Giving
Annual Fund
Support the important work of Brooklyn Waldorf School with a tax deductible donation to the Annual Fund! Your contributions to this fund allow us vital flexibility to spend money where it is most needed, augmenting academic and extracurricular programs, providing generous financial aid, addressing the needs of faculty and staff, and helping to cover unexpected operational costs in any given year.
Unlike tuition, your donation to the Annual Fund is fully tax deductible! Help us bridge the inevitable gap between tuition revenue and the costs we face in providing excellent Waldorf education in Brooklyn in any given year.
We strive for 100% participation in the Annual Fund by all enrolled families and faculty. We also welcome the donations of alumni and former families, charitable organizations and friends of BWS. Thank you for your ongoing support of our work.
The Brooklyn Waldorf School is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, Tax ID: 80-0329417
Read more about the Annual Fund here: Annual Fund FAQ
The Brooklyn Waldorf Giving Tree Mural
Ways to Give
There are many ways to make your tax-deductible donation to Brooklyn Waldorf School.
For more information about any of the options outlined here, contact Leecia Manning at leecia@brooklynwaldorf.org, or the Business Office at (718) 783-3270 ext. 210, or by email at businessoffice@brooklynwaldorf.org
Donate by Credit Card Online
www.brooklynwaldorf.org/support-us/give-now
Donate by Check
Make checks payable to Brooklyn Waldorf School and drop off in person (in an envelope) to the Front Desk, the Business Office, or Leecia Manning in the Development Department. Or, mail checks to:
Brooklyn Waldorf School
Attn: Business Office
11 Jefferson Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238
ACH Bank Transfers
Save on credit card fees by donating money directly from your bank account to the school account, by authorizing an ACH bank transfer. ACH payments tend to have lower fees than credit card payments, and once they have been set-up, they require little work on your part.
Recurring Payments & Installment Gifts
Monthly gifts can be easier on your pocketbook and yet they add up over time. Let us set up your recurring monthly payment, or set up a regular annual gift, on behalf of the school. Write us at businessoffice@brooklynwaldorf.org to set up your regular credit card payment.
Pledges
If you would like to make a gift, but the timing is not right, please let us know and we will follow up with you. This will allow us to plan with your gift in mind. For example, perhaps your pledged donation can be used as incentive matching funds to inspire other giving.
Employer Matches
IRA Charitable Gifts
If you are age 70 ½ or older, you can now direct your IRA (Individual Retirement Account) plan administrator to make a distribution directly to the Brooklyn Waldorf School. Distributions made directly from an IRA to a charitable organization are excluded for income tax purposes and also count toward your annual required minimum distribution, making it a win-win for you and our school!
Additionally, you may wish to name the Brooklyn Waldorf School as a beneficiary of your retirement account at the time of your death. Doing so provides your estate with a full charitable deduction for the amount contributed and allows you to maximize funds that you may wish to leave to other beneficiaries. To make BWS a partial (1-99 percent), whole or contingent beneficiary of your retirement account, simply complete a beneficiary designation form with the administrator of your retirement plan.
Gifts of Publicly Traded Stock
Making a gift of appreciated stock is one of the most tax-efficient ways to make a charitable donation to the Brooklyn Waldorf School while also rebalancing your portfolio. You can deduct the full fair market value of the stock as a charitable gift and avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciated stock, all while making a gift that has little to no impact on your spendable income. Speak with your broker for more information, and provide the following information if this option makes sense for you:
Gift Stock Instructions:
Send to Firm Name: PERSHING LLC
DTC #: 0443
Account Name: THE BROOKLYN WALDORF SCHOOL
ACCOUNT Number: QYY046319
Donor Advised Funds
A donor advised fund (DAF) is a charitable investment account that allows individuals to donate money to charities while receiving a tax deduction. As a 501c3, Brooklyn Waldorf School is eligible to receive donations from DAFs, and is already registered with Fidelity Charitable and Daffy. If you participate in a DAF and you would like us to register with them, please let us know and we will sign up.
The Brooklyn Waldorf School is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, Tax ID: 80-0329417. All donations to BWS will be attributed to the Annual Fund, and therefore used where most needed, unless otherwise noted.
Planned Giving
Planned Giving
Waldorf education has proven the test of time, helping to produce many generations of accomplished, fully realized human beings over more than 100 years. Brooklyn Waldorf School itself is a young institution, but it has already accomplished amazing milestones in only twenty years! The combination of youthful vibrancy and proven pedagogy is one of our core strengths, and one of the many reasons you should consider including Brooklyn Waldorf School in your philanthropic legacy.
Make a Bequest to Brooklyn Waldorf School
Gifts and bequests to the school are completely tax deductible under the federal income, estate and gift tax laws. Please consult your own tax and estate planning experts about how you can make a meaningful contribution to the future of Waldorf education in Brooklyn while also realizing tax benefits for yourself and your heirs.
We would be happy to provide you, your lawyers or your financial institutions with any information you might need to establish Brooklyn Waldorf School as a charitable beneficiary of your estate. All conversations will remain confidential.
IRA Charitable Gifts
If you are age 70 ½ or older, you can direct your IRA (Individual Retirement Account) plan administrator to make a distribution directly to the Brooklyn Waldorf School. Distributions made directly from an IRA to a charitable organization are excluded for income tax purposes and also count toward your annual required minimum distribution, making it a win-win for you and our school!
Additionally, you may wish to name the Brooklyn Waldorf School as a beneficiary of your retirement account at the time of your death. Doing so provides your estate with a full charitable deduction for the amount contributed and allows you to maximize funds that you may wish to leave to other beneficiaries. To make BWS a partial (1-99 percent), whole or contingent beneficiary of your retirement account, simply complete a beneficiary designation form with the administrator of your retirement plan.
Why I Give
Why do you give to Brooklyn Waldorf School?
"I know that Waldorf education is absolutely the best foundation my kids can have for our modern world. There is no better preparation than learning how to think creatively, to work in harmony, to problem solve using all your human capacities. Today's technology is already becoming outdated, but with the enduring techniques that guide our children at Brooklyn Waldorf School, they will always be ready for what's next."
- Kat Clements (Early Childhood Parent)
"I vividly remember how I felt at home immediately when I first joined the BWS community 15 years ago. I hope that others have the same experience for many more years.""
- Dorke Poelz-Gray, BWS Handwork Teacher, Alumni Parent (Class of 2021)
Alumni Giving
Alumni Giving
Twenty years ago, a small but mighty group of families came together to found Brooklyn Waldorf School so their children could have the gift of Waldorf education without having to leave Brooklyn. What they and subsequent BWS families have achieved in a relatively short period of time is truly amazing.
The impact of Brooklyn Waldorf School is so great that it can be easy to forget that those initial children around whom the school was formed are themselves still young adults. The first class of 8th graders graduated in 2014. Though it has been a positive force in many hundreds of lives, Brooklyn Waldorf School is still a young institution, not yet supported by the deep alumni philanthropy that is so vital for many independent schools like ours.
The time has come for that to change. As we celebrate our twenty year anniversary and move confidently into the next chapter, we encourage all those who have been part of the Brooklyn Waldorf School community to give generously to help the school thrive for future generations. Whether you are a graduate, a former student, or the family of either, you are part of the BWS family. We hope you will always be part of the cultural life of the school, and we also ask you to consider supporting the school financially.