Giving to Bement

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
-- Winston Churchill

See why Whitney Lunt's '02 mother continues to give to Bement School.

Every gift from every family is so important here at Bement. We appreciate the time and thought you give to making a gift to Bement. We know there are so many wonderful causes to support, but supporting the education of the young mind and spirit to teach them to "fly on their own wings" is what you support when you give to Bement. How do I make a gift?

Look at the many ways you can make a difference here:

Annual Fund Gifts: to support daily operating needs of the school.

Capital Campaign Gifts: to support the capital projects of the school that help us build for a strong future, such as our library campaign.

Matching Gifts: to increase the value of your generous gifts to the school

Memorial and Honorary Gifts: to honor someone meaningful in your child or family's life.

Restricted Gifts: to honor something important that you would like to see continue at Bement

Gifts-in-kind: to support the physical needs of the campus, both in the classrooms and in the dorms.

Planned Giving: to make a meaningful gift to Bement in a way that you may not be able to during your lifetime.

Annual Fund

Contributions to the annual fund directly support people, programs, and the physical plant of Bement. The annual fund supports curriculum development, faculty salaries, supplemental programs, athletic equipment, and much more! Annual fund dollars help Bement operate on a day-to-day basis while offering the best education possible to our students. Tuition dollars cover only 85% of the cost of educating our students. The annual fund helps to make up the difference. How do I make a gift?

Why does Bement count on annual gifts to cover operating costs?
Unlike public schools, independent schools operate without any financial support from the local tax base or from state or national governments. Bement relies on tuition income, endowment income, and annual contributions to cover its operating costs and to bridge the gap that exists between tuition and the actual cost of a Bement education. How do I make a gift?

How are annual fund gifts different from capital gifts?
The annual fund happens every year. The school relies on it as part of the operating budget to provide the curriculum, faculty, and important extras that would not be possible without the support of the annual fund. The annual fund generates dollars that Bement puts to work TODAY. Capital gifts are usually larger commitments, made for building purposes, and are often paid out over several years. Capital campaign efforts meet long-term goals, such as the building needs on campus.
Bement is now in a capital campaign to upgrade facilities. As you begin looking at your own campaign commitment, we hope that you will consider both the annual fund to keep us strong in the current operating year and the Campaign for Bement to support our future. How do I make a gift?

Capital Campaign

The second phase of our Campaign for Bement is complete, however gifts for the endowment of our library are welcome in order to ensure its future. Our first phase saw the construction of our Kittredge Upper School Building. Next the vision brought us to renovating the long-time upper school, the Polk Building and transforming it into our first all-school library.  How do I make a gift?

Matching Gifts

Does your employer offer a "Matching Gifts Program?" Whether you give cash or securities, some employers have matching gifts programs that increase the value of your gift to Bement School. However, these matching gifts do not increase your charitable deduction. Complete and return your company's matching form with your check. How do I make a gift?

Memorial and Honorary Gifts

Gifts may be pledged in memory of an individual who has passed away or specified to honor a member of your family or Bement's family. Gifts will be recognized in the annual gift report, and the family will be notified of the gift. How do I make a gift?

Restricted Gifts

The creation of an endowed fund to meet a specific need of students, faculty, or the school, is also a wonderful type of restricted giving that has long-term benefits for the school. Alternatively, gifts to cover specific capital needs of the school are also well-needed sorts of restricted giving. How do I make a gift?

Gifts-in-kind

Bement welcomes contributions of office furniture, computers, classroom supplies, landscape materials, athletic equipment, and other items related to the school's educational program. The alumni/ae & development office will be happy to help you determine gift acceptability. The value of a gift-in-kind is determined by the donor through appraisal or a record of purchase. How do I make a gift?

Planned Giving

Leave your legacy by including the Bement School in your will. What a wonderful way to make a gift that might not be possible during your lifetime! A bequest is a gift made through a donor's will and is the simplest and most common form of a planned gift. Distributions can be made either as a specified dollar amount or as a percent of the estate. A donor who makes a bequest becomes a member of our esteemed Phoenix Society. Make your bequest today to ensure the Bement of tomorrow. Please contact the Alumni/ae & Development Office if you would like to learn more about bequest giving and our Phoenix Society. How do I make a gift?

Why does Kate Stenson-Lunt PTT,P'02 continue to give to Bement?

Her daughter Whitney'02 suffered a terrible car accident. Over the course of last year, while she continued long physical therapy treatments and has made her way to a full recovery, she never skipped a beat. Upon receiving her grades from Loomis Chafee, Kate was note surprised when she found that Whitney had performed at the honor's level. Kate comments,
"I attribute Whitney's ability to work through her injuries and gaining personal successes, along with her ability to remain constant at school, to her years spent at Bement. There she learned the skills necessary to tackle life's greatest challenges. I believe that the foundation of learning combined with the wonderful caring of the faculty is critical to any child's development and certainly to Whitney. I will be forever grateful."
We are eternally grateful that Whitney is not only doing well, but continues to thrive. We are also grateful to Kate for her years as a trustee, and her continued support of both our annual fund and campaign efforts. Thank you!