Christian school in Austria survives by fundraising 400,000 euros in a week
Pupils of the school in Vienna. Photo Mayflower Christian Academy
Central Europe
There was a lot of stress at a Christian school in Vienna, right before the summer holidays ended. The school needed 400,000 euros in one week to avoid its closure. They did not have much time to find it, but “God worked a miracle”.
CEO Macus Assmann from the Mayflower Christian Academy and Noah's Ark Kindergarten in Vienna has a stressful period behind him. On Sunday August 24, he sent out a desperate cry for help for the school, as its entire existence was at stake.
What happened? The Christian school in Vienna has been dealing with severe money problems for a while already. Earlier, CNE wrote how these problems started when the CEO of the foundation that owns the school building retired in 2023. And since then, the school has been under great pressure to pay back all debts in a shorter time than earlier agreed on.
In total, they must find 750,000 euros to cover all the costs that have especially built up during the COVID pandemic.
In 2024, the school thought it had found a solution to the problem. A Swiss investor promised them that he would provide the money to cover the debts and even more. However, because of “internal problems”, this investor withdrew suddenly at the end of May this year, Assmann says. To make matters worse, the German investor that had supported the school thus far, also skipped out.
Miracle
Meanwhile, the landlord refused to give the school extra time to find the money. The deadline for paying the first term of debts, in total 400,000 euros remained August 31, she told the school during the summer holidays. Then panic really hit, Assmann says. “Suddenly, we only had ten days. We thought that we were losing our campus right away.”
As a last resort, the school decided to start a fundraiser via GoFundMe. The goal was ambitious, 400,000 euros in just a week. The people in church laughed, Assmann says, “but God worked a miracle”.
Through its international contacts, the school was able to spread the news about the fundraising quickly. From all over the world, donations and loans flooded to the school. Christian communities, schools, former students, parents, they all contributed. The largest donation they received was 10,000 euros, says Assmann. “We looked at our bank account, and we were amazed what was going on. We see and saw God working.”
Right in time, the school was able to transfer 400,000 euros to the landlord.
Existence
This means, the existence of the school is ensured for now. However, there are other hurdles to take. The 400,000 euros was only a short term solution, Assmann explains. The debts of 750,000 must be paid off in four terms. “By January next year, we have to pay 125,000 euros again, by August next year another 125,000 and by August 2027 another 100,000 euros.”
Moreover, the school also still struggles with the municipality of Vienna about the destination of the property on which the school is built. Officially, the plot is part of a nature park. The school is allowed to have a building there, but only by a temporary permit that expires every five years, and must be extended every time. The latest permit expires at the end of 2026, but Marcus Assmann expects a struggle with the municipality for extension.
Furthermore, the school needs to grow to its full capacity. Even though it did not lose too many students because of the financial uncertainty, it has the capacity to facilitate more students and must do so to receive enough tuition to operate. In total, Mayflower Christian Academy can facilitate 200 students and Noah's Ark Kindergarten 100 children. However, there are 90 children in kindergarten and 110 students at Mayflower Christian Academy. “We need 70 more students”, says Marcus Assmann. “If we receive that tuition, that would really help the school.”
Donation
Currently, Assmann is busy thinking of a sustainable plan to ensure the existence of the school for the coming years and beyond. Ideally, he says, the school would find seven investors that are willing to support the school with a monthly donation of 5000 euros for a year. That would fill the deficit of 35,000 euros the school has every month.
If necessary, Assmann is even wiling to step down as a CEO and “sell” the school to an investor. However, there is one strict condition: it must at all times remain a Christian school. “We are looking for someone that has Christian education on his mind.”
Until that time, he will remain at his post as CEO and continue to fight for the existence of the school through the four terms of payment. “The money problem and the daily stress are really wearing us down”, he admits. But there is also hope. “The staff is even more dedicated to serve the school than before we had so many problems. And, as several pastors told me, God worked a miracle this time, and we have to trust.”
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