FISW Giving

FISW students receive an incredible bilingual education that encourages their creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking. Here, children are not only well-trained in basic skills, they are also nurtured and prepared to face a complex world with optimism and empathy.

To continue delivering this level of academic excellence, FISW needs your help. Like all independent schools, annual tuition fees do not cover the complete cost of educating a student at FISW. This 'gap' in funding at FISW is $2,750.

We recognize that fundraising should be as streamlined as possible. Therefore, we limit fundraising to 2 giving campaigns during the school year: Annual Giving in the Fall and the Gala in the Spring.

Thank you for your support!

25 years
mission driven - student centered

Your kind contribution directly benefits every student by strengthening this unique learning environment.

Give the gap to support a thriving FISW with well-being at its core.

Annual Giving

Annual Giving directly supports our annual budgetary needs and starts in the Fall. Your gift directly benefits our students and is a true philanthropic effort that makes the school a better place. Like every independent school, annual tuition feeds do not cover the complete cost of educating a child at FISW. This 'gap' in funding at FISW is $2,750 per child. Suggested giving is the gap, but the key to Annual Giving is for everyone to give to the best of their ability.

Your contributions this past year allowed us to enhance our welcoming environment and promote well-being through:

Open, inviting common spaces
Improved classroom furniture and smartboards
New playground
School Counselor & new Learning Support ortho-pedagogue
More equitable tuition assistance including before and after school care
Stronger salaries and benefits for our incredible educators.

Let’s discover how much more we can do together…

Annual Giving is our opportunity to directly fund our mission, programs, and students and invest in a thriving FISW with well-being at its core.

Why give to FISW?

Foster: Your gift fosters well-being at the core of our school.

Ignite: Your gift ignites students’ natural curiosity through program enhancements and hands-on learning opportunities.
Support: Your gift directly supports FISW families by funding a robust tuition assistance program.

Welcome: Your gift builds a welcoming environment for our entire FISW community.

Matching Gifts

Many generous companies in our area match an employee’s philanthropic donations or provide a monetary match for volunteer hours. If your company matches your donation, it allows you to double your gift to FISW. Contact your human resources representative for specific information on your company’s matching gift program.

Adobe Systems, Inc.
Aetna

Alaska Airlines
American Express
Ameriprise Financial
Amgen

Apple Inc.
Applied Materials
Attachmate
AT&T
Autodesk, Inc.
Bank of the West
Bank of America
BECU

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Bi-Mart
Boeing

BNSF Railway Co.
Cardinal Health

Charles Schwab

Chevron
Cisco Systems
The Coca-Cola Company

Costco

Delta Western, Inc.
Expedia, Inc.
Fed Ex
First Independent
Gap, Inc.

General Mills, Inc.

Goldman Sachs
Google
Hewlett-Packard

The Home Depot
HSBC

Hulu
Hunter-Davisson, Inc.

IBM Corporation

ING Direct

Iberdrola Renewables

Intel

Johnson & Johnson
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Kaiser Permanente
KPMG, LLP
Liberty Mutual

Macy's Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
Morgan Stanley
Nike

Nintendo of America
Nokia
The ODS Companies

Oracle Corporation
Pfizer, Inc.
PGE

Puget Sound Energy
Qualcomm Charitable Foundation

RealNetworks

Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield
REI
Safeco Insurance
The Standard
Starbucks Corporation
Symantec
Symetra Financial Corporation

Tableau Software

Tik Tok
Umpqua Bank

U.S. Bank

UBS Financial Services Inc.

United Way of King County
Verizon Wireless
Wells Fargo

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I give to FISW?

Donations to FISW can be made by check, credit card, cash, stock transfer, or pledge. A pledge is simply a donation that you promise to make in the future. If your employer matches your donation, we will be happy to help you with any paperwork.

You can also donate appreciated stock via Schwab Charitable giving: https://www.schwabcharitable.org/

The French Immersion of Washington's fiscal year runs from July 1 – June 30. Donations for the current school year should be received by June 30. Please email Erin, the Director of Institutional Advancement, if other arrangements need to be made.

FISW is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN 31-1657315. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

My family is already paying tuition. Why do we need to donate money as well?

At FISW, we value our diverse and child-focused community. For this reason, we deliberately set tuition at a level that makes the school accessible to more families. This covers less than 90% of the cost of a child’s FISW education. We rely on fundraising to cover the 10% gap ($2,750/child in 2024-25) between tuition and the actual cost of educating a child at FISW.

Every American private school has a gap. It allows us to support economic diversity in our community. Those who are able to give can do so as a tax deductible donation.

Where does my gift go?

Bridging the gap allows us to fund all aspects of an FISW education. This includes everything that makes an FISW education so special - field trips, special projects such as the science fair and Spectacle, teacher training, and tuition assistance for students who would otherwise be unable to attend FISW.

In addition to supporting your child's education, what are the benefits of giving to FISW?

Many people enjoy getting involved in fundraising activities because they meet new people and establish friendships. Others view giving as a way to become an active stakeholder and help the school achieve its goals. Still, others take pride in being recognized on a list of school supporters. And, unlike tuition payments, gifts to independent schools are tax deductible to the extent of the law and are eligible for your workplace matching program.

How much of a difference can my gift make?

Our goal is 100% participation. Your participation demonstrates your support of FISW, its teachers, staff, and programs. It is also incredibly important to help cover our bottom line. Even if you can only make a small gift, your participation, along with all the other parents in the school, combines to cover our operating expenses and continue to ensure that FISW is truly a special place.

Do other school events contribute to FISW Giving?

We recognize that fundraising should be as streamlined as possible. Therefore, we limit fundraising to two giving campaigns during the school year: Annual Giving in the Fall and the Gala in the Spring.

At other times of the year, you will hear about efforts led by students, parents, and the FCA (FISW Community Association). We are teaching philanthropy to our students. Over the course of the year, students select causes they believe in and organize campaigns such as food and holiday toy drives in support of these outside organizations. All PA activities are community building events. These events may include a small fee to cover the cost and operations but are not part of FISW Giving.

The two annual opportunities to give directly to the school are Annual Giving and the Gala.