Major Gifts Campaign

Lutheran Association for Special Education’s Board of Directors initiated the Keeping the Promise Campaign, a future-oriented, multi-year campaign to build a permanent endowment for funding the core elements of our ministry.  The goal of the campaign is to raise $3.2 million. A permanent endowment fund will provide income that ensures more children today, and in the future, receive needed special education and related services.

Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis has awarded LASE a $1.5 million challenge match grant.  All gifts and pledges up to $1.5 million will be matched by Lutheran Foundation on a dollar for dollar basis.  All pledges and gifts must be made by June 30, 2009 with payments on pledges received by June 30, 2012.

Campaign Objectives:

The Keeping the Promise Campaign will endow the following core ministry areas of LASE:

Jeremiah Program:  The Jeremiah Program nurtures a small group of high school students with disabilities who need intense individualized instruction and modification of the curriculum.  The endowment for the Jeremiah Program will:

  • Provide scholarship assistance.
  • Provide needed funds for the expansion of the program.
  • Endow the work of the Jeremiah teachers.

Speech and Language Pathology:  Nothing is more critical to social, academic and intellectual development than the ability to communicate.  Early detection and therapy for speech and language disorders is a preventative step that directly impacts the success of students later in life.  Endowment of the speech and language program will:

  • Endow the work of certified speech/language pathologists to address communication needs.
  • Assist with the expansion of the speech/language therapy program.

Scholarships:  Statistics show that 10-15% of any student population needs special education.  Endowment funds for scholarships will:

  • Assist parent of students with special learning needs to afford the cost of special education services that are above and beyond regular school tuition costs.
  • Will allow expansion of services to others schools to reach the underserved special needs population.
  • Ensure that special needs students are nurtured in their faith in a Christian environment while receiving individualized instruction needed for academic success.

Campaign Update:

campaign update thermometer

Goal:  $3.2 million
Raised to date:  $2.3million

Ways to Give: There are many ways to contribute to the Keeping the Promise Campaign.

Immediate Gifts:

  • Cash
  • Securities
  • Mutual Fund Shares

Deferred Gifts:

  • Retained Life Estate
  • Charitable Gift Annuity
  • Deferred Gift Annuity
  • Charitable Remainder Unitrust

Please contact the Lutheran Association for Special Education office at 314-268-1234 if you would like to make a contribution. LASE also accepts Visa and MasterCard.