Canyon Charter Annual Giving

Annual Giving · 2026–2027

You keep Canyon small,
bright & fully staffed

Canyon Charter School entrance and native garden
 132 familiesgave together last year
 $650,000our community goal

We’re Canyon parents and families, just like you. Annual Giving is the one campaign that funds the classroom aides, the art, music and dance teachers, the PE coach and the small classes that make Canyon the school we all chose. Every dollar stays right here, in your child’s daily experience.

Give to Canyon’s Future See where every dollar goes
 Your donation is tax-deductible. Canyon School Booster Club is a registered 501(c)(3), EIN 95-3892191.

From all of us

To every family that has already given,

thank you

from the bottom of our hearts. ❤️

 

If your family hasn’t had a chance yet, we’d love for you to join us.
Every gift, at any amount, counts toward our participation goal.

Where we are together

Every Canyon family in, at a level that works for them

This year our Annual Giving goal is $650,000 as it is the heart of Canyon’s $800,000 total fundraising goal for 2026. Last year, 132 Canyon families gave over $520,000 together, and that money kept aides, art, music, PE and small classes in place. This year we’re striving for every family to participate at some level.

$9,600

Raised so far across all Booster fundraising · updated every Friday

$800,0001.2%of the total goal
   
$0Annual Giving goal $650,000
 Annual Giving · $7,200 Events, merchandise and corporate · $2,400
132
Canyon families gave last year
$520K+
given together in 2025–26
~340
students reached, TK–5

Where your gift goes

The district funds a school.
Canyon families fund the difference.

LAUSD pays for the building, the classroom teachers and the baseline every school in the district receives. That baseline is real and we are grateful for it. Everything below sits on top of it, and every line is paid for by families.

 
The district baseline
What Canyon families add
Class sizes
Staffed to LAUSD norms, up to 36 in upper grades
Booster-funded teachers keep classes smaller in every grade
Classroom aides
Not allocated at our size
An aide in every classroom
Art, music, drama and dance
A shared itinerant teacher and a per-school arts allocation
On site, every grade, every week
Physical education
Taught by the classroom teacher
A dedicated PE teacher
Learning Lab
Not allocated
Fully funded
Digital Learning
Not allocated
Fully funded
Teaching positions
Staffed to enrollment
Booster funded one teacher last year and is funding two this year
 
 
 
7 / 7

Of the seven lines above, families fund seven. These are the things that make Canyon feel like Canyon. They are not district-funded, and they are not guaranteed. They exist because families give.

Before you give

Check your employer match. It can double your gift

Thousands of companies match gifts to schools like Canyon, and most require the gift to start in their company giving portal, so checking first is the difference between one gift and two.

Families at these companies, and many others, have matching programs:

DisneyAppleGoogleMicrosoftNetflixAmazonSonyVerizonBoeingChevron
 

Type your employer and we’ll open a search for their matching-gift program in a new tab.

It usually takes about five minutes

  1. Ask HR, or search “matching gifts” on your company intranet.
  2. Start your gift in the company portal if they require it.
  3. Not sure? Email canyonannualgiving@gmail.com and we’ll help you find out.

Matched dollars count toward the campaign and your family’s lifetime giving.

Every gift, at every level, strengthens what we build

The suggested gift is $2,300 per child, and every amount counts the same toward participation. Pick one-time or monthly, or name your own amount, then continue to checkout. It takes less than two minutes.

Annual Giving PriceQty
 Fully Fund One Student more
$2,300.00 
 Fully Fund Two Students more
$4,600.00 
 Fully Fund 3 Students more
$6,900.00 
 Recurring Monthly Donation
 Your Own Amount more
$
 Cover the Card Fees (optional) more
$

Dedicate your gift to a Canyon teacher. We'll quietly let them know a family gave in their name.


A sentence or two. With your permission we may share it to inspire other families.


Anonymity

Full transparency

Where the $650,000 goes

You deserve to know exactly where your money goes, so here is the full budget breakdown.

Campaign total$650,000 / full year of programs
Aides, Teachers and Smaller Classes $256,60039.5%
Digital Learning, Supplies and Software $92,40014.2%
P.E. $65,40010.1%
Music Teacher $48,2007.4%
Booster Reserve and Contingency $38,5505.9%
Learning Lab $32,8005%
School Psychologist $28,0004.3%
Community Events and Campus Beautification $25,0003.8%
Admin and Accounting $22,0003.4%
Art Teacher $20,6003.2%
Drama and Spirit Series $8,5001.3%
Teacher and Staff Resources $7,5001.2%
Dance Teacher $4,4500.7%

Whatever you give goes directly to your child’s school and stays at Canyon.

In our families’ words

Why we give

“Natalie FisherNatalie Fisher · Booster Club President, four Canyon kids

When we first joined the Canyon School community, we were simply looking for a solid elementary school for our kids. Four children later, it has become the center of our family’s life.

Watching all of my kids thrive here has been incredible. They’ve been challenged and truly seen by dedicated teachers, building a strong academic and personal foundation. But beyond the classroom, Canyon gave us a real home and an extended family.

That deep sense of gratitude is what led me to step in as Booster Club President. Taking on this role is my way of giving back, supporting our teachers, funding vital programs, and making sure every new family feels the same welcoming community that embraced us. Canyon didn’t just educate my children. It became a huge part of our lives.

”
“Vanessa CarneyVanessa Carney · Canyon parent, second and fourth grade

I love that at Canyon you can see exactly where your money goes: the aide in the classroom, the reading specialist, the art and music and dance that so many public schools no longer provide.

My kids come home buzzing about all of it, and Annual Giving is how our Canyon community gives our cherished kiddos everything we’ve got!

”
“ Dima Gornovskyi Dima Gornovskyi · Canyon parent, first grade and TK

A few months ago I met a young woman who grew up in the Palisades and went to Canyon. When she heard my kids go here, her eyes welled up. She told me Canyon was the happiest time of her life.

I get to watch that happen now, with my own two, one in TK and one in first grade. Teachers and staff who pour heart and soul into every child. Parents who volunteer in classrooms, plan the events, and fund what makes this school what it is. Every dollar goes into that, the academics, the art and music and play, and the memories our kids will carry for the rest of their lives.

”
“Sarah Jonovic · Canyon parent, second and fourth grade

The warmth, community, and incredible environment our children experience every day are made possible in large part by the generosity of Canyon families, and we feel incredibly fortunate to be a part of it.

Canyon has truly become our home away from home, a place where our children feel known, supported, and loved, and where our whole family has found a genuine sense of belonging and community.

”
‹    ›

Our monthly giving circle

Canyon Club

$230/month per child

A $2,300 gift at once can feel like a wall.
$230 a month, September through June, adds up to the same full share without the lump sum.
About $7.50 a day keeps a classroom aide, smaller classes and art in place for one child.

Works out to about$7.50 a day
RunsSeptember – June
Adds up tothe same full share
Families already in the circle~20
Join Canyon Club

Giving tiers

Every gift has a place here.

Choose the level that fits your family this year. Every tier is honored, and every gift moves the same goal.

Canyon Friend

 Any amount

Every family that gives anything at all is a Canyon Friend. Participation is the point, and your gift is celebrated the day it arrives.

Recognition in the annual report

Canyon SupporterMost families

 Up to $4,999

The heart of the campaign. The suggested full share is $2,300 per child, and most families land right here.

Canyon thank-you gift for your family

Canyon Partner

 $5,000 to $9,999

For families able to reach beyond a full share this year.

Featured recognition in the annual report

Canyon Champion

 $10,000 to $49,999

For families making one of the year’s leading gifts.

A personal thank you from the Booster board

Tree of Life

A lifetime honor

Canyon Tree of Life

Lifetime giving of $50,000 and above

Some families give across many years, and the school remembers. Tree of Life recognizes families whose lifetime giving to Canyon reaches $50,000. It counts every gift, in every year and every campaign, including event sponsorships and the years after your children have moved on.

An engraved leaf on the Tree of Life sculpture at school

The first four tiers honor this year’s giving. Tree of Life honors a lifetime.

Make your gift
 

A word on privacy. Family names appear in donor recognition at the Supporter level and above. Gifts below the suggested amount stay private, and the form includes an option to remain anonymous at any level. We know every family’s situation is different, and any amount counts the same toward our participation goal.

Other ways to give

Check, stock, or cover the card fees

Give by check

Make it payable to Canyon School Booster Club, with your child’s name and teacher in the memo line. Bring it to the school office or mail it to 421 Entrada Drive, Santa Monica, CA 90402, ATTN: Annual Giving. Checks arrive free of card fees, so your full amount reaches Canyon.

Give stock

Gifts of appreciated stock can carry meaningful tax advantages, and several Canyon families give this way every year. Email canyonannualgiving@gmail.com for transfer instructions and let us know the gift is coming. Please talk to your own advisor about your situation.

Cover the card fees

Card processing costs about 2.3%, and that fee goes to the card company rather than to Canyon. The form above includes an optional Cover the Card Fees line where you can add that small amount so your full gift reaches the classrooms. It works for one-time and monthly gifts alike.

Frequently asked questions

Everything families usually ask us

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Yes. Canyon School Booster Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 95-3892191), and your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. You’ll receive a receipt for your records.

Why $2,300 per child?

That’s the per-child cost of everything Annual Giving funds, and the full breakdown lives right on this page. The amount is per child, so a family with two children at Canyon has a suggested amount of $4,600.

What if we can’t give the full amount?

Please give whatever feels right for your family, and we mean that sincerely. Monthly payments spread the amount across the school year, and any gift counts the same toward our participation goal. What we care about most is that every Canyon family feels part of this.

How is this different from Fiesta, the Gala and Party Book?

Annual Giving is the direct campaign, where your whole gift goes straight to programs and people. Our events build community and raise money too, and your event sponsorships count toward your family’s lifetime giving and the Tree of Life.

When is the best time to give?

Gifts by September 30 come with a Canyon thank-you gift for your family and let the school plan the full year. December gifts land within the tax year. And truly, any time works; monthly donors can start in any month.

Annual Giving 2026–27

Keep Canyon, Canyon.

Small classes, aides in every room, art, music and PE - all of it is funded by families like yours.

Give to Canyon’s Future

$2,300 per child suggested · every amount counts

Set up monthly giving Check your employer match Questions? Email us

With gratitude, from your fellow Canyon parents

Canyon School Booster Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Annual Giving 2026–27$2,300 per child suggested · any amount countsGive now






Annual Giving

Your tax deductible donation to our Canyon Booster Annual Giving Campaign funds classroom aides, smaller class sizes, PE, digital learning, art, drama, music and so much more.

Donate Today!

Thank you for making our community a beneficiary of your philanthropy.

Canyon Brochure

Important information for new and currently enrolled families!

Welcome to Canyon Brochure 2026

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