FAQ about Giving
Like most independent schools, Winsor does not fully cover the cost of educating its students through tuition. In fact, tuition funds only 72 percent of the cost of educating students. To balance our budget, we depend both on voluntary giving to the Annual Fund and on endowment income. Gifts help bridge the gap between tuition revenue and the true cost of educating a Winsor student. As well, we must do everything we can to make independent school education accessible to as many talented young people as possible. Greater diversity in our student body enriches the educational experience of all students.
FAQ
- Who supports the Winsor Annual Fund? Hide
Nearly 2,000 people donate to Winsor every year, including alumnae, current parents, parents of alumnae, trustees, grandparents, faculty, and other friends of the school who believe in its mission. Alumnae are extraordinarily loyal and generous to the school, and classes from 1920 to 2007 have volunteers who send classmates an annual appeal and ask for a gift at a phonathon.
- How much should I give to the Annual Fund? Hide
Annual Fund gifts to Winsor range in size from $5 to more than $50,000. Each family or individual decides what amount is right for them. Leadership gifts start at $2,500, and these donors become members of the Mary Pickard Winsor Association and receive special recognition. Our leadership giving levels are listed below. Winsor welcomes and needs many smaller gifts that together add up to a significant sum and demonstrate broad support for the school. All gifts are crucial to the school’s economic stability. The Mary Pickard Winsor Associates
Leadership Levels of Giving
Leadership: $50,000+
Benefactor: $25,000 - $49,999
Patron: $10,000 - $24,999
Sponsor: $5,000 - $9,999
Associate: $2,500- $4,999 Young Alumnae Levels for the Winsor Associates
Classes within last 5 years: $100
Classes from 6-10 years ago: $500
Classes from 11-15 years ago: $1,000- What is the role of the parents in the Annual Fund? Hide
Volunteer leaders set two Annual Fund goals for parents: to reach the financial goal and to achieve 100 percent participation. More than 100 parents volunteer as Annual Fund agents to talk with other parents about why their gifts are vital.
- To what extent does Winsor’s endowment support the school? Hide
Winsor has an endowment of $50.5 million, a relatively modest amount in comparison to other leading schools. Endowment income now provides 11 percent of the operating budget. Building a stronger endowment and reducing the school’s reliance on tuition are among the trustees’ most important goals.
- What are the ways that people make gifts to Winsor? Hide
There are several ways to make a gift to the school. Gifts of cash and gifts of appreciated securities are the two most common ways to give to the Annual Fund. Matching gifts are a third. If you give cash, the full amount of the gift qualifies for a charitable deduction in the year of payment. If you give appreciated securities, you will be entitled to a charitable deduction on the fair market value of the securities on the date of the gift, and you will not incur any capital gains tax on the appreciation. Many employers match an employee’s cash or stock gift to a secondary school, an easy way to double the gift to Winsor. The school credits each corporate matching gift to the individual donor.