Looking Back. Moving Forward.

An Invitation to Support St. Michael Indian School

Through the generosity of our community and supporters like you, we continue St. Katharine’s vision and continue the growth of our school for the benefit of providing our students with an education that prepares them for successful futures. 

GIVING PROGRAMS

We rely on the generosity of donors to fund our campus programs and scholarship opportunities for our students for short and long term needs. Help ignite what’s possible! 

VOLUNTEER

Each year, we welcome volunteers from across the United States to our campus. We welcome gifts of time in support of our mission. 

WISH LIST

Choose from items the school could utilize to better our mission and improve the educational experience for our students.

DREXEL'S LEGACY

Help Ignite What's Possible

Large or small, your gift makes our mission–started by Saint Katherine Drexel and continued today–possible at St. Michael Indian School.

ANNUAL FUND

Our annual fund supports the school's current year operating expenses, including maintenance, utilities, and classroom updates.
Your gift to Where Needed Most is greatly appreciated. Make your 2023 pledge of support today.

JOIN THE ST. MICHAEL CIRCLE

The St. Michael Circle is a special group of donors who provide on-going, monthly gifts that help form a steady resource we can count on. Your monthly support will help us with classroom resources, support faculty, and engage in projects and programs to keep delivering and exploring educational opportunities. As a friend of SMIS, you receive special communications on the school, special invitations, and receive a discount at the Pride Store.

EMPLOYER MATCHING GIFTS

You may have the opportunity to increase the value of your gift if you employer has a matching gift program. As an employee benefit, many corporation match their employees' charitable contributions.

THE BENEFITS OF SUPPORTING SMIS

We educate over 338 students from pre-k to 12th grade, and 90% of our students receive some form of financial aid. While we are financially healthy, your continued support provides our students with a Catholic education, upgrades facilities and technology, and provides our faculty and staff with needed housing and competitive benefits.

PLANNED GIVING

Estate Planning & Qualified Charitable Distribution

Each year, many of our benefactors leave a lasting impact to our school through estate planning and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD).

These gifts help us to dream big and achieve bold goals–from repairing some of our 100-year-old buildings to bringing high technology programs to our campus and students. 

ST. MICHAEL INDIAN SCHOOL PLANNED GIVING

  • Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

  • QCD allow donors who are at least 70 1/2 years old to give charities like St. Michael Indian School, up to $100,000 a year directly from their IRA‘s without it counting as taxable income. QCDs count toward minimum distributions (the amount of money you must withdraw from an IRA each year after reaching 70 1/2). There is no receipt of goods or services for the QCD gift. QCD gifts can only be made from IRA‘s and gifts from 401(k) or other vehicles, you (donor) must first roll those funds over into a qualified IRA. Then they can direct the fund administrator to transfer money to St. Michael Indian School. The potential tax benefit of a QCD gift is that it is transferred from an account directly to a charity so the money isn’t taxable income to the you (donor). A QCD is not eligible for a charitable deduction on federal income taxes. State laws about charitable dedications and how QCDs are handled vary. Consult an adviser.

    Request a sample letter you can send to your IRA administrator to make a QCD gift to St. Michael Indian School or discuss an estate gift, please contact the Advancement Office at (505) 979-5590 Ext. 3036

  • Estate Planning

  • There are a variety of ways you can include SMIS in your estate plans. Many of these methods may also be a benefit in reducing estate taxes. We’d be glad to discuss including SMIS in your will or estate plans

QCD allow donors who are at least 70 1/2 years old to give charities like St. Michael Indian School, up to $100,000 a year directly from their IRA‘s without it counting as taxable income. QCDs count toward minimum distributions (the amount of money you must withdraw from an IRA each year after reaching 70 1/2). There is no receipt of goods or services for the QCD gift. QCD gifts can only be made from IRA‘s and gifts from 401(k) or other vehicles, you (donor) must first roll those funds over into a qualified IRA. Then they can direct the fund administrator to transfer money to St. Michael Indian School. The potential tax benefit of a QCD gift is that it is transferred from an account directly to a charity so the money isn’t taxable income to the you (donor). A QCD is not eligible for a charitable deduction on federal income taxes. State laws about charitable dedications and how QCDs are handled vary. Consult an adviser.

Request a sample letter you can send to your IRA administrator to make a QCD gift to St. Michael Indian School or discuss an estate gift, please contact the Advancement Office at (505) 979-5590 Ext. 3036

There are a variety of ways you can include SMIS in your estate plans. Many of these methods may also be a benefit in reducing estate taxes. We’d be glad to discuss including SMIS in your will or estate plans

EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Just in the past year, we’ve achieved extraordinary progress through the financial support, prayers, and work of hundreds of volunteers and donors. Here’s just a small sample of what we’ve accomplished together:

  • Safe and Healthy School Environment (updated health stations, sanitizing, and disenfecting equipment)
  • New physical education equipment and curriculum for PE and Health Ed
  • Elementary Reading Labs with Reading Nook
  • Campus-wide security systems expansion
  • New 24 passenger school bus
  • Chapel renovation 

We are committed to putting every contribution to good use. With your help, we will continue to fulfill Saint Katharine Drexel’s vision for building a school for the advancement of our Native American communities, their families, and our children. 

SMIS WISHLIST

ICE MACHINE

Food Service Equipment

$4,500

KITCHEN OVEN

Food Service Kitchen Equipment

$12,000

LAWNMOWER

Riding lawnmower for grounds keeping and soccer field maintenance

$8,000

GREENHOUSE

FOR SCHOOL GARDEN

$5,000

3D ANATOMY TABLE

3D ANATOMY VISUALIZATION AND VIRTUAL DISSECTION TOOL FOR ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY EDUCATION

$92,000

INCLUDES TABLE. $123,000 WITH CURRICULUM

PORTABLE LIGHT STANDS

FOR GROUNDS AND EVENT USAGE FOR OUTDOOR AND ATHLETICS

$15,000

2 SOLAR POWERED TOWABLE LIGHT TOWERS

UTILITY VEHICLE FOR MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

$8,000

SECURITY GATES

$5,000

TRUCK FOR MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

IN-KIND DONATION OF NEW OR GENTLY USED TRUCK

$35,000


WE'RE A COMMUNITY INVESTED IN OUR STUDENTS

“SMIS instills values in our children that are important to our family including determination, honesty, and love for others. The school also fosters our children to grow into contributing members of the community. The faculty and staff truly expect excellence, and SMIS provides a secure environment that allows students to develop to their fullest potential. We’re very glad our kids are at SMIS”

– Derrick & Reynalda Terry (SMIS Class of ’93)

ADVANCEMENT TEAM

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RENEE TSINNIE

DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

(505) 979-5595 EXT. 3036
RENEE.TSINNIE@SMISCHOOLS.ORG

SMIS-KIM-SMALL

KIMBERLY BILLIMAN

ENROLLMENT & EVENT MANAGER

(505)979-5590 EXT. 3052
KIMBERLY.BILLIMAN@SMISCHOOLS.ORG

SMIS-DEE-SMALL

DEE WEBER ('09)

ADVANCEMENT ASSISTANT

(505) 979-5590 EXT. 3035
DEE.WEBER@SMISCHOOLS.ORG

5-CourageTodachine

COURAGE TOM

EVENT & PRIDE STORE ASSISTANT

(505)979-5590 EXT. 2006
COURAGE.TODACHINE@SMISCHOOLS.ORG