Development

Development Dispatch

By Joe Villinski and Larry Amidei '68
December 2005

Strategic Plan Takes Shape

During the past few months, Notre Dame High School completed the first comprehensive strategic planning process in its history. It has been an exciting five months with more than 350 members of our school community participating in visioning sessions, task teams, screening and rating sessions and interviews. All of these groups have provided a tremendous amount of valuable input regarding how we will ensure our young men receive a first-class, Holy Cross education for the next 50 years and beyond. In short, we are proud so many came together to chart the course for Notre Dame's future. Our vision certainly contains the imprint of all who have participated. A summary report of the vision and high-level strategic plan, plus marketing, financial and campaign plans will provide you with the synthesized findings of the feedback received throughout this far-reaching process. You can access this report via the Notre Dame website.

Notre Dame Annual Fund Update

At the close of the 2004-2005 fiscal year on June 30, the Notre Dame Annual Fund surpassed its goal of $200,000. Thanks in large part to a groundswell of support from alumni, alumni parents, current parents, religious, faculty and staff and friends of Notre Dame, the Annual Fund has seen significant increases in its final totals over the past three years.

New Asst. Dir. of Development - Larry Amidei '68

In September, Larry Amidei, NDHS Class of 1968, became an Assistant Director of Development within Notre Dame's Advancement Office. Larry has spent the better part of his professional life as a data manager, project manager and consultant in the manufacturing and technology industry and will serve Notre Dame well in this new role of executing day-to-day operations within the Development Office. He has served NDHS as a former Alumni Association President, class representative and was part of the original movements to start the Phonathon and Auction. "I consider it an honor to continue to make the school a source of pride for its thousands of alumni, parents, friends and benefactors," Larry says.

Jack Burke Scholarship Becomes Endowed

Thanks to a generous trustee gift of $10,000 from the Religious & Charitable Risk Pooling Trust of the Brothers of the Christian Schools & Affiliates in the name of veteran teacher and administrator Jack Burke who passed away in January 2005, the Jack Burke Scholarship will now live on in perpetuity. Notre Dame thanks Christian Brothers Managing Director Jim Barnes and Trust Chairperson Tom Perry for ensuring Jack's legacy through this scholarship. "The fact that every year a scholarship will be given in Jack's name means everything to our family," says Jack's wife, Mary Burke.

Annual Report Corrections & Brach Grant

The names of five current Notre Dame teachers were omitted from the 2004-2005 Annual Report. Mr. John Bachta, Miss Carol Lee Barry, Mr. Bob Beckman, Mr. Scott Bishop and Mrs. LaVerne Bontempo joined their colleagues last year in ensuring 100% faculty/staff participation in the Annual Fund.

On another note, a grant of $20,000, not mentioned in this year's annual report, came to Notre Dame in May from the Helen Brach Foundation. The funding will be used to conduct a comprehensive assessment of resources and services available to learning disabled (LD) students in all Archdiocesan secondary schools. The grant also will provide funding for a research study to analyze the impact of appropriate educational tools on the academic performance of LD students by using a sample of students at Notre Dame.

News & Notes

As we near the end of the calendar year, there is an opportunity to do some planning and maximize your tax savings come April. Now is a perfect time to make an outright gift of cash or securities, matching gift and/or a planned gift through a bequest in a will, retirement assets or life insurance to Notre Dame. So, as you close the books this year and get ready for tax day in April, please keep Notre Dame in mind through your charitable giving. You may make a gift through our Christmas Appeal or online. To make your gift online, visit the Giving to ND link at www.ndhsdons.org.
At year's end, please also keep in mind our car donation program. Call Larry Amidei at 847.779.8614 if interested.
Details about 2006 sponsorships and sponsorship benefits will be forthcoming in January.