2/9/11

Dear Mr. Aller,

My original letter of support (enclosed) focused primarily on the many wonderful, positive
attributes of the CDC. As a professional fundraiser with over a decade of experience working in
the education field, I believe I can also offer some additional ideas and suggestions that
specifically address the financial shortfall that the CDC is currently experiencing.

 The CDC is an easy sell. In my experience, fundraising for small children is, in a word,
easy. Having worked in a school that served preschool through 8th grade, our smallest
students were always the most popular, and always tended to bring about the highest
donations. Properly promoting the CDC with donors would truly expand the reach and
impact of Gallaudet Development department.
 The CDC can offer a new (and easy) point of entry for giving to Gallaudet as a
whole, allowing access to an entire new audience of funders. Drawing again on my
experience with support of the preschool I worked with, donors who may not have been
interested in our middle school were initially drawn in by our cute little ones. With proper
cultivation, over time they became engaged in the mission as a whole and supported the
school overall. Again, I believe there is a huge opportunity for Gallaudet to reach an
entire new audience of individual funders.
 Many foundations support organizations like the CDC. A very brief search of the
Foundation Center database, which I use for my current position, brought up 92 private
foundations that support deaf preschools. Gallaudet is the premier deaf institution in the
world. Surely there are many private foundations out there willing to fund such a worthy
organization. I personally work with many of these foundations as they fund my current
organization, and know there are many opportunities there. As with individual funders,
once relationships are established with these foundations, opportunities then would open
up for support of Gallaudet as a whole. Surely the Gallaudet Development staff could
explore these opportunities.

Besides these development related activities, as mentioned in my initial letter, I believe there are
other opportunities to be explored.

 There is a shortage of good childcare in the Capitol Hill area. I only learned of
Gallaudet by word of mouth, and immediately jumped at the opportunity. I belong to a
“Moms on the Hill” group and there are literally dozens of postings every week seeking
good childcare options for 1-3 year olds.
 Gallaudet CDC teaches sign language which is very attractive to parents. This is a
huge selling point and if effectively marketed could help bring in many more students.
 The current cost is very low. I believe parents would be willing to pay more per week to
help make up the shortfall. At the very least those not affiliated with Gallaudet could pay
more. Or perhaps tuition could be assessed based on income.
Given the many unexplored opportunities that exist, surely it is worth coming up with a plan to
incorporate some of these ideas. Parents are willing to pay more, and even raise funds to help
with any immediate need until more long term solutions are put in place. Exploring these options
would allow the CDC to continue to offer its many benefits to the community, cover costs, and
most importantly better Gallaudet’s financial position as a whole. Closing the CDC due to lack
of funds, when it is actually an avenue to generate funding for ALL of Gallaudet, would be
a huge mistake.

I am happy to discuss this further, or even consult with your Development department. Please
contact me should you have any questions at all.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Candice Santomauro
csantomauro@edexcellence.net
(202)285-3011

Enclosures
From: Candice Santomauro <csantomauro@edexcellence.net>
Date: Sun, Jan 30, 2011 at 8:39 PM
Subject: Gallaudet CDC
To: gary.aller@gallaudet.edu

Dear Mr. Aller,

I am writing regarding the potential closing of Gallaudet CDC. My son Michael, age 3, has been
a student there since 2009. He will likely attend Brent Elementary in the fall with his older sister.
Therefore, since the CDC closure does not affect us too much, I am writing this on behalf of
future students and families, as well as those currently attending.

I had the good fortune of having my mother work at Florida School for the Deaf and Blind when
I was a child. I learned sign language at an early age, and attended weekly enrichment classes
with both hearing and deaf students. This gave me an expanded world view and taught me much
more than a second language. I learned tolerance and to appreciate the differences in people. I
was thrilled when Michael was given the same opportunity at Gallaudet CDC.

Michael is only one of many, many children who have had a positive experience at Gallaudet
CDC and will carry their love of ALL people, whether hearing or deaf, throughout their lives.
Our family has taken advantage of the sign language classes, so even my husband and 9 year old
daughter have benefited from his experience there. All of the children at the CDC learn to
communicate with and love each other, the deaf children learn to interact with those who are
hearing and vice versa. These are skills and experiences that will serve them throughout their
lives. This benefit to the deaf community (and the community in general) cannot be measured in
dollars.

I can certainly understand the financial challenges that the CDC is experiencing. I truly believe,
though, that rather than close the facility, there are a number of changes that could be
implemented to improve the finances of the CDC.

One option could be to increase the cost, at least for the non-Gallaudet families. To be honest, we
were shocked at how inexpensive it is, and the price has not gone up since we started. Also,
there is a huge demand in our community for quality childcare, so if the facility is able to
accommodate more children, certainly some marketing would result in increased enrollment.

It is the sincere hope of my family, as well as the scores of others who have had a positive
experience with the Gallaudet CDC, that other options will be explored so that the CDC is not
closed. It would be a shame if this gem was no longer around to positively influence our
children.

Sincerely,

Candice Santomauro