Giving – OPELAcademy.com

Why Donate?

Imagine classrooms that integrate subject learning between subjects and to real world situations. Facilities that encourage interaction with the material instead of just housing it. Programs that focus on not just the students’ current needs, but set them up for success. What makes OPEL Academy special is that teens have a voice in their own education that they want and are excited to learn. For many students who live in Taiwan, this is a dream come true. OPEL Academy aims to be that place. This is a dream today as it was for most parents and educators that reminisce about their junior and senior high experiences. This project is your chance to make that dream a reality.

We chose central Taoyuan because it is a growing and vibrant community with access to a wide array of underutilized local cultural and ecological sites. Taoyuan is an easy choice as we are excited by the ways our students could learn from, work with, and make an impact in the community around themselves. We hope to help introduce the students in and around Taoyuan to the vitality of their community and make a positive mark on their home… but all of this starts with you.

All children are warmed by the fires built by others. Your donation today fuels the bonfire of educational offerings for the students of tomorrow. Each promised donation is tracked and tax deductible once we collect it as part of the nonprofit foundation process. Once the nonprofit foundation is established, donations will be tax deductible up to the amounts listed in Article 62 of Taiwan’s Private School Act.

Initial Capital Fundraising

Total Amount to Fundraise: 75 Million NTD

Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) is rightfully protective about the projects it approves. They do this to protect the education of the families and students they are responsible for. Therefore, before any project is approved, the MOE looks first and foremost at the likelihood of the project’s continued success.

For most organizations starting out, there is a period of growth where money coming in is not enough to cover the outgoing balance. OPEL is not any different. Most schools that start with both a junior and senior high program would start with both grade 7 and grade 10 to increase intake and cover costs. Rather than rush to make sure to cover expenses quickly, our plan is to start with only grade 7 in order to guarantee program quality. In each grade (7-12) we plan to maintain space for 30 students separated into two 15 student homeroom classes. This said, to cover all of our costs we need to maintain at least 45 students. In a best case scenario we will be able to cover all expenses from our second year of operation with full capacity in grades 7 and 8 representing enrollment of 60 students. In a more likely scenario we will be able to hit our 45 student registration number at the beginning of our third year of operation with grades 7, 8, and 9 as our program grows and develops the reputation we wish to build.

Of the previously mentioned 75 Million NTD stated, 46 Million of it will be dedicated to giving OPEL Academy a large enough reserve for two years of operational expense without considering any collected tuition and fees. See our Initial Capital Fundraising Projects below for that breakdown. This two year safety net allows the school to comfortably assess any future issues from a position of stability to protect the school and the community that is already being built around it.

To further protect the donation funds entrusted to us, all funds and major expenses will be approved by the board of directors and we encourage all parties who care about the project and have the time to express their interest in joining the board. Additionally, we will be putting out annual reports that will be shared with all major contributors to further understand what your donation goes toward.

In the event we are able to raise funds above the planned 75 Million NTD, additional amounts will be put toward additional school development projects including additional facilities, programmes, scholarships, and more based on community feedback and board approvals.

Initial Capital Fundraising Projects

10 Million NTD – Non-Profit Foundation Creation

This amount is dictated by Taoyuan MOE. Here is the attached link to the specific policy for reference. The policy is written in Chinese only. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

5 Million NTD – Full Time Project Support

This will cover one year of full time work for three staff members starting August 2027 and continuing until our planned opening of August 2028. It should also cover any initial costs associated with school development such as legal and accounting support, filing fees, Infrastructure development, and other office furniture & equipment ahead of our primary school-wide remodeling and/development.

Breakdown of Costs
Full Time Staff = 3,100,000 NTD/Year
– Project Founder #1 – 80,000 NTD/Month or 960,000 NTD/Year
– Project Founder #2 – 80,000 NTD/Month or 960,000 NTD/Year
– Project Development Assistant – 60,000 NTD/Month or 720,000 /year
– Additional Employment Costs – Approximately 460,000 NTD/Year

Rough Accounting of Additional Costs = 2,900,000 NTD/Year
– Legal Consultancy and Documentation – 500,000 NTD/year
– Accounting Consultancy – 70,000 NTD/Year
– Office/Boardroom Equipment, Furniture, Stationary, etc. – 400,000 NTD
– Office Infrastructure Set Up (single visit also includes classroom install) – 1,000,000
– Office Infrastructure Costs (such as wifi & printer) 20,000/Month or 240,000 NTD/Year
– Coverage for Unexpected Expenses – 690,000 NTD

14 million – Classroom Remodeling Budget

Remodeling budgets as a rule can vary greatly based on the amount and quality of the remodel. To simplify this number we calculated a rough figure for various equipment in a classroom and then used that as a standard reference number against various expected facilities. To be even safer we added an extra 5 million on top for planning safety in the event the remodel is more costly than anticipated.

While this should be largely accurate, in the event of additional surplus it will be reserved for building maintenance & additional campus improvements. In the event our calculation is short we will pull from the Additional Development Fund and Operational Reserve in the short-term while we plan for additional fundraising to make up the difference.

Typical Classroom Remodel = 400,000 NTD
(This number is used as a standard number to roughly & quickly calculate other remodel costs across the school)
Classroom Projector = 75,000 NTD
Whiteboards = 20,000 NTD
Student Desks = 60,000 NTD
Student Chairs = 30,000 NTD
Student Lockers = 120,000 NTD
Teacher Cabinets = 20,000 NTD
Teacher Desk/Chair = 20,000 NTD
Homeroom Personalization = 10,000 NTD
Additional Installation & Labor = 20,000 NTD
Unexpected & Miscellaneous = 25,000 NTD

Total Dedicated Space Remodel Costs = 9,200,000 NTD
Number of Homeroom Classrooms = 12 at the calculated typical classroom remodel cost
Conference Room = Calculated as same as typical classroom remodel cost
Library = Calculated at 2X typical classroom remodel cost
Teacher Preparation = Calculated at 2X typical classroom remodel cost
Science Lab = Calculated at 3X typical classroom remodel cost
Computer Lab = Calculated at 3X typical classroom remodel cost

Additional Remodeling Safety Net = 4,800,000 NTD

46 Million – OPEL Operational Reserve

The creation of a school is the creation of a fantastic community resource. The work of protecting that community resource starts before the project is approved. The start of any new project will be operating at a loss. To protect the school at this time we would like to plan for a two year operational buffer without the need to touch any incoming tuition or fees. The primary costs associated with this are staffing and facilities.

Breakdown of Yearly Operational Costs

Facilities = 9,000,000 NTD/Year
– The minimum facility size we will need is 800 Pings. We come to this figure as the expected Maximum MOE student body

number for approval is 200. Additionally MOE guidance is easiest to plan around a minimum of 4 Pings per student.
– Expected Facility Rental Cost = 750,000 NTD/Month or 9,000,000 NTD/Year

Staffing = 12,000,000/year
– Staffing is planned around 10 Full Time Teachers for each of the first two years.
– Staff Member Average Cost (after employer expenses) = 100,000 NTD/Month or 1,200,000 NTD/Year

Additional Reserve Safety Net = 4,000,000 NTD

Types of Giving

Capital Giving

Help Build Something Extraordinary.

Also known as project giving, Capital giving allow us to address specific needs while giving you a great way to control how your donation is applied. Whether helping to develop classroom resources, fund organization development, or support the operational reserve, every contribution brings our collective vision closer to reality.

Annual Giving

Small Commitments. Lasting Impact.

Annual giving is a commitment to contribute periodically, typically by semester or yearly. These donations are a wonderful option for those who wish to support the vision without breaking the bank. For us, annual giving allows us to plan confidently and develop stronger ongoing programs. In the short term this might be support toward an operational reserve before we transition the use toward scholarships and other ongoing school initiatives.

In-Kind Support

Give What you Have. Change What is Possible.

In-kind giving is the donation of non-financial resources such as classroom materials, technology, furniture, land, space, services or more. It allows individuals and businesses to use existing resources and expertise that may seem trivial to you that will generate a major impact for us. This can be as simple as donating older office equipment after a remodel or update to sharing professional services at a reduced rate.

Talents

Your Time and Talents Have Value.

Volunteers make us better by bringing new perspectives, practical skills, and connections to the school. Sharing your experience can be just as transformative as sharing financial resources, especially when your contribution affects additional change be it sharing the project with friends or engaging in direct collaboration.

Student Leadership

The student council provides opportunities for students to live the school’s mission through representing and advocating for their fellow students and the community students want to be a part of and provides a lever of power that students can make their voices heard to pitch student-related policy (such as dress codes) as well as create school events and establish and maintain school traditions that will positively impact the unique character of the school.