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Saint Edmund's Retreat is known for its caring and friendly staff, simple, clean rooms, delicious meals, pristine environment and exceptional presenters. These are the hallmarks that make our retreat special and keep our guests returning year after year. Our growing reputation for excellence in hospitality, service and a well run facility is due in large part to the growing financial support of those who give to the Annual Fund.
Even with an extraordinary core of active and committed volunteers and a hard-working and dedicated staff, the costs of operating our facility day-to-day are significant. Heating our elegant old buildings and removing snow in winter, keeping up with repairs, maintaining the 12 acres of Enders Island, and cleaning guest rooms, dining areas, meeting rooms and worship spaces are costly. Donations to the Annual Fund help us to cover these expenses, especially the unexpected setbacks that always seem to go hand-in- hand with "historic" buildings.
Those who have participated in a program or retreat on Enders Island know that the quality of our presenters is exceptional. We regularly attract retreat directors and instructors with national reputations who offer their wisdom, guidance, insights and knowledge in a way that is passionate and inspiring. The fees for many speakers are competitive, and program revenue alone does not meet the full amount. Again, the Annual Fund serves an important purpose because it allows us to "close the gap" between what it actually costs to run our programs and what we charge to those who participate.
The Annual Fund at Saint Edmund's Retreat provides the unrestricted income used to meet the general operating needs of our facility . With an annual operating budget of close to $1 million, that amount comes to about $400,000 each year. Grants, memorial gifts and income from special events certainly help, but our single most important source of revenue comes from donations made to the Annual Fund.
Your annual gift, whether it is a pledged commitment or an outright contribution, whether it is for $1000 or $5, makes a difference at Saint Edmund's Retreat. We accept most major credit cards and our sight is secure. You can pay off your pledge commitment in monthly installments, quarterly, bi-annually, or all at once. You tell us when you'd like us to send out a pledge reminder, and whether you prefer an email or postal mail. Please select the appropriate sidebar option to make your gift or pledge payment, or to find out about the Canons of Saint Edmund giving circle.