Photo caption: (Top to bottom: Invitations to Chandler School, Buckley School, Willows School, Center For Early Education, Oakwood School and John Thomas Dye)
Springtime in L.A. is the season when private grade schools host auctions, gala events, and swank soirees at fancy hotels, studio lots, and L.A. country clubs designed to raise additional funds to pad the $25,000 base fee of sending kids to John Thomas Dye, Buckley, Curtis, the Center, Campbell Hall, Brentwood, Stephen S. Wise, and all the other early educational top L.A. tickets.
That might sound high but the 25k tuition doesn't even cap the operating budget of any private elementary school and additional money is always needed for teacher salaries, employee benefits, school supplies, and financial aid.
Private schools raise money through various means but auctions (usually conducted at black-tie events or an annual school fair or once in a blue moon, online) are often the #1 source of extra revenue in bulk.
From vacation homes in France or Cabo (The Willows School), to Lunch With the Ladies at Soho House (Buckley School), to wine tasting weekends in Napa Valley (Willows), to tickets to the Hunger Games premiere and after-party last year (John Thomas Dye), these tantalizing live and silent auction items can be yours... all while subsidizing the cost of better school for your kids. Some of these moneymakers rake in six figures and higher!
At each of L.A.'s most prestigious schools' annual fundraising events; the opportunities to purchase auction items is beat only by the opportunity to donate them; and so in lies the ensuing competitive drama of who can call in what favor, lend a vacation home, call a celebrity client, or snag a free venue. A year before the event, a committee of moms (and a few dads) work tirelessly to produce the event. Everything from venue, food, auction items, invitations, and ticket sales are a part of the committee's job.
The year I co-chaired The Willow School auction, I was very lucky to have Mindy Weiss, celebrity event planner to the stars, as one of my five co-chairs. We raised $200,000 that year. Securing big donations for the auction is key. Families at the school who own high-end vacation homes or hotels or fancy restaurants are the first to be solicited (nicely of course), which will often become part of the live auction and fetch a hefty price.
If a school gets lucky and has an A-list celebrity who is a parent or grandparent or alumni at the school, the stakes get raised. Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine (along with band mates Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden) are all graduates of Brentwood school and and held a private benefit concert last month at Nokia Live downtown to raise money for his alma mater; it came off the heals of a battle of the bands at Brentwood and the winner got to open for Maroon 5 on stage at the concert solely held for Brentwood alumni family and friends. Duff McKagan (former Guns N' Roses bassist) has helped out his daughter's school, Buckley, by performing in a benefit charity concert that was loaded with other musicians (one song preformed was covered Knockin' on Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan). Duff also played judge with fSlash, former fellow Guns N' Roses bandmate and Buckley dad at the school fair for yet another a battle of bands contest. No pressure there. Sidney Poitier (who had two daughters at Buckley) was known to run booths at the annual fair. Campbell Hall (the Episcopal school in the valley) dad Earvin Johnson aka Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie donated a private basketball clinic for one student who could then bring additional four friends. The Willows has benefited from the generosity of Randy Newman who once donated a chance to win your own personalized outgoing voicemail message from the singer; bidding on that priceless item went crazy. Every year, The Willows receives a painting from one of the school's grandparents; acclaimed L.A. artist Ed Moses; these pieces routinely sell for at least $10,000 a piece.
If you've ever attended one of these auctions, you know how easy it is to have a few drinks and wake up the next morning to discover you've bid on a painting by a famous artist, those tickets for a taping of the Top Chef finale, or in my case, a pair of diamond earrings I really "needed."
Other items we've seen on the block include: a vet concierge, New York Fashion Week tickets to Monique L'Hullier, Dodger dugout seats, a one week internship at Niche Media (publisher of L.A. Confidential), a 1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, a set visit to Darren Aaronosky's newest film, a "reality casting" career day... although most impressive (and coveted) items are the Skip-the-Carpool-Line pass for a year amd VIP parking spots on the campus.
Eat! Drink! Bid! Win! (Events and auctions are generally only open to current school parents).
Party List: Fundraising Auctions and Galas at L.A.'s Elite Private Schools
Chandler School (Pasadena): "Shaken and Stirred" A black tie benefit gala and auction this March at the Annandale Golf Club. Tickets are $150 per person, with sponsorship opportunities ranging from $500 to $5,000.
Center For Early Education: "Havan-A Party" Gala Auction in March at Hollywood and Highland. Tickets are $175.00 and tables range from $1750-$7000.
The Willows School: "Dare To Become" Auction in March at the SLS Hotel. Tickets $125.00 and sponsorship opportunities range from $100-$2500.
Oakwood School: "A Night of Awesome" in March at the L.A. Equestrian Center. Tickets are $275. (Oakwood's 2009 major fundraiser held at The Lot in West Hollywood featured comedy, music, an auction and had a precusor celebrity-packed YouTube video encouraging parents to attend and donate featuring school parents Danny DeVito, Jason Alexander, and Steve Carell.)
Buckley School: "Up Up & Away... Come Party and Play!" online auction. The school also has a fair each May.
John Thomas Dye: The school hosts a fall tennis tournament at the Riviera Tennis Club and golf event in February at Mountaingate Country Club, they also have a fair each May. Last year they held a silent auction online as well.
Curtis: A themed fair takes over the campus from year to year each October.
The Laurence School: An annual Spring Event will be held in April. They also host a popular shopping event every November on the lot of TV network CBS.
Stephen S. Wise: A carnival to celebrate Purim (a Jewish holiday) in February allows outside sponsors to to brand games, rides, ticket script or the whole event for $500 to $10,000.
Brentwood School: The school hosts two annual fundraisers -- the Party Book and the spring Benefit. The lower school hosts a Harvest Festival each year.
Beverly Hills Public School System: Not to left out is the public school system... they are reliant on city funds for the school but recently developed a group called the Beverly Hills Education Foundation (BHEF) that raises additional funds. Their hallmark event is the Apple Ball held in May at the Beverly Hilton. The group receives donations from area retailers who want to get in the good graces of Beverly Hills parents; last year Fletcher Jones gave them $100,000 when he opened an Audi dealership in BH.
This post was originally printed on The Daily Truffle and written by our Truffle Hunter, Christina Simon: Co-author of Beyond The Brochure: An Insider's Guide To Private Elementary Schools In Los Angeles. She writes the blog, www.beyondthebrochurela.com.
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