Hoboken Charter School’s 2025-2026 Annual Fund

 

Hoboken Charter School’s (HCS) Annual Fund is, along with our Annual Gala & Auction in the Spring, one of two annual efforts to raise essential dollars to support the success of HCS, its students and faculty. Our Annual Fund’s End-of-Year Appeal, which kicks-off on #GivingTuesday on December 2nd, aims to raise awareness about our school’s need to fundraise in order to address the deep funding gap we experience as a public charter school in New Jersey. 

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Our goal for the Annual Fund, which is spearheaded by the Friends of Hoboken Charter School, is to have 100% K-12 school participation - every family makes a contribution no matter the size that is meaningful to them - as every single dollar makes a difference. 

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🎉 100% HCS Board of Trustees & Development Committee Participation 🎉

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To launch our campaign on a strong footing, HCS’s Board of Trustees and our Board’s Development/Fundraising Committee have achieved 100% giving participation for this year’s Annual Fund as follows:

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• 100% (13 of 13) - Trustees and Committee Members donated

• $23,700 - Donated by Trustees and Committee Members

• $1,823 - Ave. Donation Amount

• 46% (6 of 13) - Donated $1,000 or more 

• $10,000 - The largest donation to date for the 2025-2026 Annual Fund

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Thank you to every HCS Board Trustee and Development Committee member for your donation, and for launching our End-of-Year fundraising appeal on such a strong footing! Let’s keep going, community!

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Why donate to HCS’s Annual Fund?

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A Massive Funding Gap

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HCS is a free, 501(c)(3) non-profit public school that is open to all students. As a public charter school, we have more flexibility to operate than our traditional public school peers, which empowers us to provide world class education. However, that increased flexibility comes with a tremendous cost: HCS only receives 70% of the funding allocated to our peer schools per pupil. That means each of your children get 30% less to fund their education, when we believe all students deserve 100% (and more) to realize their full potential. 

Compared to traditional public schools in Hoboken, public charter schools, including HCS, are significantly underfunded:

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• On average, public charter schools in Hoboken receive $8,150 less in funding per pupil funding compared to traditional districts. For HCS, with 298 K-12 students, this equates to a nearly $2.5 million shortfall, AND we know local public schools are already underfunded.

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• Unlike traditional school districts, charter schools are also excluded from many state funding streams, such as transportation aid, educational adequacy aid, and debt service aid. So what does this mean? Debt Service Aid, for example, is a type of state financial assistance that helps public school districts pay for long-term capital projects, such as building new schools, renovating facilities, or making major repairs. HCS does not have access to these funds.

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• Additionally, New Jersey does NOT provide facilities aid to public charter schools (and is one of only a few states in the country that fails to do so). Since 2001, NJ has provided $19 BILLION to traditional school districts for school construction, while public charter schools have received only $44 million for minor building improvements. This means public charter schools have received 0.23% of facilities funding in NJ. 

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SOURCE: NJCharters.org

 

🧑‍🏫📚🏫 Why Give to HCS? 

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At HCS, we have reimagined education so today’s children will create a more just world tomorrow. Our focus on academic, artistic, personal, and civic growth prepares students to think critically and empowers them to stand up for equity and equality in our world. As national policies continue to shift, our collective work to uplift and protect our community is more essential than ever.

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Because we continue to reimagine education to support the success of our students, our young people are excelling when with us and well beyond their time with us, despite these significant challenges. 

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 Our progress, even with minimal resources, shows what’s possible — and your support is essential to help us go even further.

 

How do your donations get put to use?

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Your support of Hoboken Charter School ensures we continue to enhance the world class education we are able to provide, including, for example:

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• 🧑‍🏫Retaining and Elevating our Beloved Faculty and Staff through the offering of increased base salaries, improved benefits and teacher appreciation gifts.

• 📚Improving Academics and Enrichment through the furnishing of new science lab equipment, underwriting competition travel and participation, and so much more.

• 🏫Maintaining and Enhancing our School to ensure we provide the safest, cleanest, and most advanced facilities to support the success of our students and faculty.

 

🎁 Ways to Give

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• Donate by Credit Card (Fees Apply): Donate on the HCS website 

• Donate by Check (No Fee!):

  • Write a Check to Friends of Hoboken Charter School and drop it off at the School’s main office or mail to: Hoboken Charter School, c/o Dave Carty, COO, 713 Washington Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030

  • Please note if you would like to make an anonymous donation, please attach a note stating that and add on the “For” line of your check. 

• Donate via Wire Transfer/ACH: Please contact Development@hobokencs.net to coordinate.

• Make a Pledge: Aren’t ready to donate now, but know you want to? Send an email to Development@hobokencs.net and let us know how much you anticipate donating and an approximate timeline. 

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📈 Double or Triple Your Donation! Your Employer’s Matching Gift Program

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Many companies offer their employees a matching gift program, enabling you to double or even triple your donation to Hoboken Charter School empowering us to provide a unique, world-class K-12 education. Please follow the below steps to determine if your company has a program, and if yes, to complete the process, if interested.

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• If you are unsure if your company has a matching gift policy, please contact your human resources office or email Development@hobokencs.net for support.

• If they do, please complete your company’s matching gift verification form, or submit via your workplace intranet. Review the guidelines to see if HCS is eligible. 

• Send receipt. When completed, please email or mail a copy of your receipt to HCS:

  1. Email: Development@hobokencs.net

  2. Mail: Hoboken Charter School, c/o Dave Carty, COO, 713 Washington Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030

 

Please be sure to complete the entire donor portion of the verification form and include a copy of your gift receipt (if required).

 

Our Progress - SY2024-2025

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Last School Year, 2024-2025, HCS raised more $160,000 as a community, through the following efforts: Annual Fund, Annual Gala and Auction, Teacher and Staff Appreciation, and Friends of HCS Community Events. At Community Events like Bingo and the Parent-Teacher Basketball game, families purchased tickets to cover event costs and had the opportunity to donate in support of HCS if unable to attend.

 

• Annual Fund - $ 41,900 (26%)

• Annual Gala & Auction - $81,200 (51%)

• Teacher & Staff Appreciation - $8,600 (5%)*

• FoHCS Community Events (Ticket Prices & Donations) - $29,300 (18%)

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*FoHCS historically fundraised in December and April to support the distribution of teacher and staff appreciation. Working towards the integration of Teacher & Staff Appreciation as part of our overall Annual Fund efforts, we did not conduct a Spring 2025 fundraiser but used pre-existing funds raised to cover these gifts. 

 

HCS Fundraising Highlights

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Over the past seven school years, our most successful efforts were as follows:

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• Total Revenue Raised:

  • Most Successful Fundraising Year: SY18-19, we raised $186,268. 

  • Last School Year: SY24-25 was the third highest fundraising year of the seven ($160,167).

  • This School Year: SY2025-2026, our goal is to raise $185,000.

• Annual Fund:

  • Most Successful Fundraising Year: SY18-19, we raised $74,137.

  • Last School Year: SY24-25 was the lowest fundraising year of the seven ($40,949.92). 

  • This School Year: Let’s set a new record! We’ve raised $23,700 already thanks to our Board of Trustees and Development Committee, and we are already 32% there. 

• Annual Gala and Auction:

  • Most Successful Fundraising Year: SY22-23, we raised $87,415.

  • Last School Year: SY24-25 was the second highest fundraising event of the seven ($81,228)!

  • This School Year: SY25-26, let’s set a new record and surpass the $87,415! 

• Teacher & Staff Appreciation:

  • Most Successful Fundraising Year: SY21-22, we raised $15,969.

  • Last School Year: SY24-25 we raised $8,604. Please note we only did a Winter fundraiser, as we began streamlining fundraising efforts, and all Teachers and Staff still received both a winter and spring appreciation gift. 

  • This School Year: Teacher and Staff Appreciation will not have separate fundraisers but will be included as part of the Annual Fund appeals. In SY25-26, Teachers and Staff will receive a Winter and Spring appreciation, as they have historically, and the amount they will receive will increase. 

  • The Future: While providing teachers and staff with periodic gifts and recognition is important, and will continue, HCS’s goal in the coming years will be to also raise sufficient funds to increase base salaries and improve benefits offered, both in terms of number and quality. This will have a more significant impact on our ability to retain our beloved staff members, to show our gratitude and our value of their work, and support their success and wellbeing.

 

Questions & Suggestions

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Have questions or suggestions on how to donate, how we can fundraise more or better to support our school, or are interested in getting involved? Please email us at Development@Hobokencs.net. We appreciate you!​

 

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