Ways of Giving

Every Gift is Important

Families who give to Stanwich are doing more than supporting a charity, they are founding a school. Every donation of any size moves us closer to our dream of building the first and only co-educational, Pre-K-12, independent school in Greenwich.

Like all independent schools, Stanwich relies on the generosity of families and friends to help fund its current operating budget as well as its future growth. Stanwich is a not-for-profit institution and as such, conducts ongoing fundraising activities to supplement the income provided by tuition.

Charitable giving to Stanwich is never mandatory, but we hope that families who benefit from a Stanwich education will consider making the school a priority in their charitable giving decisions.

What is the difference between the Annual Fund and Capital Giving?

The Stanwich Annual Fund raises money every year to support the people and programs that make Stanwich a transformative experience for our students – dedicated faculty who nurture and challenge each student, small class sizes with an emphasis on individual attention, state-of-the-art technology in all classrooms, and financial support to provide the opportunity for a Stanwich education to all qualified students. The entire Stanwich School community is asked to donate to the Annual Fund every year, regardless of previous giving to the Annual Fund or to the Capital Campaign.

Capital Gifts are unrestricted donations to support the construction of a permanent campus for Stanwich School and to increase the school’s cash reserves for future endowment. Since its founding in 1998, Stanwich has occupied leased spaces in four diffrent locations, with the ultimate goal to build a complete campus for Kindergarten through Grade 12 on the property at 257 Stanwich Road. This long-term project is called “Building the Dream” and is being funded entirely by Capital Giving and tax-exempt bonds. Typically, a Capital Gift is a single donation to this effort, payable over 1-5 years.

The Annual Fund and Capital Giving are two separate fundraising initiatives that benefit the school in different ways and address different needs. Any single gift to the school may not be attributed to both fundraising efforts.

All families are asked to support both the Annual Fund and Capital Giving to whatever extent they feel comfortable financially. In a situation where a family wants to support the school, but does not feel they can support both efforts, they are encouraged to maintain their support of the Annual Fund first and consider making a capital gift when and if they can.

Giving Online

To make a gift by credit card or to make a pledge online, please visit our Secure Giving site at giving.stanwichschool.org

Gifts of Cash

All cash donations to the school are fully tax deductible and may be made by personal check, credit card or electronic fund transfer. Gifts must be designated for either the Annual Fund or Capital Giving and may be sent to:

The Stanwich School Development Office

257 Stanwich Road

Greenwich, CT 06830

Gifts of Securities

Gifts of appreciated securities which have been held more than 12 months entitle the donor to an income tax deduction equal to the average of the high and low values on the date of transfer while allowing the donor to avoid the capital gains tax that would have applied had the stock been sold. All marketable securities are sold on the same day that they are received. If you plan to transfer securities, please notify Olivia Dolce in the Development Office at ldolce@stanwichschool.org or 203.542.0030 of your intentions so that we may properly assign credit for your gift when it comes in.

Click here for securities transfer instructions.

Matching Gifts

Many companies match contributions made to a not-for-profit institution by an employee or an employee’s spouse.

Click here to find out if your employer has a matching gift program. If your employer is not listed, please inquire about it at your office. If your company does offer matching gifts, please forward the appropriate forms when you send your own gift to the school. Donors who initiate matching gifts from their companies will be credited with the combined amount of their own gift and the matching gift in the Annual Report.

Planned Gifts

Planned gifts can produce significant gift and estate tax savings, increase the donor’s annual income, and increase the possibilities for effective distribution of assets. For more information on Planned Giving, please contact Melissa Hoglund, Director of Development, mhoglund@stanwichschool.org or 203.542.0007. .

Gifts-in Kind

Gifts-in-Kind are non-cash donations of personal property. The value of the donation must be determined by the donor for tax purposes. A tax acknowledgment letter will be sent to the donor with a detailed description of the gift-in-kind.

Pledges

Many donors prefer to make a pledge to the school for a gift that will be fulfilled at a later date, more convenient to the donor’s personal financial calendar. Pledges to the Annual Fund must be fulfilled by June 30 of the school year in which the pledge is made. Capital pledges may be scheduled over 1-5 years. Donors will receive tax acknowledgement for their gift at the time that payment is made on the pledge.