Fundraising Volunteer Pod

Absolutely! It is hard to overstate the importance of your participation in the Marvelwood Annual Fund. Each gift, no matter its size, contributes to the whole. Collectively, individual gifts from members of the Marvelwood community make a crucial difference in the day-to-day life on campus.

Participation builds a strong and critical base of donors. It builds momentum that inspires others to give. Other families are more likely to make a gift if a significant number of their peers are contributing. Participation is an expression of confidence in the School’s mission, and all those dollars add up and make a real difference.

Absolutely not! Marvelwood uses—and appreciates—gifts at all levels. The Marvelwood Annual Fund represents a collective effort to raise a cumulative total. The family tradition of supporting Marvelwood has always been about the proportionate ability to give and a desire to pass the experience forward.

In relation to income or financial circumstances, one families $500 gift may be every bit as meaningful as another’s $5,000 gift. Moreover, families capable of giving very large gifts are more willing to do so when a substantial number of other families are contributing what they can. Everyone’s annual gift has a more significant impact than he or she might realize.

The Marvelwood School fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends the following June 30. Annual gifts for the fiscal year must be received by June 30 to be counted for that fiscal year.

In a word, no. Encourage families to increase their giving by a little bit every year. We need our loyal donors to help us keep up with the rising costs of running Marvelwood by increasing their gifts. One way to make this simple is to encourage recurring gifts that are automatically charged to their credit cards. Spreading their donation across months with a recurring gift may enable classmates to increase their total gift by breaking it up into manageable pieces.

The Annual Fund is a vital source of financial support that impacts virtually every aspect of life at Marvelwood. Gifts to the Annual Fund make up 3% of our operating budget. Your generous yearly support helps offset the 37% difference between tuition and the actual cost of educating each student and gives the leadership of our School the flexibility needed to respond to immediate challenges and opportunities. Every student and family – both those on financial aid and full-paying--pays less in tuition than they would if not for the Annual Fund.

Endowment funds are restricted-use funds (meaning that the ways in which those dollars may be used is outlined by the donor) and the corpus of an endowment is never spent—a portion of the interest generated by the fund is allotted each year towards the fund’s stated purpose. Together, these two types of financial support enable Marvelwood to continue to prepare students for social, emotional, athletic and academic success in their next venture.

Marvelwood School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and Annual Fund gifts are 100% tax-deductible as allowed by law. Marvelwood's federal tax ID number is 06-0726595. In addition, gifts made as bequests or other forms of planned gifts can yield considerable tax benefits for donors. Please contact Director of Advancement & Marketing Natalie Smith at (860) 947-0047 ext.1020 to learn more about Planned Giving.

• Yes it does. The Annual Fund makes up 3% of the Marvelwood operating budget- it’s not extra- our support is vitally needed every year.
• Tuition covers about 60% of the cost of educating a Marvelwood student. The remainder is made up with the endowment and annual gifts.
• Marvelwood needs unrestricted funds to support academics, scholarships, and student life.

• Let the parent/guardian talk through his or her experience.
• I understand your concern, and I'm sure I can connect you with someone that will be able to remedy your concerns.
• Your gift to the Marvelwood's Annual Fund helps support everything at Marvelwood and 'X' is just one of the many things here at the School that needs funding.
• Given that, would you consider helping support the Marvelwood experience with a gift of $____ to the Annual Fund?

• That’s understandable. I have spoken to a few other families who have decided to give, but were originally not interested in doing so because they were unaware of the many reasons to give.
• Without the Marvelwood's Annual Fund, and the generous support of our parent/family community, Marvelwood could not continue to provide the high-quality education and experience it does.
• As such, Marvelwood needs everyone’s support to ensure that future generations of students have an outstanding experiences. Given that, would you consider supporting Marvelwood with a gift of $________? [Wait for a response—don't jump to fill the silence.]

• I understand; many people are reluctant to give because of that very reason.
• However, it is in times like these that Marvelwood needs us the most. Many schools across the country have had to drastically cut their budgets, eliminating needed programs, including financial aid. However, with your help, Marvelwood will be able to maintain its commitment to providing a quality education at a substantially reduced cost.
• Your participation—at whatever level feels good for you—is important.
• Given that, would you consider supporting our current students (our children) with a gift of $____ to the Marvelwood's Annual Fund? [Wait for a response—don't jump to fill the silence.]

• Every gift to Marvelwood is budget relieving. Gifts do not add money to the School’s budget, they free up previously allocated dollars for things that may not have been in the budget at the beginning of the year.
• For example, if you give to Athletics, the money will not add to the Athletics budget. It will relieve a line item in the Athletics budget, like 15 new soccer balls. Since Athletics no longer has to spend the money on the 15 soccer balls (your gift paid for them), they can now spend those valuable dollars on future innovative programming or projects.

• A gift of any amount is important because it supports the Marvelwood's parent/family participation rate—a testament to the strength of the School’s community. Every gift, at every level makes a difference to Marvelwood.
• You can always make a pledge now and pay later!