Giving FAQ

As a not-for-profit, independent school, ISSH relies solely on the generosity of our community to fund the special projects that sustain the tradition of a Sacred Heart education. Our tuition covers our annual operating expenses, but it does not allow us to provide special programming and professional development to the level that we aspire in order to best serve our students, nor does it provide for the building of new buildings or financial aid programmes. Learn more.

The Annual Fund provides income to bridge the gap between our basic operating expenses and the special programming that takes ISSH Above and Beyond. It enables us to prioritise the key academic, arts, and athletic programmes, as well as the development of our faculty and staff that ensures our students can personally grow in an atmosphere of wise freedom. Because gifts to the Annual Fund go to programmes in the current academic year, it immediately impacts the lives of each and every student. Learn more.

Yes, of course! Gifts of all sizes matter and make an impact on our community. Consider making a gift that is meaningful to you—participation at any level makes a positive impact on the lives of our students. 

The ISSH Annual Fund runs from 1 April to 31 March each year. We are grateful to receive gifts at any time of year. To maintain a streak of consecutive years giving, gifts must be received during the periods of consecutive fiscal years. 

Yes! Donations to ISSH are tax deductible in either Japan or the United States (depending on the platform of your donation). In Japan, ISSH holds Tokutei Koeki Zonshin Hojin (Tokuzo) status, which means that we are able to issue tax receipts for gifts of ¥2,000 or greater. Both individuals and corporations who make gifts greater than ¥2,000 may benefit from tax deductions and credits.

US dollar gifts made through our giving partner organisation, Myriad USA (every.org), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organisation based in the United States, are tax deductible in the US while the funds are directed to ISSH in Japan. Myriad USA issues all tax documentation for USD gifts to ISSH. 

We ask everyone in our community for support: current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, current and former faculty and staff, and friends. If you believe in our Goals and Criteria, and our mission to educate girls to become courageous and confident global citizens, we hope you will consider supporting ISSH. 

Many corporations “match” gifts to charitable organisations made by their employees—in other words, they make a gift of the same size (or sometimes double, or even triple) to the same institution as a way to incentivise philanthropy in their employees. Corporate matches are counted as a part of the donor’s gift (so for example, if you donated 100 USD and your company double-matched that gift, ISSH would consider your gift to be 300 USD.) Read more here.

While ISSH is deeply appreciative of philanthropic support from friends of the school, we do not accept gifts from prospective families who are not otherwise affiliated with the school during the admissions process (e.g. alumni, parents of current students, current faculty and staff).

ISSH Annual Fund gifts are unrestricted so that the school is able to meet the most pressing current needs of its programmes. The Annual Fund is Sacred Heart's fundraising priority, but in certain cases, restricted gifts may be made to the Sisters Culhane and D’Huart Scholarship Funds and the Buildings for a Bright Future fund in support of financial aid and our new building project, respectively. If you are interested in either of these two funds, please reach out to donate@issh.ac.jp prior to making your gift.

If you would like to discuss restricting a gift to a specific cause or programme outside of the above, please reach out to our Head of School, Sr Anne Wachter, RSCJ at anne.wachter@issh.ac.jp.