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Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum (The Collegium) is an independent, four-year liberal arts college located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we are dedicated to providing an education that is faithful to the intellectual, moral, spiritual, and liturgical traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, all while remaining truly affordable.
A Unique Model of Catholic Higher Education
The Collegium is proud to be the only Newman Guide college that charges no tuition. Students pay only for room, board, and books. The cost of providing each student with our comprehensive academic and spiritual formation is over $50,000 per yearbut our students are never billed for tuition.
Work and Prayer: Ora et Labora
Through our Ora et Labora (Work and Prayer) program, students help sustain the college by contributing their time and effort in meaningful work. But Ora et Labora is more than just labor. It forms young Catholics to approach work with purpose, faith, and generosity, preparing them to live as givers to God, to their families, and to society.
While this program offsets some expenses, it does not yet cover the full cost of running The Collegium.
Your Support Makes This Possible
We rely on the generosity of faithful supporters to make this model sustainable.
Your gift is not just a donation, it’s an investment in the future of the Church and society through the formation of deeply faithful, well-educated Catholic men and women.
The Collegium – Phase I Sustainability Campaign
Mission
The Collegium educates and forms students, through the traditions of the Church, to restore all things in Christ.
The Collegium exists to form students intellectually, spiritually, and practically through a classical education integrated with real economic responsibility. Our goal is to develop young men and women who live virtuous lives, constantly seek the truth, and contribute to the rebuilding of our culture.
The Challenge
Higher education is increasingly dependent on unstable tuition models and unsustainable donor cycles. The Collegium is choosing a different path—one rooted in disciplined scale, intentional growth, and student-run enterprises that generate real revenue.
Phase I Goal (2026–2029)
Raise $350,000 per year for three years to
- operate The Collegium responsibly at its current scale;
- mature currently launched student-run businesses;
- reduce donor dependence by approximately 50% within three years.
Why This Matters Now
This campaign funds infrastructure, not expansion for its own sake. It allows us to
- prove a sustainable college model;
- train students in real economic leadership;
- create revenue streams that permanently lower operating costs.
The Long-Term Vision
Within five, The Collegium aims to be fully self-sustaining through tuition and student enterprises. Phase I is the essential foundation that makes this possible.
Invitation
This campaign is an opportunity to invest in permanence—not just students, but a model of education that does not collapse without constant emergency fundraising.
How You Can Help Build a Sustainable Collegium
The Phase I Sustainability Campaign invites donors to participate at a level that reflects both their means and their desired impact. Each tier plays a specific role in moving The Collegium from dependence toward long-term independence.
Anchor Partners
$50,000–$75,000 per year
Anchor Partners provide the stability that allows The Collegium to plan responsibly and act decisively,
- underwriting core operations during the sustainability transition;
- enabling the launch and scaling of student-run enterprises;
- providing institutional credibility and long-term confidence.
Anchor Partners are helping remove the need for perpetual emergency fundraising.
Sustaining Patrons
$25,000 per year
Sustaining Patrons ensure that The Collegium can operate with focus rather than fragility,
- supporting faculty, formation, and academic continuity;
- strengthening institutional systems;
- reducing reliance on tuition and annual appeals.
Builders Circle
$10,000 per year
Builders Circle donors invest directly in future self-sufficiency,
- developing student-run enterprises;
- training students in real economic leadership;
- supporting revenue-generating initiatives.
Fellows
$5,000 per year
Fellows form the committed core of supporters,
- strengthening daily operations;
- providing continuity year to year;
- demonstrating shared responsibility for sustainability.
Friends of The Collegium
$1,000–$2,500 per year
Friends build momentum and broaden support,
- providing flexible funding;
- expanding the community of invested supporters;
- helping to validate a new educational model.
Every gift supports the same goal:
A Collegium capable of educating students without perpetual dependence on fundraising.
Building Toward Financial Self-Sustainability
The Collegium is pursuing a deliberate transition from donor-supported operations to earned revenue through student-run enterprises. The following projections outline a three-year pathway toward that goal. These projections are based on existing businesses, signed placements, and guaranteed income, and assume growth through paid-for assets rather than debt financing.
Projected Earned Revenue
Year 1
- Online Store: $10,000
- Micromarkets & Vending Operations: $40,000 (10 fully paid-for machines)
- Pelican+ Partnership: $60,000 (guaranteed salary)
Total Projected Revenue: $110,000
Year 2
- Online Store: $25,000
- Micromarkets & Vending Operations: $100,000 (25 fully paid-for machines)
- Pelican+ Partnership: $103,000 (salary + 4.4% equity profit sharing)
Total Projected Revenue: $228,000
Year 3
- Online Store: $50,000
- Micromarkets & Vending Operations: $150,000 (37 fully paid-for machines)
- Pelican+ Partnership: $150,000 (salary + equity participation)
Total Projected Revenue: $350,000
These projections reflect estimates based on current operations, existing contracts, and secured partnerships. They are not guarantees, but reasonable expectations grounded in assets already in use and revenue streams already underway.
How Donor Support Drives These Results
Donor support during this bridge period does not simply fund operations — it directly increases The Collegium’s earned revenue capacity.
What Donor Gifts Do
- Eliminate high-interest financing (currently ~20%)
- Fund revenue-producing assets outright
- Increase net operating income immediately
A Concrete Example: Funding One Micro-mart Machine
- Cost per machine: ~$7,000
- Annual revenue per paid-for machine: $3,000–$5,000
- Net effect: recurring income every year, with no financing drag
Ten paid-for machines can generate $30,000–$50,000 annually.
Over three years, a single machine will generate more than its original cost in earned revenue, while providing ongoing student employment and formation.
As a donor, you are not sustaining The Collegium indefinitely. You are helping us become self-sustaining.
Revenue-Building Opportunity: Fund a Student-Run Micro-mart
As part of our sustainability strategy, The Collegium operates student-run enterprises that generate real income while training students in responsibility and leadership.
One such enterprise is a vending business that is already operating profitably. The primary limitation on growth is the high cost of financing new machines, currently at rates approaching 20%. A single micro-mart (next-generation vending machine) costs $7,000 to purchase outright and generates approximately $3,000–$5,000 in annual revenue when financing is not involved.
When a donor funds a machine directly,
- this student-run enterprise avoids high-interest financing;
- net revenue increases immediately;
- the machine becomes a permanent income-producing asset.
Just ten fully funded machines could generate $30,000–$50,000 per year, compounding year after year and directly reducing reliance on donor support.
This is a targeted opportunity for donors who wish to
- support sustainability in a concrete, measurable way;
- accelerate the growth of The Collegium’s student-run enterprises;
- help replace annual fundraising with earned income.
Funding a micro-mart is not a recurring obligation, but a decisive step toward long-term independence.
Participating in the Sustainability Plan
You are welcome to participate in the following ways:
- donate using the form on this page
- send a check to Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum
500 East 8th Street #206, Kansas City, MO 64106.
The Collegium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are fully tax-deductible.