Giving & Support
Philanthropy + Engagement (P+E) has always been critical to making big things happen at Beaver. We are fortunate to have a passionate and invested community of volunteers and donors who believe in and wholly support our students and faculty to thrive.
The Annual Fund
Healthy Annual Funds help create healthy schools, and Beaver’s Annual Fund is an effort by the entire community to support the people and programs that make Beaver unique. The Annual Fund contributes 8% of our operating revenues, impacting every aspect of our students’ experience.
Our success reflects the community’s confidence in the school’s leadership, the positive academic and extracurricular experiences students are having, and the fondness alumni and parents of graduates feel for their school.
Annual Fund gifts are unrestricted, meaning they can be spent as they come in, making an immediate difference by providing flexible funds, creating opportunities for learning and discovery.
Every dollar counts. Every gift matters. Every donor makes a difference.
The Senior Annual Fund is a meaningful opportunity for families and seniors to celebrate and reflect on the positive academic and extracurricular experiences they have had at Beaver. It is also a moment when the school invites seniors to join their parents and guardians in participating in philanthropy by making their first gift to the Annual Fund—BVR’s top fundraising priority. These are flexible funds for all teachers and students.
Since 2008, parents from the senior class have provided a large portion (some years up to 25 percent) of the Annual Fund. It’s a “super-charged” Annual Fund gift. In addition, seniors have reached 100 percent participation for the past few years.
Four things you need to know about the Senior Annual Fund:
- It’s a “super-charged” Annual Fund gift. Every year, parents from the senior class provide a large portion of the Annual Fund.
- The Annual Fund gifts from previous senior classes have benefitted our kids—and now it is our turn to “pay it forward.”
- These are flexible funds for all teachers and students.
- This allows us to pause, celebrate, and reflect on the positive academic and extracurricular experiences students have had, and the fondness we feel for the teachers.
Beaver has been a foundational part of my journey. From providing the skills and confidence needed to excel in college to fostering lifelong friendships and inspiring a passion for leadership, Beaver shaped who I am today. Giving back feels like a way to ensure that future students have the same transformative opportunities I experienced.
Raven Rankine '12, Incorporator
Beaver students are at the center of every idea we have, decision we make, program we launch, and space we design.
Kim Samson, Head of School
Targeted Funds & Campaigns
To strategically meet the growing and evolving needs of our students and faculty, Beaver will share ongoing opportunities for designated-purpose fundraising efforts. Generous donors work with us to make an incredible impact.
Gifts to specific purposes identified by school leadership in all sizes demonstrate a firm commitment to the school’s core values and the quality of learning and teaching at Beaver. We encourage community members interested in learning about and supporting the present and future of Beaver to contact Erica DeRosa, Director of Philanthropy and Engagement, at 617-738-2746 or ederosa@bcdschool.org.
From 2016-2019, Beaver conducted The Future Is Here campaign, a $25M effort that created the Research + Design Center, a centerpiece of the campus and a space that defines Beaver’s mindset. Other designated campaigns have also helped transform our campus: the Turf Field (2015), renovation of our Science Wing (2012) and in 2007 the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC) was built. Special purpose philanthropy also established The Hiatt Center, which is a significant program for all students.
Beaver’s Centennial, BVR100, offered an occasion to celebrate our school’s success. In 2020, we launched efforts to support two targeted initiatives around endowment. Gifts to BVR100 were strategically focused on our commitment to increasing the number of students that receive tuition assistance, and our pledge to innovate our unique academic program.
Giving Resources
There are a variety of ways you can support the school’s funding priorities.
The easiest and fastest way to give is through our secure online donation form using a credit card. (Visa, MasterCard, or AmEx).
Other ways to give:
Checks
Checks (please provide your name and class year for alumni) should be made payable to Beaver Country Day School and sent directly to:
Philanthropy and Engagement Office
Beaver Country Day School
791 Hammond Street
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-2300
Corporate Matching Gifts
Many corporations offer matching gift programs for employees and their families. A matching gift can often double or triple your gift, and all matching support is credited to the individual donor. Ask your company if they will match your charitable gifts. If they do, you will need to submit their matching gift form along with your Annual Fund gift.
Gifts of Stocks & Securities
Making a gift of stock to Beaver may be beneficial to you from a personal income tax perspective. The best stocks to donate are those that have increased greatly in value. Even if it is stock you wish to keep in your portfolio, by giving Beaver the stock and using cash to buy the same stock through your broker, you will have received the same income tax deduction but will have a new, higher basis in the stock.
If you donate property that has risen in value and that you have held for more than one year, you pay no capital gains tax on the transaction. You can also take an income tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock. If you have stock losses, sell the stock yourself to realize the loss and take the deduction for tax purposes. Then generate a charitable contribution deduction by donating the cash proceeds of the sale to Beaver.
Contact Jill Henson, Associate Director of Philanthropy and Engagement, at 617-738-2718 and inform her you are about to transfer a gift of stock to Beaver, including the name of the stock and the number of shares. She will provide you with the account information your broker will need to make the transfer.
For your tax purposes, you will receive a receipt for the value of your gift from Beaver.
Memorials & Honors
Each year, Beaver receives many gifts in memory of or in honor of classmates, teachers, parents, etc. When such gifts are received, the Alumni and Development Office notifies the family member(s) of the deceased (in the case of memorial gifts) or the honoree (in the case of “in honor of” gifts). These gifts are also listed separately in the Annual Report of Giving.
Pledge
If you would like to make a pledge to the Annual Fund, you may call or send your pledge directly to the Alumni and Development Office. Your pledge will be recorded upon receipt and you will receive an acknowledgment from the school. All pledges must be paid by June 30.
Making a planned gift is a wonderful way to show your support and appreciation for Beaver and its mission while also accommodating your own personal, financial, estate-planning, and philanthropic goals.
By joining The Beatrice Van Ness (BVN) Society, you are helping Beaver in several ways: knowing your plans allows us to plan for Beaver’s future, ensures that we can carry out your intentions, and inspires other members of our community to also give back to Beaver. If you join anonymously, you will still be counted in our membership, but we will not publish your name in our annual report on philanthropy.
In recent years, thoughtful alumnae and former faculty donors of planned gifts have helped Beaver increase its commitment to financial aid and the arts—two critical initiatives that help keep Beaver strong.
The Beatrice Van Ness Society recognizes all those who have made a bequest provision, a life income gift, or other planned gift commitment to Beaver. A renowned painter in the school of American Impressionism, Beatrice Whitney Van Ness (1888-1981) led the art department at Beaver from 1921 to 1949 and was a pioneer in the emerging field of art education. Her life’s work as a practicing artist and as an innovative teacher is reflected today in Beaver’s commitment to the arts as a vital part of a balanced curriculum. Members of the Beatrice Van Ness Society help the school uphold these core values of progressive education through their thoughtful and generous commitments to Beaver’s future.
Bradley Circle
$100,000 and above
Founders’ Circle
$50,000 to $99,999
Smith Circle
$25,000 to $49,999
Rogers Circle
$10,000 to $24,999
Cupola Circle
$5,000 to $9,999
Mente et Manu Circle
$2,500 to $4,999
The 1920 Circle
$1,920 to $2,499
Century Circle*
$25 to $1919
*For alumni of the last 10 years.
For more information about ways of giving, or if you have questions about any of these options, please contact Erica DeRosa, Director of Philanthropy and Engagement, at 617-738-2746, or e-mail her at ederosa@bcdschool.org.
Contact Us
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Erica DeRosa
Director of Philanthropy and Engagement - 617-738-2746
- Email Erica DeRosa
- Read Bio
Erica DeRosa
As the Director of Philanthropy and Engagement, I bring 16 years of fundraising and education experience to the Beaver team and I am responsible for leading annual and capital advancement efforts. Prior to Beaver, I served as the Director of Annual Giving at Bentley University and held chief development positions at the Harvard University American Repertory Theater (ART) and Shady Hill School. I also worked in Annual Giving roles at Noble & Greenough School and the Charles River School. I earned my bachelor’s degree at Brown University in a self-designed concentration in the Arts and Political Science.
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Jill Henson
Associate Director of Philanthropy and Engagement - 617-738-2718
- Email Jill Henson
Jill Henson
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Katie Shore
Director of Community Engagement - 617-738-2749
- Email Katie Shore
Katie Shore
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Amanda Waters
Assistant Director of Philanthropy and Engagement Operations - 617-738-2743
- Email Amanda Waters