What is Darrow's Annual Fund?
Every year, Darrow’s alumni, current and past parents, grandparents, faculty, business partners, and friends show their support of Darrow’s mission and demonstrate their pride in the School with their contributions to the Annual Fund. These gifts are used to support the School’s day-to-day operations in the year received. It is our hope that all members of the Darrow community will participate.

Your participation in annual giving is extremely important to the School, as your gift represents a vote of confidence in Darrow today. This show of support from everyone in the Darrow community is looked at very closely by foundations and other potential donors to affirm their judgment that Darrow is a worthwhile investment. By helping us meet our goal of 100% participation, you benefit the School, not only with your own gift, but also with the potential for greater contributions from the broader Darrow community.

Doesn’t tuition cover the cost of a Darrow education?
Unfortunately, no. As with virtually all private educational institutions, the School’s tuition does not cover the full cost of educating a child at Darrow. In fact, the difference is just over $5,000 per student.

How is that difference made up?
The difference between tuition and actual costs is met by a combination of income from the School’s endowment and, most significantly, by generous contributions to the Annual Fund.
So, the IMPACT of each and every gift to Darrow is an investment that helps to meet the goal of providing an excellent educational experience for each and every student!

What do gifts to Darrow's Annual Fund pay for?
Gifts to the Annual Fund are allocated among everyday costs not covered by earmarked income, and virtually all areas of Darrow’s annual budget benefit from the Annual Fund. In essence, the Annual Fund supports the richness of the academic and cocurricular programs, the operations and maintenance of our historic facilities, and financial aid. Darrow, as with most independent schools, is dependent on the money raised through the Annual Fund to provide for the level of excellence that defines our program.

How and when do I participate in Darrow’s Annual Fund?
The annual campaign follows Darrow’s fiscal year, beginning July 1 and running through June 30 of the following year. You will receive an appeal in the mail, and a volunteer may contact you by phone to request a contribution. Gifts can easily be made on Darrow’s secure Web site, by clicking here.

How much should I contribute each year to the Annual Fund?
Each and every gift is important to Darrow School, regardless of its size. We ask everyone to give what they can, based on their financial capabilities. Gifts range from $10 to $25,000. You may want to consider joining one of our seven giving clubs:

Wickersham Associates: $10,000+
Heyniger Society: $5,000–$9,999
Tannery Circle: $2,500–$4,999
Whittaker House Associates: $1,000–$2,499
Head of School’s Circle: $500–$999
Center Family Society: $250–$499
Hands-to-Work Society: $100–$249

This year, it’s even easier to maximize your philanthropic intentions through an automatic monthly credit card donation, available on our online page or by completing the form on our reply envelope.

Will my contributions be tax deductible?
Contributions to the Annual Fund are fully deductible to the extent permitted by law. Darrow School is a not-for-profit educational corporation.

Can my employer participate in Darrow’s Annual Fund?
Yes. Hundreds of companies have a matching gift program. If your employer has one, you can effectively double or even triple your gift to Darrow. If your employer does not yet have a matching gift program, you may also consider asking them for a gift to Darrow’s Annual Fund.

What are Darrow’s other funds, and how can I learn more about them?
Currently, Darrow is raising funds to support the growing.greener initiative, which also includes endowed funds. If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, check out our growing.greener page or contact Alexandra Heddinger at heddingera@darrowschool.org or 518-794-6007.