About Higher Ground: Phase II
Higher Ground: Phase II is Mount St. Mary’s second stage of the school’s four-step master plan, striving to make The Mount sustainable for future decades. The first phase of Higher Ground culminated with the building of the school Commons in 2018. A major element of the current second phase addresses the school’s overextension of outdated athletic facilities. Higher Ground: Phase II will provide three buildings surrounding its outdoor athletic fields. A fieldhouse will be built in the south endzone area of Glass Family Field, providing locker rooms for both girls and boys; an athletic training room for care and prevention of injuries; a new fitness space; coaches offices; a lecture hall; and a safe room for students, families, and visitors. In addition, a hospitality center will be built in the location of the current concession stand. It will provide amenities accommodating hundreds of spectators at events, with expanded restrooms, an enlarged concession area, an accessible facilities entry and ticket area, and a merchandise store where school spirit wear can be purchased year-round. Furthermore, a sports annex building will be built on the north end of the campus between the football and baseball fields. This sports annex will provide a year-round indoor training area for baseball, softball, soccer, and golf; additional locker rooms for both boys and girls; coaches offices; and a visitors’ locker room. When completed, this campus expansion provides spaces to meet the growing needs of 97% of the current school’s enrollment of 420 students who participate in extracurricular activities. Moreover, these facility upgrades provide an opportunity to engage future students and their families, bringing them to The Mount’s campus.
In addition to the growth of campus facilities, the school will continue growing endowment funds for tuition assistance to serve its demographic population. Likewise, this campaign will provide school leadership with resources, meeting the needs of today’s expenses of teacher pay, student programs, and faith formation, by strengthening the school’s annual giving program known as The Mount Fund.
Emphasizing the impact this campaign will have on The Mount Community, MSM Principal, Dr. Laura Cain, stated, “Higher Ground: Phase II is more than bricks and mortar – it’s a testament to our unwavering commitment to forming young men and women of faith, mercy, and intellect. By investing in our facilities and programs at Mount St. Mary, we are ensuring that current and future students have the resources, inspiration, and opportunities to grow into leaders who will shape the world with compassion and integrity. This is a bold step forward, securing the legacy of The Mount’s mission for generations to come.”
How to Get Involved
- Make a multi-year commitment: The Mount is seeking five-year commitments to this campaign. By making a multi-year commitment, you can have a profound impact in moving the needle toward the campaign’s goal. Likewise, you can plan for a yearly, quarterly, or monthly amount which can align with your personal financial budget. If you would like to consider this method of investment, please contact Director of Advancement, Chris Stiles at cstiles@mountstmary.org for campaign contribution agreement details.
- Make a one-time gift: You can make a one-time gift of any amount online with a credit or debit card at www.mountstmary.org/givehigherground or send a check made payable to Mount St. Mary with HG2 in the memo. Please mail your check to Chris Stiles, Mount St. Mary, 2801 S. Shartel Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73109.
- Giving from Individual Retirement Accounts or Gifts of Securities: The Mount is a non-profit organization, meaning when you give directly to this campaign through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA, this allows all your hard-earned dollars to support this campaign and not be subject to taxes. Likewise, gifts of securities such as appreciated stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other equities will entitle you to an income tax charitable deduction, plus it may prevent you from capital gains taxes. These types of gifts can have a powerful impact on this campaign. For questions, please contact Chris Stiles at cstiles@mountstmary.org.
- A Provision in your Will or Trust Remembering The Mount: With an endowment component added to this campaign, you have an opportunity to make a dramatic impact with a provision in your estate plans remembering The Mount. If you are open to sharing the amount of this provision with the school, your gift can be counted in the endowment piece of this campaign. For more information on this method of giving, please contact Chris Stiles at cstiles@mountstmary.org.