Gifts That Make a Difference

Gifts That Make a Difference

There are a variety of ways in which the MA community can support the School’s needs for today and its needs for the future. Donations can go toward the Annual Fund, the Endowment and Major Gifts projects. Marin Academy is deeply grateful to the many families, friends and foundations who make the school a philanthropic priority each year. Voluntary support is essential to ensuring the vitality of the school.

Annual Fund
The Annual Fund represents Marin Academy’s core giving program for the needs of today. Each year current parents, alumni, alumni parents, grandparents are asked to participate in the School’s Annual Fund to bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost of educating each MA student. Annual Fund gifts support the daily lives of students and teachers by supporting the School’s academic, artistic and co-curricular programs. These funds – which raise more than $900,000 for the School’s operating budget each year, go where they’re most needed and, in a very real sense, support every student and every program of the school. The Annual Fund, which also supports MA’s strong financial aid program, is a critical component of Marin Academy’s financial well-being.

Contributions are received throughout the fiscal year (July 1- June 30) and are reflected in the Annual Report published the following fall. The Annual Fund Goal for 2007-2008 is $900,000 with 100% current parent participation.

Endowing Our Future
The Endowing Our Future Campaign addresses the issue that are central to advancing Marin Academy’s mission and securing the resources to ensure it can thrive as a place of great strength and imagination. By endowing a fund, you are securing Marin Academy’s future.

The commitment to a $12 million dollar endowment will provide long-term support for the School’s Institutional mission and offers the means to respond to educational opportunities in the 21st century. The endowment was envisioned by Marin Academy’s Strategic Plan and will target essential areas needed for institutional strength: competitive faculty salaries, scholarships, and community outreach.

Gifts may be designated for a specific campaign goal of particular interest to the donor or left unrestricted. Name endowments may be funded through current gifts, multi-year pledges, and planned gifts and remain as a legacy of the donors’ vision and generosity.

The Marin Academy Board of Trustees has established the following endowment funds with a focus on four strategic objectives:

• General Endowment Fund
• Attracting and Honoring a Remarkable Faculty
• Increasing Access For a Diverse Student Population
• Community Outreach

Major Gifts
While unrestricted gifts are particularly valuable since they give Marin Academy the flexibility to allocated funds where and when they are most needed, the School also raises funds for specific projects which are supported by restricted gifts of $10,000 - $1 million.

The Sequoia Circle
The Sequoia Circle recognizes donors who name Marin Academy as a beneficiary of a planned gift or bequest. Gifts to the Sequoia Circle strengthen MA’s endowment, ensuring that future generations of students will benefit from the MA experience and enabling donors to create a legacy of giving. Through a planned gift, you can help secure the school’s future in ways that may have significant benefits to you and your family.

Planned giving options include:

• Bequests to MA in a will
• IRA or 401(k) Account
• Pooled Income Fund
• Charitable Remainder Trust

With bequests of $100,000 or greater, donors can create a special named fund for the school. A comprehensive planned giving brochure is also available through the Advancement Office.

Marin Academy will offer expert gift planning advice from an alumni parent with more than 40 years of expertise as a CPA specializing in estate planning.