Mindy Schweitzer-Rawls joined The Children’s School in July as our director of development. Here she shares the value of giving of your time, talent, and treasure and the impact it has on our entire community.
I cannot remember a time in my life when I was not actively engaged in giving of my time, talent, and treasure. When I was in elementary school, I accompanied my mom and younger sister to an afterschool program serving very low-income youth. While my mom gave her gift of leadership, my sister and I gave our gifts of play and personal connection. As a young child, it deepened my understanding of, and value in, the impact of giving back – values my husband, Sean, and I now work to pass along to our children, Lionel and Macsen.
After moving to San Francisco from Athens, GA in 2003, I enrolled as a peer support volunteer for a community-based organization called Shanti. Through my gifts of service and compassion as a volunteer, I enhanced the quality of life of my 65-year-old client living with AIDS by showing up on a weekly basis and supporting his practical and emotional needs. What began as a volunteer relationship transformed into a professional one in 2008, and for many years I led fundraising initiatives for Shanti as a way to financially sustain the organization.
After moving back to Georgia last year, I was in a new phase of life, as I was mothering two young boys in a new city and state. As I searched for work, my goal was to remain true to my personal values, while being able to proudly share with my children my professional life and the passion that fuels it. I found this at The Children’s School. I immediately connected with the school’s mission and its embodiment of the “TCS Way.” The belief in, and execution of, amplifying childhood and the authentic self spoke to me.
In my early observations of the TCS community, I am impressed by the high level of engagement and philanthropic support being extended. My limited work so far with the Auction Committee has already demonstrated ways in which the TCS parent community leverages their time, talent, and treasure to strengthen the school and round out the student experience. Another example of the community’s commitment is in the growth of the TCS Financial Aid Fund, which has increased from 6 percent to 21 percent in a little over five years, as well as the community’s ability to raise approximately $250,000-$300,000 annually through its Annual Giving Campaign (AGC). Outcomes such as these transpire when a thoughtful, caring community commits their time, talent, and treasure. As parents, you are setting an example for your children that demonstrates the positive impact of giving through one’s gifts to positively impact our ever-changing world.
Why any of us give is a personal decision. Over the course of the school year, there are a multitude of ways for you to give back meaningfully. I encourage you to think about your “Why?’ To engage, think about:
- Time: We ask all parents to volunteer at least once in the classroom and for one school-wide committee. You can review our Parent Advisory Committee overview sheet to express your interest or connect directly with your child’s classroom.
- Talent: Leverage your unique talents through the classroom or reach out to me and we can explore some of the many ways in which you can lend your talents and/or personal connections (i.e. Are you interested in art? You could help lead your child’s classroom in an art project for the auction).
- Treasure: Extend your financial support to close the funding gap by joining over 90% of parents and 100% of faculty and staff inby making a meaningful financial gift through the TCS annual giving campaign, and r
- Redirect your state tax dollars by enrolling in the GA Private School Tax Credit program to support diversity and inclusion at TCS.
As John D. Rockefeller, Jr. said, “Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege.” For me, giving gives me purpose and I believe it is a privilege, my privilege.
