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50th Reunion Giving

As you reflect on the ways Deerfield has impacted your life, we hope you will choose to make a gift in honor of our 50th reunion.

Whatever your financial circumstances, please take time to explore your options for making a special 50th reunion gift. Just as your experiences were unique, your gifts can reflect your individuality. Please review the many different ways to give (below), and know that gifts of all types (including documented bequest intentions) will count toward your 50th grand total.

The Class of 1974 50th Reunion Gift

Deerfield is currently undergoing a major renovation of the Dining Hall, which includes much-needed structural work, modernization of the kitchen, and additional dining space for all students to participate in all sit-down meals—while maintaining the historical look and feel of this important space. The Class of 1974 is excited to have the special opportunity to name the front stairs and terrace in honor of their 50th Reunion milestone. Visit deerfield.edu/dininghallupdate2023 for photos and details.

Please join us and make your gift to Deerfield today!

Additional ways to make an impact:

Annual Fund

Alumni, parents, and friends contribute nearly $7 million every year to Deerfield’s Annual Fund, providing a critical 10% of the Academy’s operating budget, and ensuring the very finest secondary school education for today’s students.

  • Give Now by credit card  (designate gift type as Annual Fund)
  • Mail a check (Indicate Annual Fund in memo line):
    Deerfield Academy
    P.O. Box 306
    Deerfield, MA 01342
  • Donate appreciated securities or mutual fund shares. Contact Advancement Services for transfer instructions at alumni@deerfield.edu or 413-774-1474.
  • Direct up to $100,000 in current dollars from your IRA to Deerfield, rather than having to declare it at taxable income. Contact plannedgiving@deerfield.edu for instructions.

Gift Planning

  • Bequests: Name Deerfield as a beneficiary in your will, trust, or IRA. 50th Reunion gift credit is available if you provide documentation of your bequest intention.
  • Retirement Accounts: Tax-deferred retirement accounts such as IRAs can be highly taxable to your heirs. Non-profits like Deerfield can receive your IRA assets tax-free, upon your death. 50th Reunion gift credit is available if you provide documentation of your beneficiary designation.
  • Charitable Trusts: Transfer appreciated assets (including real estate or privately held stock) to a charitable remainder trust to support Deerfield, realize significant tax savings, and direct a stream of annual payments to yourself or someone else.
  • Gift Annuities: Fixed annual payments for life, guaranteed by Deerfield. Rates are based on age. Approximately 30% of the gift value is likely to be tax deductible.
  • Life Insurance: Whole life policies (with cash value) can make great charitable gifts.

Capital Giving

  • Facilities Gifts: Over the years, gifts to build, renovate, and restore facilities have helped Deerfield keep pace with the changing needs of students and faculty. Capital projects for facilities include the renovation of The Hess Center for the Arts in 2014, the Boyden Library in 2016, the Athletics Complex in 2018 and the Health and Wellness Center in 2019.
  • Endowment Gifts: The school invests gifts that are designated to endowment with the income directed toward the purpose the donor selects. Only the income from the principal is spent, ensuring that the gift continues in perpetuity, helping to safeguard Deerfield’s finances through changing economic times. There are a number of endowment opportunities available. A list of current endowed funds can be found here.

The earnings on endowed funds are used in perpetuity to support the academy’s programs and goals. Because the principal of the fund is never spent, it can generate greater earnings over time. Income from endowed funds provides thirty-two percent of the operating budget of the school. Annual giving income, by contrast, is spent the same year it is given and is used entirely in support of the operating budget of the school.

Donors may set up a restricted endowed fund in which they designate endowment income for a certain purpose. Donors may also opt to create an unrestricted endowed fund, which leaves the spending of income at the discretion of the school. This is most beneficial, because it allows the Head of School and the Board of Trustees the flexibility to direct the income to the area of greatest need at Deerfield.

Donors may set up a restricted endowed fund in which they designate endowment income for a certain purpose. Donors may also opt to create an unrestricted endowed fund, which leaves the spending of income at the discretion of the school. This is most beneficial, because it allows the Head of School and the Board of Trustees the flexibility to direct the income to the area of greatest need at Deerfield.

The Trustees of Deerfield Academy actively manage over 400 endowed funds, protecting the desires of donors and ensuring healthy growth of these assets. Deerfield’s investment policy creates a growing stream of revenue, while protecting and producing funds for reinvestment. Donors receive yearly updates in the ‘Summary of Endowed Funds’ section of the Deerfield Annual Report, and in appropriate individual reports as well.

Endowed funds can be established with outright gifts of cash or stock, through pledges to complete funding over several years, or through planned gifts (with a direct bequest, a charitable gift annuity, or a pooled income fund). Families can also join resources to create an endowed fund, allowing their gifts to have a greater impact and creating unique multi-generational ties to the school. Various naming opportunities and gift levels for establishing an endowed fund are illustrated here, with suggested options that may appeal to you. These are provided as a general guide towards further thought and discussion specific to your individual wishes and resources.

We honor your trust in us and protect the intent of every gift. For gifting purposes and official documents, Deerfield should be referred to as “Trustees of Deerfield Academy.”

For more information, please contact Rachel Moore, Director of Development, at 413-774-1872 or rmoore@deerfield.edu.

For more information on 50th Reunion support, please contact:

Kellie Houston, Director of the Annual Fund and 50th Reunion
413-774-1642 (office), khouston@deerfield.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Payments made before June 30th count in the current fiscal year.

Contact Advancement

alumni@deerfield.edu
413-774-1474
Fax 413-772-1123

Ephraim Williams House
Mon–Fri, 8:00am–4:00pm

7 Boyden Lane, PO Box 306
Deerfield, MA 01342

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 7 Boyden Lane, PO Box 87, Deerfield, MA 01342

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS: Deerfield Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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