The Development Office
 

Saint Martin de Porres School is a parochial school in North Philadelphia that has served children in grades K through 8 and their families for over 100 years. Part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and affiliated with the Sisters of Saint Joseph, the school is 99% African-American. Saint Martin de Porres School encourages all races, religions, and backgrounds to attend and 90% of the students are non-Catholic.

The mission of Saint Martin de Porres School is to provide the gift of education in an affordable and accessible way to all, even on a secular level, which is inherent in the mission of the Church. It is incumbent upon us to do all in our power to reverse the ravages and effects of poverty. The leading, most powerful force out of poverty is education.

This is all possible through the incredible sacrifices made by parents, guardians, teachers, and staff at our school. However, like many inner-city schools, Saint Martin de Porres struggles to afford the cost of providing a safe, inspirational, and influential learning environment for our students. To ensure that the school continues to serve the community, the Friends of Saint Martin de Porres School, a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, was established by a group of business and community leaders who believe in the school. These leaders have committed themselves to making a difference in the lives of children who struggle to build futures in neighborhoods riddle with poverty, drugs, violence and economic disadvantage.

Due to the fact that over 50% of the students enrolled at Saint Martin de Porres School live below the poverty level, the tuition which the school is able to charge covers only roughly 50% of the costs. In addition, the school continues to have pressing needs as relates to its facilities. Through the generosity of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Friends of Saint Martin de Porres School, and other benefactors, the deficits have been managed, and certain renovations have been made. However, the needs continue to be there. To make sure that we are providing the students with a functional place to learn and to keep pace with the changing trends in education, the priorities of the Friends Saint Martin de Porres include:
• Providing funding to cover child subsides
• Creating a tuition assistance endowment fund
• Hiring additional learning support staff

Wouldn’t you like the opportunity to join us in this truly worthwhile endeavor - the opportunity to directly impact the life of a child?