Support GSMS

About GSMS Giving

Within the child lies the fate of the future. --Maria Montessori

Good Shepherd Montessori School is an independent 501(c)(3) school that relies on tuition income and philanthropic contributions to achieve its mission. By design, tuition covers approximately 80% of the school’s operating budget, and fundraising covers the rest. Keeping tuition low is critical to GSMS’s commitment to educational equity. 

Fundraising activities, like the annual campaign and the Chiaravalle Gala, bridge the gap between tuition and actual education costs. Proceeds of these fundraising efforts provide the resources necessary to give Good Shepherd students the best guides, classroom materials, and prepared environments for their academic, emotional, and spiritual needs.

GSMS’s 11-week annual giving campaign at the start of the school year is the most crucial fundraiser for GSMS. We aim to have 100% of the GSMS community make a gift between the first day of school and December 1, 2023. 

The proceeds go towards the Common Good Fund, which benefits every member of the Good Shepherd community. GSMS designed this fund to support the operating budget, helping fund daily operations and accomplish immediate campus improvements and program updates. 

Although the official drive runs for approximately eleven weeks, families and friends can contribute to the Common Good Fund all year or become sustaining benefactors by signing up for recurrent giving. You can create an automatic monthly donation to the Common Good Fund on our online giving form by choosing the “monthly” under donation frequency. 

Contributions are accepted by credit card, checks made payable to Good Shepherd Montessori School (GSMS), cash delivered to the business office, and gifts of stock. 

If your family cannot give during our fall campaign, please consider making a pledge. Pledges will be due June 15, 2024. Completing the annual campaign before winter break gives Good Shepherd a solid financial footing for the remainder of the school year and allows the admin and development team to shift focus to other fundraising priorities in the spring.

Good Shepherd has thrived because of its history of generous community giving. Let’s keep this tradition strong!

Giving Levels

  • $5000+ The Shining Light Circle
  • $2,500 to $4,999 The Maria Montessori Circle
  • $1,000 to $2,499 The Peace Circle
  • $500 to $999 The Golden Bead Circle
  • $1 to $499 The Circle of Friends
Give Now

SGO Scholarship FUnd

Receive a 50% Indiana state tax credit for a gift supporting GSMS’s financial aid program. Learn More

Give to SGO

What is the Common Good Fund?

Your gift to the Common Good Fund will support us in achieving our mission to educate students who will foster world peace and work toward global justice. Join us by making your gift today! Every gift, regardless of size, directly supports the following:

  • Well-designed and age-appropriate Montessori materials.
  • Montessori faculty and staff training.
  • Spaces that honor the Montessori goal of providing beautifully prepared environments. 
  • Spiritual formation through Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. 
  • Experiences that enrich the student experience like field trips, music and art instruction, place-based education projects, physical expression opportunities, and a growing library.

Why should I give when I already pay tuition?

Great question!

Since the beginning, Good Shepherd has been blessed by a community that shares its vision for a joyful Montessori education rooted in peacemaking. When Dan Driscoll and Felicia Leon-Driscoll opened the doors to Good Shepherd Montessori School in 2002, they firmly believed in maintaining affordable tuition for all families who wished to send their children to Good Shepherd. Those early values hold true today. If GSMS did not raise yearly funds to support the school’s daily operations, it would need to significantly increase tuition, creating a barrier for those who could not afford it.

Is the Common Good Fund new?

No. In the past, the Common Good Fund has been referred to as the annual fund. Functionally, the Common Good Fund and the annual fund are the same; however, this year, the annual fund was rebranded to better reflect Good Shepherd’s ethos of generosity. GSMS encourages its community to give during the annual giving season and year-round as they feel called.

How much should I give?

Last year, the average family gift was $980; 100% of our Board of Directors and 87% of school staff members contributed to fundraising efforts. Good Shepherd’s continued goal each year is to achieve 100% participation from our community. There is no gift too small! Please know that participation in the annual giving campaign for the Common Good Fund matters far more than the size of your gift. Good Shepherd hopes to engage 100% of its community in giving because it sends the critical message that we believe in our school and its mission. This message is essential to prospective donors like foundations, grant-makers, and other donors who choose to make significant leadership gifts to GSMS.

Felicia A. Driscoll Scholarship Fund

The Felicia A. Leon-Driscoll Scholarship Fund provide financial support for children attending Good Shepherd Montessori School. The fund was established in memory of Felicia, a co-founder of GSMS, who worked with children as the catechist of the school.

To contribute to this scholarship fund, please click here and select "A scholarship fund." Enter "Felicia A. Leon-Driscoll Scholarship Fund for Good Shepherd Montessori" in the "Fund Name" field.

Olga Logan Larimer FUnd

The Olga Logan Larimer Scholarship Fund was established to provide financial support for Latino/Hispanic children attending Good Shepherd Montessori School.

To contribute to this scholarship fund, please click here and select "Family, Corporate, Scholarship and Memorial Funds." Enter "Olga Logan Larimer Scholarship Fund for Good Shepherd Montessori" in the "Fund Name" field.