Donate or Volunteer

Why Donate?

Stella Maris is a worthy, results oriented organization making a strong contribution to early childhood education and development. A premier, high quality and accredited organization, SMCC delivers positive, measurable results through a time-tested combination of innovative programs designed to provide each child with an individualized approach.

SMCC delivers a great "return" on donations. When you invest in Stella Maris Child Center you invest in the children of your community - a positive and long lasting investment.

What Early Childhood Development Experts Are Saying

Early childhood developmental screenings and service provisions have a statistically significant positive impact on children's school progress and placement throughout their educational life; indications include lower rates of special education placement, less grade repetition and a higher rate of high school graduation.

Research* shows that the quality of child care is critical to the well being of infants, toddlers and preschoolers and can effectively influence the developmental outcomes of children later in life.

Facts about the Stella Maris Community**

18% of households are headed by single mothers
27% of families with children under the age of 18 live below the federal poverty level
Our community ranks #12 in the area for families that recieve welfare benefits
24% of births to teenage mothers
69% of children receive Food Stamps
We have the 4th largest percentage of children tested positive for lead poisening

Missouri Youth Initiative research shows that early childhood intervention has significant positive short and long-term effects especially on disadvantaged children from low income families.***

Compared to their peers, children who received quality, professional childhood care:

Use fewer special education services
Repeat fewer grades in school
Have higher high school graduation rates
Have lower rates of delinquency and adult arrests
Use less welfare as adults
Earn more money as adults

Low income families find it difficult to locate and pay for quality child care. At SMCC 70% of the families we serve are considered low-income, based on federal poverty guidelines. Eighty percent of the children in the SMCC program come from single parent households.

Support for quality, professional early childhood care and education, benefits both the child and our society throughout the life of the child.

Ways You Can Help

We invite you, your company or your organization to invest in the future of the young children and families served by Stella Maris Child Center of St. Louis, Missouri.

We are grateful for gifts of cash, check or major credit cards. We'll also be happy to speak with you about creative giving strategies customized to serve your needs - while helping fulfill the SMCC mission.

Make a Donation

TO DONATE BY CHECK

Please make the check payable to Stella Maris Child Center, and mail to:

Stella Maris Child Center
Mrs. LaDonna Turner, Development Director
5183 Raymond Ave.
St. Louis MO 63113

TO DONATE A CASH GIFT

Please call or email:

LaDonna Turner, Development Director
Phone: 314-367-7950

Fax: 314.367.8849

TO DONATE ONLINE - CLICK HERE
Network for Good

Stella Maris Child Center is a not-for-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible

per charitable tax code guidelines.

Endowed Gifts

Long-term investments that help ensure Stella Maris' future.

Your original gift to an endowment fund, known as the principle, is never spent. Instead, a portion of the annual interest from the investment is used to fund a program of your choosing. Because endowment funds can be named, these gifts also pay lasting tribute to the donor or to honor a loved one, friend or colleague.

Endowed gifts can be directed in several ways:

For Student Scholarships: Donations for student scholarships make an indelible mark on our students' lives.
Unrestricted Endowments. Recognizing that the Center's needs change over time, unrestricted endowments allow SMCC the flexibility to fund the highest priority needs in any given year, whether for additional staff training for facility repairs.

In every case, our goal is to ensure the donated principle maintains its value over time. A donor creating an endowed gift today can be confident it will grow and continue to support Stella Maris for years to come.

Planned Gifts

A variety of giving strategies can be applied to benefit Stella Maris and support the donor's financial and personal objectives. These include but are not limited to:

Charitable gift annuities and bequests
Charitable remainder trust
Gifts of appreciated assets such as securities or real estate.

Planned giving can often allow for a larger contribution when tax and income benefits are factored into the contribution. Establishing a charitable gift annuity to benefit Stella Maris, entitles the donor to an immediate charitable income tax deduction, as well as regular income for life, some of which is protected from income tax.

Donating appreciated assets such as securities or real estate can provide additional benefits for both the donor and Stella Maris Child Center.

A charitable gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust, allows the donor to reduce or eliminate capital gains tax liability and still receive tax and income benefits. There are several ways to donate real estate, including some where property use is maintained throughout the donor's lifetime.

Donors who want to remember Stella Maris in their wills may also help their heirs with estate tax considerations.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact Mrs. LaDonna Turner, our Development Director, at 314-367-7950.

Tributes and Memorials

Choose to celebrate the life of a loved one by making a Tribute or Memorial gift to Stella Maris.
Your tax-deductible donation will show that you care about your loved one, while helping Stella Maris give St. Louis children a strong foundation in life. We'll be pleased to send a personalized letter to the person you designate to let them know about your gift, in addition to sending you an acknowledgment suitable for tax purposes. Simply include this information with your contribution.
Make your donation on-line, by mail or contact us for assistance.

Stella Maris Child Center
Mrs. LaDonna Turner

Development Director
5654 Delmar Blvd
St Louis MO 63112
Phone: 314.367.7950

Fax: 314.367.8849

All gifts to Stella Maris Child Center are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult your accountant, financial planner or attorney to determine the approach that best serves your financial needs.

Volunteer Now and Make a Difference!

SMCC offers many volunteer opportunities for people who would like to make a contribution to their community by becoming more involved.

Current volunteer opportunities include:

Reading Program - Volunteer at our center as a reader.
Parent Education Program - If you have information you would like to share with our parents, we invite you to be a speaker at the Center's parent meetings.
Children Activities - Volunteer in the classrooms to help in fun activities with the students.
Fundraising - Help us raise funds to support our program by coordinating a fundraising event

References

(*Love et al. 1996; NICHD Early Child Care Research Network 2000; Peisner-Feinberg 2001; and Zill et al. 2001)

(**Community refers to the 63113 zip code. Data retrieved from Vision for Children at Risk, 2009, Key Indicators at http://www.visionforchildren.org)

(***Missouri Youth Initiative, 2002. Retrieved from http://www.oseda.missouri.edu/step/vol13/no4/step1002.html)