Donate to St. Therese Chinese Catholic School today!

We are so thankful for our generous and supportive circle of friends. Your support truly makes a difference! 
The money raised through our different fundraising efforts is directly invested into the school so that St. Therese may continue to provide the best possible learning environment for our students. With your support, we are able to meet our ongoing needs and continue to provide innovative and cutting-edge curriculum, tools, and programming for our students and faculty.

Specifically, your support helps us by: 
  • Closing the gap between what it costs to educate our school children and the amount that tuition covers.
  • Funding continuous improvements in support of our STEM initiatives, such as our Innovations Room and refreshed technology for the classroom.
  • Providing classroom books, tools, and manipulatives to meet our curriculum demands, most recently in the areas of our Innovations Room and our Early Childhood Classrooms.

There are many ways to support St. Therese and help to ensure the future success of our school and students. See below for more detailed information. No matter which method you choose, your support is deeply appreciated.
Annual Fund
The Annual Fund campaign exists to propel our students’ educational experience beyond what the tuition dollars cover. The success of the Annual Fund is directly parallel to the quality of education the school is able to provide.

All St. Therese alumni, families, faculty and friends are invited to contribute to the success of our school by making an annual gift to the Annual Fund. When you give to the Annual Fund, 100% of your dollar is directed toward very tangible goals and is fully tax deductible.

Further Double or Triple your donation with a Matching Gift.  Check with your Human Resources Department to determine if your gift qualifies for a matching gift, or contact our Development Office for assistance.

For additional information about supporting the Annual Fund or any other programs at St. Therese, please email our Principal, Ms. Lisa Deborah Oi, at [email protected] or Nicole Yong in our Development Office at [email protected].
Scholarship Funds
Justice Laura Liu Scholarship Fund

Laura Liu was the first Asian-American Justice to serve on the Appellate Court in Illinois. She was the first Chinese-American elected to public office in Chicago and Cook County, and the first Chinese-American woman judge in Illinois history.

She chaired the Illinois Supreme Court's Language Access Committee to ensure the court system was accessible to those whose first language was not English.

Laura was a dedicated mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend. She found great fulfillment and deep meaning through service to others, and wished for her legacy to be one that celebrated selflessness in all people, but most especially children.

This scholarship fund was established at Laura's request to support Asian American students and families wishing to attend St. Therese. 

The Woodrow "Woodie" Lee Scholarship Fund

Woodrow "Woodie" Lee was an alumnus of St. Therese Chinese Catholic School. Woodie was part of the generation that built Chicago’s Chinatown. He grew up one of 15 children in Chinatown, a son of parents born in China. Woodie was also in the first sizable group of Catholics in Chinatown, where he was among the early graduates of St. Therese.

Woodie established this scholarship fund to provide a helping hand for hardworking St. Therese students and families.

Woodie died in May of 2017 but his scholarship fund will continue in his memory. St. Therese has been blessed with the generosity of family and friends who continue to support the scholarship fund in honor of Woodie so that students will continue to benefit from Woodie’s generosity for years to come.

The Harry Tong Scholarship Fund 

The Harry Wing Tong Scholarship is awarded to students who exhibit leadership, excellent academic performance, and "going the extra mile" in and out of the classroom.

Harry Tong was the youngest of 6 children born in Guangdon, China. He moved to Chinatown at the age of 4. Harry lived the American Dream. He always tried his best and never took anything for granted, remembered his roots, was proud of his Chinese heritage, and was forever thankful for the opportunity to come to America and become a US citizen.

Initially a high school drop out, Harry learned through personal experience the importance of education. Harry returned to school and ended up earning his diploma, an AA, Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate degrees all while working full time, raising 5 children, and even then, giving back to the community.
Nothing made Harry happier than helping others. Harry also understood that the path to success is through education. He and his wife funded scholarships to help those who, like them, came from humble beginnings. Scholarship winners are those of simple means, with a drive to succeed, and a commitment to community service.

The Harry Tong Scholarship Fund is supported by private donors.
Planned Giving
A Planned Gift option is possible for everyone.

Did you know that there are many ways for you to help make an investment in St. Therese’s future? Planned giving offers many benefits to you while also allowing you to support St. Therese Chinese Catholic School values and academic excellence.

Regardless of your income level, you can make a significant contribution to St. Therese Chinese Catholic School by planning a donation through on of three common planned giving techniques:
  • Including St. Therese in your Will.
  • Naming St. Therese as a beneficiary or partial beneficiary in your life insurance policy.
  • Establishing a trust, which provides you with a tax advantage, pays you interest income, and eventually benefits St. Therese in a meaningful way.
Planned gifts allow you to maximize the personal benefits of your charitable giving while decreasing your income, capital gains, estate and gift taxes! Planned giving offers “win-win” benefits to the donor, the recipient, and the community at large.

Planned gifts may be directed to specific areas or toward the Annual Fund, ensuring the continued success of St. Therese for years to come.

If you would like to learn more or discuss a planned gift to benefit St. Therese Chinese Catholic School, please email our Principal, Ms. Lisa Deborah Oi, at [email protected] to discuss.

Thank you for your generosity!
Tax Credit Scholarships
What are tax credit scholarships?

The Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship Program, “Invest in Kids,” provides a 75 percent Illinois state income tax credit to individuals and corporations that contribute money to a non-profit Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). The SGOs award scholarships to eligible students from low-income families. Donors will use money already owed to the state (taxes) and donate it to a needs-based scholarship instead, all while receiving a 75 percent state tax credit.

Through this program:
  • An individual or corporation will receive a 75 percent credit on donations to an SGO. For example, if a person donates $100,000, they will receive a state tax credit of $75,000.
  • Individual donors can designate their donations to the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools.
  • The credit can be rolled over for five years.
  • Donors are prohibited from receiving a federal tax deduction for these donations.
  • The program is capped at $100 million in donations, resulting in $75 million in total tax credits issued.
 
Individual and corporate donors can reserve tax credits through mytax.illinois.gov by following these steps:
  1. Create a MyTax Illinois account on mytax.illinois.gov. Anyone applying for a scholarship tax credit is required to have an account. If you do not have one, the first step is requesting a Letter ID from the Illinois Department of Revenue.
  2. Apply for a tax credit on mytax.illinois.gov. Donors will need to provide the following information:  1) Region to which he/she plans to donate, 2) Name of SGO to which he/she plans to donate, and 3) Amount he/she plans to donate.
  3. Donate to the SGO within 60 days of receiving your application approval and the Contribution Authorization Certificate. Make sure to designate the donation to the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools.
  4. Provide a certificate from the SGO to use tax credit when filing your tax return. 
    
Click here for step-by-step instructions.

Interested in donating? To speak with the Tax Credit Scholarship Office, please email [email protected] or call 312-534-2617.
St. Therese Chinese Catholic School