Skip To Main Content

2022 Event

Making A Difference was a joyous night celebrating Mercy education!

If you weren't able to join us in person, click HERE or on the image above to watch our livestream.
Be sure to refresh your page if you don't see the livestream video.

Making A Gift is easy!
Venmo @mercyburlingame
Make an online gift below!

You can still support Making A Difference through Sponsorship or by making a Gift!

Join us for Mercy's biggest fundraiser of the year for tuition assistance!

Our 2023 Making a Difference Benefit will be in-person as well as live streamed. It is truly a celebration of our Mercy community.  This past year we raised a record $400,000 — and our Mercy students need us to continue this level of support and more. We want those who cannot join us in person to still be able to watch and support this very special event from their homes.  

While the requests for financial aid are always greater than our available funding, your generous support gives us the ability to ensure the transformative opportunity of a Mercy education is accessible to as many young women as possible.  Thank you for helping us to build the bridge that makes a Mercy education possible - every gift truly makes a difference.

Tuition for the 2022-23 school year is $25,925. Every gift, no matter how big or small, helps a Mercy student.  100% of your gift goes directly to tuition assistance!

Our Impact 

  • Mercy awarded nearly $2 million in financial support in FY 23
  • Making A Difference makes up 15% of the tuition assistance budget; each gift is matched by 85% of other funding in order to make the most impact and help the greatest number of students.
  • Making A Difference has raised and awarded $3.4 million in aid since its inception in 2004.
  • 99% - 100% of our students matriculate to college
  • In a competitive admissions market, providing increased financial aid packages to more families in need enables more young women in the Bay Area to access a Mercy education.
Sponsorship Opportunities

Demonstrate your commitment to making a difference. 
100% of all sponsorships provide essential funds to Mercy’s tuition assistance program.

Sponsorship Levels:

$25,000+ Catherine McAuley*
Provides a $5,000 award to five students
$10,000+ Platinum*
Provides a $2,000 award to five students
$5,000+ Gold*
Provides a $1,000 award to five students
$2,500+ Silver *
Provides a $500 award to five students
$1,500+ Presidential*
Provides a $500 award to three students
$1,000+ Bronze
(Six reserved seats at Making a Difference)
$600+ Blue & White
(Four reserved seats at Making a Difference)
$300+ Crusader
(Two reserved seats at Making a Difference)
All sponsors will receive recognition on the website, publications and at the event.
*Sponsors of $1,500 or more will have a reserved table for 10 at the event.
$150- Individual ticket

Donations of all amounts are deeply appreciated.

For additional information, please contact Mary Lund, Director of Advancement
at 650-762-1190 or mlund@mercyhsb.com
Mercy's Tax I.D.. #94-1230999

Mercy High School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your donation is tax deductible as allowed by law. 
The fair market value of the benefits received is not tax deductible as a charitable contribution. 
The fair market value for dinner is $110.

Board of Directors

Penny Stack Alexander '78
William Armanino Jr. 
Christopher Denten, P '23
Robert Grassilli
Mary Schaffer Kircher '78
Jamie Jweinat Lechleitner '02
Sister Anne Murphy, RSM '69
Patricia Waugh O'Connor, P '22
Sister Joan Marie O'Donnell, RSM SF '59
Jennifer Peneyra '93
Meghan Chavez Railey '04
Caroline Romeo, P '14
Catherine Dunleavy Rosaia '72, P '99
Patrick Ruff
Jeanine Thorpe '86
Alison Vorsatz '98
Randolph Wong, M.D., P '12
 
Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan '02, Ed.D.
Head of School

Making A Difference
Steering Committee

Tami Cirigliano Guglielmina
Catherine Dunleavy Rosaia '72, P '99
Gina Collins '99
Kelsey Connolly '12
Patricia Waugh O'Connor, P '22
Mary Schaffer Kircher '78
Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan '02, Ed.D.
Caroline Romeo, P '14
Jackie Svedise
Joann Mahaffey
Niki Rodrigues Nielsen
Martha Phillips, P '25
 

Making A Difference 2024
Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors - $25,000+
Robert Stewart Odell and Helen Pfeiffer Odell Fund
Outrageous Foundation
Sisters of Mercy - Institute Office of Ministry
 
Gold Sponsors - $10,000+
Drum Foundation
 
Silver Sponsors - $5,000+
Mervyn Brenner Foundation
Catherine Dunleavy Rosaia ’72 and Wayne Rosaia
Dr. Janet Andrews Howes '70, D.D.S. and David Howes
Caroline and Charlie Romeo, P ’14
Catherine Dunleavy Rosaia ’72 and Wayne Rosaia
Jeanine Thorpe '86 and David Schellhase 
Lynn Dryden Van Etten ’72
 
Bronze Sponsors - $3,500+
Penny Stack Alexander ’78 and Matthew Alexander
David and Maria Collins, P '15
Frank and Susan Kerler Kennedy '64 
Martha Phillips and Al Taira, P '25
 
Mercy Table Sponsors - $1,750+
Rebecca Beck, P '96, '00
Dr. Pat Bradley P '11, '13', '14 and Sarah Murphy P '18
Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan ’02, Ed.D. and Neil Brosnan
Caltronics Business Systems
Elizabeth Caserza '77 
Rachael Clausen SF '84
Gina Rosaia Collins ’98 and James Collins
Chris and Mary Denten, P ’23
Bob Grassilli
Mary Schaffer Kircher ’78 and Matthew Kircher
William and Catherine Mariani, P '12
Mercy Alumnae Board
Shari Rodrigues and Niki Nielsen
Jennifer Estrella Peneyra '93
Serra High School
Sisters of Mercy Burlingame
Sutter Health
Jeffrey and Jessica Thomas, P '26
Alison Vorsatz ’98
Claire and Warren Woo, P ’25
 
Blue and White Sponsors - $1,000+
Doug and Mary Ann Button '72
Kristy Furrer Crouch '82
Kevin and Cindy McDonald Dunleavy '81
Christian and Jacqueline Legorreta Erdman '75
Bart and Carol Cafferkey Gaul '85
John and Janet McAfee, P '26
Robert and Jacqueline O'Donnell, P '97
Kirata Samthong, P '28
Scale Venture Partners
Adrian and Nicole Zagar, P '13
 
Friends of Mercy - $500+
Andresen Digital
Angela Barton
Betty Battaglia
Michael and Mary Bollier Carp '77
Andrew and Maggie Demkin, P '26
Edward Goodstein and Francesca Eastman
Patricia Flanagan '65
Jean and Yolanda Gorostiague
Eileen Horan
Donna Collins Krasnow '66
Jerry and Kathy Lautze Krause '68
Jennifer Lambdin
Mary and Lars Lund, P '06, '08
Patricia and Kevin O'Connor, P '22
Michael Seil
Sandra Tilch '63
Carl and Michele Tyler '68
William and Melanie Albano Valdez '89