Ways of Giving

Gifts of Cash

The majority of gifts to Eagle Hill School are in the form of cash. Gifts of cash can be put to immediate use for programs, endowment, or projects. Checks should be made payable to Eagle Hill School.

Credit Cards

Contributions via credit card can be made by telephoning the Development Office with your Visa, MasterCard, or American Express number. Please contact Christie Fountain at 203-622-9240 x650 or c.fountain@eaglehill.org.

Matching Gifts

More than 1,000 businesses and companies match donations by their employees and retirees to independent and private schools. Donors initiate the process by contacting their company’s human resources department or corporate foundation for the appropriate forms. Donors receive credit from Eagle Hill School for both their original gift and the matching gift. The combined amount is recognized in our annual report, the Eagle’s Aerie.

Pledges

You may choose to pledge a gift to Eagle Hill School. For the Annual Fund, a pledge is for a fiscal year, July 1 through June 30. The Development Office sends reminders to ensure that your gift is recorded by fiscal year-end. Pledges made before November 30 enable the Board of Trustees to set the budget effectively for the following fiscal year. For an Endowment or a Capital Campaign, pledges are usually structured over a 3-5 year period. Reminders are also sent.

Appreciated Securities

In lieu of a cash gift, appreciated securities may enable the donor to take a tax deduction on the full value of the gift and avoid capital gains on the transfer. In many cases, the actual cost to the donor is far less than the value of the gift to the school. Contact Christie Fountain in the Development Office for a stock transfer form at 203-622-9240 x650 or c.fountain@eaglehill.org.

Depreciated Securities

In general, it is not advisable to give securities that are presently worth less than you paid for them. If the sale of stocks or bonds would result in a deductible loss, it is usually to your advantage to sell them to establish a tax loss and then donate the proceeds to Eagle Hill School. We consider this a creative way to make lemonade out of lemons!

Legacy Society/Planned Giving

Eagle Hill welcomes donors to join the established Legacy Society, whose members include Eagle Hill School in their estate plans (often called planned giving). This type of gift represents a significant asset in planning the future operation of the school. Planned giving can offer many tax advantages for donors and their heirs by naming Eagle Hill School as a beneficiary of an estate, trust, insurance policy, or by establishing a charitable gift annuity. Prospective donors should seek the advice of an attorney, since gifts of this kind require variations to accommodate individual circumstances. A bequest may be for the general, ongoing purposes of the school or for more specific purposes, such as scholarships, books, building projects, faculty support, and so on.

If you have made such arrangements, please contact Brook Urban in the Development Office at (203) 622-9240 x646 or b.urban@eaglehill.org.

Gifts-In-Kind

Gifts-in-kind are tangible items, such as works of art, auction items, equipment, books, furniture, antiques, real estate, and similar non-monetary contributions. A gift of tangible property may result in a tax deduction for the donor, with the amount of the deduction determined by whether or not the gift meets the “related use” test. If you have questions about a gift of tangible property, more information is available through the Development Office. Please contact Brook Urban at 203-622-9240 x646 or b.urban@eaglehill.org.