2024 Donor Report Published

Benilde-St. Margaret’s has published the 2024 Donor Report, highlighting the charitable gifts and donations made by our generous community of alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty & staff, and friends. The report includes all gifts received from July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024, helping BSM fulfill its mission of preparing students for lives of leadership and service.

According to Richard Olson, chief advancement officer, “We at BSM are extremely grateful for every gift, whether individuals and organizations chose to the annual fund, facility improvements, co-curricular activities, student scholarships, or faculty development. We take great efforts to use each gift carefully and conscientiously to advance academic excellence for every Red Knight.”

In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, 1,298 donors made 2,573 gifts totaling $1,926,000. The donor report highlights how the funds received ensure BSM is a premiere Catholic school and a leader among other private schools in the Twin Cities.

For Shane and Kris Huether, parents of two alums in the Class of ‘15 and Class of ‘23, they support BSM through the annual fund, “BSM is a special community, focused on developing the whole person. We need more Red Knights in the world.”

The BSM annual fund is the annual pool of gifts sustaining the School’s mission-driven work. Built up through the collective generosity of the entire community, the annual fund supports every area of the school. Another area that is crucial to the on-going success of BSM is the endowment, relying on gifts providing direct support for scholarships and facility improvements. The BSM endowment generates revenue year after year, providing a strong foundation for future generations.

Bill and Lynn Brown, parents of alums in the Classes of ’17 and ‘18 established an endowment to honor their family’s commitment to Catholic education. The Browns decided to support BSM with an endowment because, “it [the endowment] provides consistent annual disbursements and the corpus will grow and offer BSM a reliable source of income that it can count on year to year to benefit future students.”

The donor report also highlights how including BSM in estate plans is an excellent way to maximize future giving for the school. Olson explains, “A planned gift in your estate or retirement plan will establish a legacy of charitable giving. The options are varied — with many providing reliable income to you as well as a promised gift to Benilde-St. Margaret’s.”

For Stephen ‘63 and Mary Larkin, the time was right to create an estate plan for their family. Working with their financial advisors, the Larkins found the estate planning process helped them reflect on the people and nonprofits that were important to them and the legacy they would like to leave. “When I reflected on the important role Benilde High School played in my life, it made the decision very easy for us to pay it forward, making a lasting impact on the lives of future Red Knights through an estate gift to BSM.”

Olson notes that whether someone gives to BSM through an endowment, the Annual Fund, or in estate plans, the message is clear – BSM is a worthwhile investment making it possible for countless students to receive the benefits of a Catholic school education at Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

“We are grateful for the faith and belief in BSM as expressed through charitable gifts,” Olson said, noting, “It’s great to welcome our donors to campus, showing them how their generosity has made all of this possible for our community.”

The 2024 donor report includes pictures from the past school year, updates on important events, and the names of BSM family and friends who made contributions to the School.

For more information or to set-up a conversation with Richard Olson or the BSM advancement team, please contact them at 952-915-4351 or rolson@bsmschool.org