The Country School

The Country School is an independent, coeducational, Pre-K through 8 school founded in 1934.

Giving

From the Advancement Office

As The Country School marks 83 years of excellence in education, we also celebrate 81 years of generous giving by parents, alumni, grandparents, past parents, faculty, staff, loyal friends, and volunteers. Your support over the years has helped develop a culture of philanthropy for future generations.

We are sincerely grateful for the monumental participation in last year’s Cougar Fund. 100% of faculty and Trustees, and 95% of parents gave generously to help make a Country School education possible.

Thank you for your support in making The Country School such a unique and wonderful place.

Connie Alderfer

Director of Advancement

Ways to Give

There are many ways to support The Country School. Giving can be as simple as writing a check, making a gift in the form of securities, or requesting a matching gift from an employer. You may also choose to make The Country School a beneficiary in your will or estate, and become a member of The Luminary Society.

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Pledges

We encourage all of our donors to consider maximizing their impact by making a pledged gift, which can be paid over a period of five (5) years. This allows families greater flexibility to make their most generous commitment. To make a multi-year campaign pledge, please contact Connie Alderfer, Director of Advancement, at calderfer@countryschool.org or call 410-822-1935 x190.
Cash or Check

The easiest way to give, cash gifts have an immediate impact on The Country School and offer you an income-tax charitable deduction. All checks should be made payable to The Country School.
Credit Card

If you are making a gift with a credit card, you are encouraged to take advantage of our secure, on-line giving interface. We accept Discover Card, MasterCard, and Visa online or over the phone.

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Corporate Matching Gifts

You can double–sometimes triple!–your donation! Many companies support elementary education by matching or multiplying their employee’s gifts to The Country School. Often, this benefit is extended to employee spouses, retirees, and board members. Before you make a gift, check with your or your spouse’s personnel or human resources office. Please forward your company’s matching gift application form with your donation.
Gifts-in-Kind

Gifts-in-Kind are tangible gifts of personal property, such as artwork, furnishings, books, historical collections, and equipment. Assets related to the educational mission of the school can be deducted for their full fair market value. Personal property unrelated to the school’s mission can be deducted at the cost to the donor.

For more information on all forms of giving to The Country School, please contact the Advancement Office.
Securities

Making a gift of stock or shares of a mutual fund to The Country School benefits both the school and the donor. You may receive an income-tax charitable deduction and/or a capital gains tax savings. You can make a gift of securities to the school through electronic transfer. Notify your broker that you wish to make a gift of securities to The Country School. After authorizing the transfer, instruct your broker to contact the Advancement Office. Our office will give your broker complete transfer instructions.

In order to credit your gift properly, we must know your name, the name of the stock, the number of shares, and the date of transfer. The gift is complete when the stock is transferred to The Country School account.

Charitable Planned Giving

The Luminary Society was created to recognize those who have made a financial commitment to The Country School’s future by including the school in their estate plans. Membership is open to anyone who expresses his or her commitment in the form of a future gift, either through a bequest, gift annuity, life insurance, or other special deferred gift plan.

Charitable planned giving benefits the donor since many of these plans offer substantial financial and tax saving incentives, often complementing an individual’s overall estate plan. It also enables the donor to make a meaningful gift which will have a lasting impact on the future of the school and its students. Through prudent investment of the proceeds, these gifts play a vital role in maintaining The Country School’s financial strength and in insuring the quality of education and experience for future generations of Country School students.

We encourage you to seek advice from a tax professional about including The Country School in your estate planning. Our staff welcomes the opportunity to meet with you and your financial advisor to discuss planned gift opportunities. Discussions are confidential and are held without obligation.

There are several ways you can support an institution such as The Country School. The following are among the most popular choices for making a charitable planned gift:

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Bequests

You may make a gift to The Country School by designating the school as a beneficiary in your will. A bequest can be made for a specific amount or as a percentage of the total estate. Bequests can be unrestricted or used to establish named gift funds (e.g. scholarship fund) or memorial funds.
Gift Annuities

Under a gift annuity agreement, you make a gift to The Country School in return for the school’s promise to make an annual payment to you of a specified dollar amount for as long as you live. The amount of the annual payment depends upon your age and is based on a fixed percentage of the initial fair market value of your gift. A portion of your gift is tax-deductible.
Charitable Remainder Trust

A charitable remainder trust may be designed to provide you with income throughout your lifetime as well as support to The Country School upon your death. The trust may be established with a gift of cash or appreciated stock. A trust can be structured in one of two ways – either as an annuity trust or unitrust. The important difference between the two options involves the way distributions are handled.
Charitable Lead Trusts

With a charitable lead trust you essentially “lend” a charity your assets for a set period of time. At the end of the gift period, the property you placed in the trust either returns to you, or is passed on to named individuals.

Contact the Advancement Office to discuss these options further.

The Country School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational, admission, and employment policies, or its financial aid, athletic, and other school administered programs.

716 Goldsborough Street, Easton, MD 21601 • 410.822.1935