The funds raised during the campaign, which begins on January 25, 2023 and runs during Catholic Schools Week (ending on February 3, 2023), help to provide each student with something more than what is covered by the cost of tuition only. The actual cost per student at OLSH this academic year is $5,000 more than what families are charged in tuition. The dollars raised truly do the work of making our mission possible - preparing students for a life of exceptional Christian leadership, stewardship, and service to all.
Historically our goal for our one-day online giving campaign is $50,000. But our OLSH students knew they could do WAY better than that! The past two years we exceeded a goal of $100,000, and this year our students wanted to go even further. Our new goal of $125,000 will help to provide transportation, classroom resources, campus ministry funds, and much more. The more money raised, the more our current students benefit!
The name Charger Challenge was developed in the mid-1990s for a letter-writing campaign, led by the students at OLSH. Some alums may remember asking relatives, neighbors and businesses to make a contribution to the school. These campaigns were not only common at that time, but remain popular at the elementary school level.
For the first 15 years of Charger Challenge, a generous donor provided a dollar-for-dollar matching gift to all $100 donors to the campaign. When the school no longer received the match, campaign contributions fizzled. That coupled with the manpower and costs associated with a physical mailing led to the cancellation of the annual “event.”
BUT now we have a NEW donor who is matching the $100 gifts – we are SO grateful!
In 2021, due to the pandemic, we decided to cancel our annual Gala fundraising event. The Advancement Committee of the OLSH Board of Directors reviewed possible alternatives, and agreed that a peer-to-peer campaign was the best path to success. The idea was vetted by Parent Ambassadors and Student Government, and both groups were on board for the challenge!
The 2021 Charger Challenge was an enormous success, and last year's Charger Challenge was even more successful. We're ready to continue the trend!
In essence, this is our giving day! While in the past, we have promoted our giving day during a single 24-hour period, this year we are asking all families and friends of OLSH to join together to make an online gift during the window of the campaign, Jan 25 – Feb 3.
Not only are we raising funds online, we are also taking this week to celebrate all things “OLSH”, both in school and on social media. The campaign begins during Catholic Schools Week, which allows us to also celebrate the aspects that make us unique as an independent Catholic School. Banners and decorations will hang throughout the school as we work together as a community to reach the $125,000 goal, and engage in a little friendly competition between classes!
Gifts made as part of the Charger Challenge 2023 campaign support The OLSH Fund, the annual fund for our school. At OLSH we spend over $16,000 to educate each student, yet only charge $12,000 in tuition. That’s because we believe in giving our students more. OLSH offers a strong Catholic education, with a vast array of opportunities, and an end product like no other. OLSH graduates go on to become successful contributors in their fields, serving others as Christian leaders. Your gift to Charger Challenge 2023 makes it possible for us to provide a distinct educational experience for our students.
During this campaign, current students reach out to family and friends to make donations. The class that raises the most funds by the end of the campaign earns bragging rights and a class party to celebrate! When you make a gift, you can select a class to receive credit, or you can give to our general pool of funds. On the last day of the Challenge, the students will compete in spirit games to add funds from the general pool to their total!