Frequently Asked Questions

The Annual Fund is a collective effort made by the ZIS community to raise donations in support of strategic school priorities every year. These priorities benefit all students and the learning experience at ZIS. Donations to the Annual Fund accelerate our ability to deliver on strategic school initiatives.

During the 2025/26 school year, the Annual Fund focuses on giving every student the tools and confidence to thrive in a rapidly changing world. This year’s priorities—AI Preparedness, Adaptive Teaching, Multilingual Learning, and Social-Emotional Growth—ensure teachers have the training and expertise to create classrooms where students can think critically, learn flexibly, communicate across languages, and feel supported as individuals.

For more information, please visit the Annual Fund page.

ZIS is a non-profit foundation, and tuition covers staffing, facilities, and many day-to-day educational costs. To keep fees as low as possible while accelerating the strategic priorities that shape our students’ experience, ZIS counts on additional income sources such as charitable donations to the Annual Fund.

Raising tuition to the level necessary to cover all of the costs of a ZIS education would limit the number of qualified students (both corporate pay and private pay) who could afford to attend. It is important that ZIS remains affordable to its constituents, and the school therefore tries to keep fees as low as possible. Annual Fund donations of all sizes make a difference by supporting the budget in strategic areas of priority. ZIS families are encouraged to support Annual Fund projects at a level that is appropriate for them.

The school's annual operating expenses for the 2023/24 school year were CHF 48 million, of which approximately 71% is compensation for personnel and 9% is expenses for instructional materials. Remaining expenses make up rent and depreciation (17%), and administration and marketing (3%). The net debt amounts to CHF 6.4 million and includes mortgages for the school buildings in Adliswil.

ZIS does not receive any operational support from governmental or other sources. ZIS did receive financial support at favorable terms from the city and canton of Zurich for the construction of the Upper School which opened in 2008, and recently for the construction of the new Middle School which opened in August 2022. 

Yes. ZIS is a registered charity and CHF donations made to ZIS are tax deductible for Swiss taxpayers. Donors to ZIS will receive appropriate tax receipts for their tax returns. For US taxpayers, the Zurich International School Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization that supports ZIS. USD donations to the foundation are tax deductible for US taxpayers.

Many US companies match employee donations to ZIS’s qualified associated US 501(c)(3) foundation. If you would like assistance in determining whether your company has a matching gift policy, please contact Michaela Seeger at mseeger@zis.ch.

Donors may support ZIS by making a CHF donation (e-banking, cash, wire transfer, payment slip), paying by credit card, or making a US dollar donation (credit card, check, wire transfer, PayPal) via the Zurich International School Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization that supports ZIS. All CHF and USD donations are tax-deductible. For more information and to donate, please visit the Giving Online page.

Donations of every size are important and help us realize our goal of high participation which in turn demonstrates to corporations and foundations that people inside the school support its fundraising efforts. Donors are encouraged to donate at a level appropriate for them. The average donation in 2023/24 was CHF 1.492 but many donors gave more or less than this amount. Each donation is important, appreciated and encourages others to donate.

Support of the Annual Fund is welcome at any time; however, donating early in the academic year is crucial as it provides a gauge by which to plan for the end of the year.

Community-wide participation is important for several reasons. It sends an important message to external entities (government, corporations, foundations, etc.) that our community values and supports ZIS. This is critical for showing the importance and need for international schools and pursuing financial support from these entities in the future. In addition, ZIS is a school that values community involvement. Our success depends on having engaged parents. One of the ways parents can show their involvement is by supporting the Annual Fund. Lastly, each donation is important, appreciated, and encourages others to donate.

Families who make a donation before the February break receive only one appeal. The follow-up appeal letter is sent as a reminder to those who have not made a donation by that time.

Donations to the Annual Fund support strategic priorities in the current fiscal year, so we ask our community to renew this support each year. Current and future students benefit from this annual support.

There are many ways we work together as a school community. We greatly appreciate the many parents who volunteer to help the school, such as through the Parents' Association. Just as many activities would not be possible without volunteers, so key academic initiatives for your child's education could not happen without Annual Fund donations. Both kinds of support are crucial.

Please visit the Support ZIS page or contact Michaela Seeger, Director of Community Relations on mseeger@zis.ch. Past Annual Reports are also available online.