Smyth Endowment Fund

Dear Friend of Blessed Sacrament School,

As we look forward to the 100th anniversary of our Blessed Sacrament School in 2023, we reflect upon the challenges of the past - from the great recession to the recent pandemic, the joys of the present - returning to full-time inperson School and Parish activities and the promise of the future - a normal year, coming out of the pandemic a stronger community than ever before. In 1987, the parish, through the contributions and support of hundreds of families in our community, created the Monsignor Thomas G. Smyth Endowment Fund “to provide increased financial resources to assure the continuation of quality Catholic education at Blessed Sacrament School.”

I am writing to you today to emphasize the importance of the “Smyth Endowment Fund” and to ask for your investment in our School’s future, just as our community had the foresight to do 35 years ago. Your gift to thevSmyth Endowment Fund will provide long-term financial security and ensure that Blessed Sacrament Schoolvwill thrive for another 100 years.

Like any endowment fund, the Smyth Endowment Fund’s capital is invested for long-term growth, while also making annual disbursements to the school to support various initiatives. Over the years, the Fund’s annual disbursements, which totaled approximately 3.5% of the School’s annual budget over the past three years, has carried our School through financial hardships with minimal impact to day-to-day operations and will continue to do so in the future. It serves as a safety net for the impact of unforeseen circumstances, such as the 2008 financial crisis, when a number of families unexpectedly needed tuition assistance and other sources of school income declined. More recently the Fund was critical to ensuring the continued success of the School during the pandemic, providing the financial support required to safely reopen. The Fund has also provided capital for necessary renovations and one-time projects and upgrades, such as financing the beloved “Field of Dreams”.

In addition to providing unexpected contingency cash flow, a fixed percentage of capital from the Fund is distributed to BSS each year in support of two main goals:

• To offer financial assistance to students and their families who would otherwise not be able to attend our excellent school.
• To provide continuing education, training, and materials for our excellent teachers. The Fund also allowed for a one-time teacher bonus in June 2021 in appreciation of their extraordinary service during the pandemic.

Since the Fund’s creation, it has been wisely invested and the past five years have yielded a 16.1% annualized return on its portfolio. To put it another way, if you had contributed $1,000 in 2016, that donation would be valued at more than $2,100 in today’s fund. It has been a great honor to serve in my childhood parish for almost five years. While I am retiring this summer, I want to ensure that our beloved school will be around for generations to come to continue to provide quality Catholic education and serve our parish and community.

Will you help me to do this by giving a gift to the Smyth Endowment Fund today?

Please visit www.smythfundbss.org to make your gift. Please accept my deep gratitude on behalf of the children and families who will directly benefit from your generosity.

Gratefully in Christ,

Father Bill Foley, Pastor