Welcome - Director of Development

The Jesuit High School Development Department provides, in a sustainable manner, the necessary financial resources to support and enhance the mission of Jesuit High School. Jesuit has been developing young men in the Tampa Bay area since 1899, and Development strives to ensure the school has the resources to continue producing "Men for Others" in perpetuity.

Development is responsible for communicating Jesuit’s vision to the alumni, parents, benefactors, and the local community. This is accomplished through Jesuit's alumni magazine (Perspectives), the school website, communications from the President’s Office, and the media. In addition, Development assists with alumni and community relations activities, and is the liaison for the school’s service clubs, such as the Dads’ Club, Mothers’ Club, Alumni Association, and Tiger Lilies.

Below is valuable information about supporting to Jesuit. Please contact me if you have any questions, or if you would like to contribute to our goal of funding the mission of Jesuit High School.

Nick Suszynski, Director of Development, nsuszynski@jesuittampa.org, (813) 877-5344, ext. 704

Where do the contributions go?

Donor support affects many areas of Jesuit High School:

Maintaining the physical campus
Enhancing the physical, academic, and spiritual needs of the campus
Financial assistance
Tuition cost controls

Ultimately, all of these areas impact the most important aspect of Jesuit High School - every Jesuit student!

JESUIT’S PHYSICAL CAMPUS is served through funds to maintain the cleanliness, safety, and appearance of the facility, as well as implementing necessary renovations on a timely basis. Specifically, Annual Fund dollars help the school when unforeseen emergencies arise on campus. Like individual homeowners, Jesuit is faced with unexpected maintenance problems on occcasion. Much of the six-decade-old campus is prone to common dilemmas: air conditioning breakdowns, roof leaks, extensive plumbing or electrical issues, etc. These problems can arise suddenly, and must be dealt with immediately to avoid disruptions in Jesuit’s academic and extracurricular activities. Annual Giving helps Jesuit be prepared to meet this important need.
CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS AND ENHANCEMENTS help the school remain the best among Tampa Bay area preparatory schools. Between 2003 and 2008, the $8 million "Honoring Our Traditions" Capital Campaign enabled Jesuit to add the new Fr. Michael Kennelly S.J. Technology Wing, a theater style learning facility outfitted with all new computers and support equipment. The Capital Campaign also allowed for the construction of the Fr. Richard Hartnett S.J. Classroom Building, the Al Lopez Sr. ’27 Sports Complex, the A.M.D.G. Celebration Plaza and Jesuit Memorial Bell Tower. The library, gymnasium and cafeteria were also renovated by funds from the Capital Campaign. The stadium athletics field also received a major overhaul with the installation of a top quality turf field and rubber track. This was followed by the $2 million "Upholding the Tiger Tradition" Capital Campaign which helped make possible the construction of Jesuit's new baseball facility, Hyer Family Park, which opened in late February, 2011. These important new additions and enhancements could not have been possible without our generous capital campaign donors.
FINANCIAL AID to students of families in need has been a tradition at Jesuit since the school opened its doors in 1899. It has allowed the school to educate academically qualified boys from all socio-economic backgrounds and maintain its diversity.In 1975, Jesuit’s Financial Aid Endowment was established to help the school enable students from low-income and struggling families to attend the school. The program extends limited support based entirely on need. Jesuit High School now provides well over $1 million annually in financial assistance. Tough decisions are made every year to ensure that the school is helping families who are truly in need or financial crisis, and not those who cannot afford tuition because of lifestyle choices. A third-party processing firm and a committee of lay people objectively analyze the criterion each year to determine how this aid is distributed. For more information on Financial Aid eligibility and application, please go to Tuition Information in the Admissions section of this website. The continuing support for financial aid has been essential to Jesuit High School fulfilling its mission.

Does Jesuit provide academic or athletic scholarships?

Jesuit does not provide scholarships based on athletic performance, nor does it issue student loans.

There are two means for Jesuit students to receive tuition assistance:

1. Financial Aid
Students who have been academically accepted for enrollment can apply for tuition assistance through the Financial Aid Endowment program. All families are welcome to apply for aid. However, Jesuit’s financial aid program is designed to provide tuition relief for lower income or disadvantaged families, and assistance is granted solely on need-based circumstances.

2. Saint Ignatius Scholarship Award
The Jesuit High School Saint Ignatius Scholar Program is a merit-based tuition assistance program designed to attract and retain students of exceptional scholastic ability whose scores on the High School Placement Test (HSPT) are in the top 1-2% nationwide. In addition, qualified students will be evaluated on the basis of character, faith, service, and need.

Jesuit High School will provide Ignatian Scholars with an annual award of half the cost of tuition for each of their four years at Jesuit.

While the Ignatian Scholar awards are separate from and, in some cases, supplementary to Jesuit’s need-based financial aid awards, the financial need of those who qualify for Ignatian Scholarships, relative to that of other Ignatian Scholar qualifiers, is one of several factors in the final decision.

To renew the award each year, an Ignatian Scholar must achieve the following:

maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 4.0
complete all required community service by the designated dates
remain free of serious disciplinary sanction (i.e., notice or probation)
participate in at least one non-athletic school club or activity

How does the Financial Aid Endowment work?

The endowment provides the school with a permanent fund or source of income. The money donated for Jesuit’s Financial Aid Endowment is invested, and each year the proceeds from the investment interest are used to fund the school’s financial aid program without sacrificing the principal investment.

I made a gift to the school - why was my name not included in the Annual Report?

Jesuit High School records all contributions. Each year the President’s Annual Report acknowledges gifts and pledge payments received during the fiscal year, which is July 1 through June 30. If your gift was received after June 30, you will be recognized in the following year’s annual report

Can I designate how my gift will benefit Jesuit?

Whether funds are spent addressing facility needs or academic and spiritual enrichment, every gift to Jesuit High School ultimately benefits the students. If you desire to designate how your gift is applied, there are several ways to show your support for Jesuit:

Annual Giving Drive
Financial Aid Endowments, Honorary and Memorial Gifts
Matching Gifts
Planned Giving 1899 Bequest Society
Gifts In-kind
Gaudiosa Dinner, Dance and Auction Gala
Fr. Hartnett S.J. Memorial Golf Classic

I've heard Jesuit owns property and is financially well off - is there really a need to donate?

Jesuit High School is fortunate to have property rental income from land that the school purchased for the Himes Avenue campus relocation in 1956. This income represents less than 10 percent of Jesuit’s operating revenues. While the rental property income helps Jesuit pay bills, roughly 90 percent of Jesuit’s annual operating revenues are raised through other methods, including tuition, fees, and charitable contributions. It is through the generosity of our donors and sound advice from our volunteer team of financial consultants that Jesuit is able to overcome this deficit each year.

Is my gift to Jesuit tax deductible?

Yes! As a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, all monetary gifts to Jesuit High School are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Upon receipt of your donation, Jesuit will send you an official acknowledgement of your gift. Please retain this acknowledgement for your tax professional.

How is financial aid distribution determined?

The qualifications for financial aid are established by a third party processing company that is approved by the Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA). In addition to the independent processing company, an impartial school sub-committee evaluates the applications and determines the distribution of aid on an individual basis to those who meet the need-based criteria. The amount of financial aid granted varies according to need.

Who manages the endowment investments?

Financial Aid Endowment contributions are managed by Jesuit High School’s Investment Committee. The Investment Committee is comprised of six financial professionals from the Tampa community. Fund management is governed by built-in checks and balances from within the committee, as well as from third party outside financial firms. The Investment Committee meets quarterly and provides regular reports to Jesuit’s Board of Trustees

Why not raise tuition instead of asking for donations?

Jesuit’s mission of forming “men engaged in the world who are dedicated to serving God by being open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, caring, and just” is not intended only for those who can afford it. A dramatic tuition increase will result in vastly reducing the social and economic diversity of the school. The diversity of Jesuit’s student body helps enrich the overall Jesuit educational experience for every young man who attends the school. As tuition grows from year to year, it is the middle-income families -- those who cannot qualify for Jesuit’s financial aid program -- who may feel the biggest squeeze. While students from lower-income or disadvantaged families are eligible for Jesuit’s Financial Aid Endowment program, and students from more affluent families are less impacted by high tuition rates, the middle-income families can be caught in the middle as tuition escalates. For this reason, Jesuit does everything in its power to maintain social and economic diversity by limiting annual tuition increases to prevent the school from becoming financially exclusive.

Why should I donate if I already pay tuition?

As Jesuit’s Annual Report shows in detail, income from tuition does not cover the cost to operate the school. We refer to this deficit as the “gap.” Most are not aware this gap exists or how the gap is covered from year to year. Each year, on average, the difference between tuition and the actual cost to educate each student is about $2,000. This per-student difference represents the gap. Each year, income from Jesuit’s property rentals and the generosity of Jesuit’s supporters has helped to cover this gap, which in turn, helps avoid big tuition increases. However, the property rental income is not nearly enough to offset future tuition increases. Contributions to Jesuit’s Annual Giving Drive make a major difference in combating tuition increases.

How much should I give?

Each and every gift, regardless of size, is vital in helping Jesuit High School meet its financial obligations and goals. Each and every gift makes a difference to the students of Jesuit High School today, and to those yet to be.

What are Jesuit's Gift Clubs?

Jesuit, like many non-profit institutions, has established gift club levels to assist the school’s leading benefactors in setting an example to encourage other financially capable supporters. By recognizing high-level donors through the gift clubs, Jesuit hopes the example of generosity, good stewardship, and commitment will inspire others to respond in kind.

The following gift clubs are acknowledged each year in the President’s Annual Report “Honor Roll of Donors.” Each summer contributors to the President's Circle and above (donors over $1,500) are invited to the annual President’s Mass and Brunch in recognition of their leadership generosity.