the Natural Wildlife Federation (as yard habitat) and the United States Green Building Council
(LEED™). We are expanding Early Childhood Education. The new facility includes an entire wing devoted to children
beginning at age 2 years 9 months through 6 years old to provide Waldorf early childhood programs available to a wider
community. The opportunity is also to develop extensive teacher education programs within this field, where the demand
is great. Waldorf parents are contributing their professional services to this real estate development project. No
fees are being earned. The architects are being compensated for their out of pocket costs. This is a whole community effort.
