Deerfield thrives when alumni share their time, talents, and voices. Your belief in Deerfield, in the friendships forged during your Deerfield Days, and in the relationships nurtured in the years since carries the Academy forward. And your volunteer work—whether in fundraising, engagement, or showing gratitude—builds the culture of connection, joy, and reciprocity that lies at the heart of the Deerfield experience.
Here are three great ways to put your enthusiasm and dedication into action!
Have fun, be positive, and let your enthusiasm lead the way.
Plan and practice what you will say or write before reaching out to a classmate. Think about the reasons why you give and why you believe it is important to give.
Personalize your communication.
Vary your approach. Sometimes, earnest appeals to shared memories work. At other times, humor is the most effective approach. In still other contexts, class competition and pride will carry the day.
Acknowledge a classmate’s prior giving and/or involvement with Deerfield and say, “thank you.”
Verify or obtain an email address, a cell phone number, and a mailing address for each classmate you contact.
Focus on participation. Remember: gifts of any size make a big difference.
The Academy has three sources of annual income: tuition, earnings from the endowment, and gifts. Tuition and endowment together cover only a portion of the cost of educating a Deerfield student. The rest comes from gifts made by alumni, families, and friends of the Academy.
Gifts to the Deerfield Fund and directed annual support account for roughly 10% of Deerfield’s operating budget each year. Put plainly, Deerfield could not operate without the generosity of its alumni, families, and friends.
When you give to the Deerfield Fund, you make an immediate, direct impact on the experience of today’s students. That’s because Deerfield Fund dollars are unrestricted, giving the Academy the flexibility to respond to new opportunities and unforeseen challenges.
