Advancing CFIS
Advancement at CFIS moves us forward to make progress towards achieving our vision to graduate students who are active global citizens with a foundation for life-long success. As the leader in French immersion and international education in Alberta, we continually strive to enrich the learning environment for our students.
“I know firsthand that CFIS isn’t just a school; it’s a community, and together we have all grown into incredible young adults. I am truly confident that all of us will be able to achieve whatever we set out to accomplish because of our experiences at CFIS.”
— Alessandra M., CFIS Valedictorian 2016
Like many independent private schools, CFIS depends on the support of our entire community to do this. Tuition fees paid by families cover the day-to-day operating expenses of the school (including faculty and staff salaries, facility rent and maintenance, educational supplies and curriculum supports). However, it is the generosity of our community of parents, alumni and friends that enables the school to move forward with capital improvements, co-curricular enhancements and programs. As with most independent schools, the provision of these enhanced services, facilities and programs depends upon the level of charitable giving.
CFIS has been officially recognized at the provincial level as strategically important to language education in Western Canada, and has celebrated many milestones over the years with thanks to our donor community. From the construction of our $20 million, 120,000 square foot building in 2003, to adding 13 additional classrooms by 2006.
The CFIS Annual Fund provides much needed support to our students and school through several key initiatives — the Head's Initiative Fund, Mission Impact Fund and the Round Square Travel Studies Bursary.
Individual Giving
The Calgary French & International School Society is a registered charity, making all donations eligible for charitable tax receipts. We are grateful for our supportive community of donors who include CFIS as one of their charities of choice.
Donations to the school can be made through gifts of cash, bequests, capital assets, gifts-in-kind and other forms. Gifts of securities can have significant tax benefits and may allow you to give more than you might have thought possible as the CRA does not apply capital gains tax on donations of publicly traded securities.
Spring Benefit & Silent Auction
The annual CFIS Spring Benefit and Silent Auction — returning on May 11, 2023 — is our most important fundraiser for classroom enrichment. For more than a decade, parents, faculty and staff have together donated their time, treasure and talent to raise over $1,000,000 through this event. Proceeds have gone towards purchasing hundreds of computers and carts, robotics equipment, technology and programming tools, and flexible furniture that supports the many different ways our children learn.
Sponsorship opportunities allow companies to be featured through advertising space in the professionally-designed community directory and event program, on event signage and website. Business cards, small promotional displays or other marketing material may also be provided, depending on the level of sponsorship, to reach the event’s 300-plus event attendees, as well as the broader school community.
SkipTheDepot
Initiated by student leader, Alexander B. ('26), CFIS is now a registered charity through SkipTheDepot. His care for the environment sparked an idea to launch an Environmental Resilience Strategy at the school.
Simply download the SkipTheDepot app or visit skipthedepot.com to have them take your bottles and cans to the bottle depot, so you don't have to! Funds raised through the SkipTheDepot partnership go directly to CFIS’s Environmental Resilience Strategy.