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GIVING TO SUMMIT

Summit’s independence as a public charter school is what allows us to be the vibrant and tuition-free school we are, but our self-governance comes with a price. While we have tremendous creativity and flexibility in our curriculum, we receive significantly less government funding per student than a traditional public school (~25% less) and zero funding for capital improvements. We rely on private funding on an annual basis to fully fund the critical needs of our school children, faculty and staff, and facilities. 

By choosing to donate to Summit today, you will help us sustain the unique qualities of a Summit education and have a purposeful  impact on the life of a student. Thank you in advance for believing in our school and community!

Ways To Give

Summit's model of education brings immense value to the lives of our students—a level of impact made possible by the continued support of our community, family, and alumni donors through our annual giving campaigns.

There are many ways to make a charitable contribution to our school. Each gift option has tax benefits to the donor as the Summit Charter School Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization under Federal Tax ID 56-2039872. Below we summarize the variety of funds and events you can be a part of, as well as the types of gifts we receive.

 If you have questions about making gifts of any kind to the Summit Charter School Foundation, volunteering or participating in other ways, please call or write:

Summit Charter School Foundation
Attn: Melissa Hudson
P.O. Box 2493
Cashiers, NC 28717
828-743-5755 X 251Email

Annual Giving

Small class sizes, field excursions, lego robotics, exceptional educators, advanced curricula, expansive facilities - they truly make a difference in our children’s success. In this section, you'll find many ways in which parents, grandparents, and community members can participate in the ongoing support of these programs and our children through financial commitments on an annual basis. 

1. FAMILY FUND 

Donations to the Family Fund come from our Summit parents, grandparents, and family businesses to help Summit bridge the gap between what we receive from the government and the actual cost of educating a student. Each year a Family Fund committee is formalized and creates a fun grade-by-grade fundraising contest. A letter from our Head of School Kurt Pusch and this year's giving levels can be viewed here. If you are ready to invest in your children's education by donating now, please mail a check or click here.

2. ANNUAL FUND

Donations to the Annual Fund come from community members, private foundations, and alumni. These gifts further strengthen our ability to fully fund the vital needs of our students, educators, and facilities. Gifts to the Annual Fund have an immediate and positive impact on our school's annual budgeted needs and ensures our school children receive the education they deserve. If you are ready to have a purposeful impact on the live of a student, please click here to make a 100% tax-deductible gift. 

Cashiers Festival of Trees

In 2021, the Summit Charter School Foundation introduced a new signature fundraising event, the Cashiers Festival of Trees, and we are excited to share our 2024 dates:

Toast to the Trees: July 29, 2024 at the Halsted House at High Hampton

Cashiers Festival of Trees: November 29-30, 2024 at the Summit Center

 

Cashiers Festival of Trees is a multi-day, family-friendly event during Thanksgiving weekend where guests bid on decorated trees and holiday décor, enjoy a wide variety of holiday performances, create personalized children’s crafts, celebrate literacy on the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Storytime Stage, enjoy a Build-A-Bear Pop Up experience, and shop one-of-a-kind gifts in the Gift Zone.

 

While raising money for the school is the primary focus of the event, the SCS Foundation spreads the holiday spirit of giving: when a non-profit decorates a tree or wreath, 80% of the item’s sale will go BACK to the participating non-profit, creating a collaborative initiative to benefit our fellow charities and their worthy causes. Supporting our entire community is very important to our cause and the school’s overall mission.

Learn more on the official Cashiers Festival of Trees website by clicking here.

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College Scholarships

Facilities Endowment and Planned Giving

As a new high school, Summit is committed to doing whatever we can to help our students attend and graduate from the college or university of their choice. Our college counseling and development team have partnered with organizations and donors committed to ensuring that our students have the necessary resources to do so. In addition to informing our students of ongoing community scholarship opportunities, the Summit Charter School Foundation is pleased to offer scholarships to the Class of 2025. Our goal is that we can grow our scholarships through private donations and help our seniors every year.  Donors interested in helping Summit students with life-changing scholarship funds should learn more here and contact us!

JERRY JOHNSON LEGACY FUND: In October 2019, our Summit family lost a beloved member of its school community: Gerald “Jerry” Johnson. Jerry was a Summit Charter School Foundation board member and a grandparent. He was a fierce champion of Summit and had a tremendous impact on the school. The Jerry Johnson Legacy Fund has been formed in his memory, with all gifts restricted to maintaining school facilities in the future. This is a first step to ensuring a future of enduring vitality for Summit in addition to securing fiscal stability. 

 

PLANNED GIVING is another way to ensure your support of Summit and is an important part of your estate planning. By including Summit in your estate plan, you make a statement of your confidence in our school. This is a very powerful way to ensure our future strength.

 

If you would like to contribute a future gift through a trust, life insurance, gift annuities, or a provision in a will, please contact mhudson@summitschool.org or 828-743-5755 ext. 251.

Support Summit While You Shop!

Make a difference by earning free money for Summit when you do your regular shopping! Box Tops for Education, Ingles Tools for Schools and Amazon Smile are three programs that add cash to our operating budget. Click on the logos below to learn more about each program. 

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COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Summit embraces and encourages involvement from the community at large.

Here are the wonderful organizations that have partnered with Summit last school year.

 
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A. Friends' Foundation

A. Jones Company

Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library

Alli-Jean, LLC

Altec-Styslinger Foundation

Appalachian Golf Cars

ASAP Generators

Atelier Maison & Co

Benjamin Moore

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Blue Bike Cafe

Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic 

Blue Ridge School

Bombshell Hair Boutique 

Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau

Brookings Angler & Pure Fishing

Cabin Care

Caliber Fine Properties

Calm Creek Farm

Camel's Construction Services LLC

Camp Merrie-Woode Foundation

Caroline's Cakes

Cashiers Cares

Cashiers Chamber of Commerce

Cashiers Chiropractic and Acupuncture

Cashiers Community Fund

Cashiers Emporium 

Cashiers Farmers Market

Cashiers Firewood

Cashiers Historical Society 

Cashiers Literacy Council

Cashiers Pump and Plumbing Supply

Cashiers Property Management

Cashiers Valley Pharmacy 

Cashiers Valley Preschool 

Cedar Creek Charities

Cedar Creek Club

Chatooga Club

Chinquapin Builders

Church of the Good Shepherd

Church of the Incarnation

CK Swan

Community Bible Church

Complete Property Services INC

Continental Divide Creations

Cornucopia

CRAWFORD CONSTRUCTION, LLC

Crawford Environmental Services, LLC

Cullasaja Women's Outreach

Design South Builders

Discover Turf & Native Grass, Inc.

Doss Foundation

Dr. Patti Wheeler and Friends

Dyer & Ricke General Dentistry

Eduardo Painting

Evan's Hair Graphics

Fern Creek Builders

Fiddlehead Designs

Justin Allman - Firemoss Pottery

Flat Mountain Farm

Floressence Flowers

Four Season Landscape INC.

Four Seasons Compassion for Life

Glass Foundation

Jackson County Green Energy Park

Gracewear Boutique

Green Mountain Builders, LLC

Growing Studio

H. Foundation, Inc.

Heather and Craig Johnson

Hennessy Automobile Companies

Highland Hiker

Highland Steak House

Highlander Heating and Air

Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation

Highlands Cashiers Land Trust

Highlands Community Fund

Highlands Decorating Center

Highlands Technology Group

Ingles Markets

Interior Enhancements

J. Gabriel 

Jackson County Arts Council

Jersey Mike's Franchise Systems, Inc.

Jersey Mikes Brevard & Sylva

Lake Toxaway Charities

Landmark Realty

Laura Moser Art

CFWNC - Learning Links

Lehotsky & Sons

Lonesome Valley 

Loudermilk Homes

Loudermilk Design

Luna Mountain Doulas

Lynn Monday's House of Design

Mantiques 

Mathis Landscapes

McCulley's of Highlands & Cashiers

McKee Properties 

Mebane Foundation

Miller Residential Company

Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton

Mountain Dog Spa

Murdock Accounting Solutions, LLC

NC Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council

Oakleaf Style 

Oakleaf Style 

Old Edwards Club, LLC

Old Edwards Inn & Acorns Boutique

Patriot Roof Cleaning & Property Management

Plateau Magazine 

POA Support Inc.

REACH of Macon County

Rely on Boris, LLC

Rick Ramsey Insurance Agency Inc

Roman's Roofing

Rotary Club of Cashiers Valley

Rusticks Home Furnishings

Sarah's Sinful Sweets

Sashay Around

Scotlynn Yard

Slab Town Pizza

Smoky Mountains Home Services LLC

Southern Fuel & Provisions

Specialties Plus of NC

Spruce Interiors

Stanberry Insurance Agency, Inc.

Sugar Cloud Baking Company

Sunny Daze Flower Company

Sweetwater Builders

Tangles 

tarte Cosmetics 

Tate Landscaping Services

The ARTIST MANAGEMENT GROUP

The Bascom - A Center for the Visual Arts

The Business Spot

The Cashiers Glenville Volunteer Fire Department

The Cashiers Store 

The Club at High Hampton

The Corner Store

The Country Club of Sapphire Valley, Inc.

The Library Kitchen & Bar

The Look Boutique

The Moskowitz Law Firm

The Orchard Restaurant

The Perch Associates LP

The Silver Skillet Restaurant

The Spinx Company, Inc.

The Vineyard at 37 High Holly

TJ Bailey's

Trillium Land & Realty Company, LLC

United Community Bank

Viking Appliances / EVO Outdoor Grills

Vivace

Wade Hampton Golf Club

Western Carolina University

Whiteside Art Gallery

Whiteside Brewing Co. 

Whole Life Market & Nectar Juice Bar

Wit's End

Wofford Sculpture Studio

Zoller Hardware

The Different Types Of Gifts We Accept

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Gifts of Cash

The majority of gifts received to the Summit Charter School Foundation are in the form of cash contributions for which donors, depending on their individual financial circumstances, may receive tax benefits. The school may put gifts of cash to immediate use for programs, endowments, and projects.

To make a monetary gift, you may contact the Foundation directly or donate online in secure transactions via PayPal. You will receive a receipt of your transaction instantly.

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