Guide to Giving by Poly Prep Country Day School

Guide to Giving

Annual Giving is crucial at Poly because...

Annual Giving is the single most essential source of non-tuition revenue at Poly Prep. The collective effort of our entire community—parents, alumni, and friends alike—is key to the success of our students and school. Every gift, regardless of the size, makes a difference.

Annual Giving helps Poly support our students by:

● Attracting and retaining the best teachers

● Fostering economic diversity within our community

● Sustaining small class sizes and providing individualized learning

● Promoting a world-class curriculum

● Producing championship athletics and exemplary arts programs

● Acquiring cutting-edge technology

● Maintaining moderate increases in tuition

Poly Prep’s strategic plan, Vision 2030

, set a goal of increasing support from all sources by $1 million in 2024-2025, as well as 75% participation in Annual Giving for current families.

Annual Giving is flexible. Designate your gift to the program or area that is most meaningful to you and your family. You can direct your gift

#DeclareYourImpact Kickoff

Our Poly community will rally together in support of Annual Giving starting in October, culminating with Giving Tuesday (the globally recognized Day of Giving) on December 3. This five-week period is an opportunity to #DeclareYourImpact early, allowing teachers and administrators to plan better and move forward with confidence.

Once you make your pledge, you will no longer be solicited for Poly’s Annual Giving appeal for the rest of the fiscal year. All gifts made on or before December 3 will be recognized in our annual Donor Impact Report.

Look for #DeclareYourImpact in print and email, on social media, and on our website: polyprep.org/give.

For further information about Annual Giving, please contact: Aferdita Hakaj, Director of Annual Giving ahakaj@polyprep.org

Phone: (718) 663-6033

Community Building Events

Benefit Gala 2025

Saturday, February 22, 2025

6:30 PM to 11:00 PM

Conrad New York Downtown

In alternating years, hundreds of families, alumni, and friends gather to celebrate Poly

Prep at its Benefit Gala. This event raises vital support for our operating budget, with a special focus this year on the Faculty Compensation Endowment, which allows Poly Prep to engage and retain excellent teachers.

We encourage everyone to participate!

Additional details to come throughout the fall and winter. For further information, contact: Keith Wiggs, Senior Director of Advancement kwiggs@polyprep.org

Phone: (347)

How can my family be more strategic in our giving?

As alumni, parents, and friends learn more about Poly’s strategic priorities, many are inspired to make more substantial contributions. These major gifts may be directed toward long-term program development, capital projects, or endowment initiatives.

ENDOWMENT FUNDS

Endowment funds add to the long-term financial strength of Poly Prep, and are among the most important strategies for moderating tuition increases. These funds live in perpetuity, and while the principal remains intact and growing, a portion of the yearly income is used to support the operating budget or an area designated by the donor. A named endowment fund may be established with a minimum gift of $100,000, and a gift of any size may be made to an already-existing fund. The expansion of the endowment is a school priority and part of our current strategic plan.

Capital Gifts to Our Campus

Even the most beautiful campus needs a little work. A key priority is to maintain our historic campuses (Park Slope and Dyker Heights) to ensure they meet the needs of our current students. Gifts toward capital projects, which include many attractive naming opportunities, ensure that teachers and students have the most modern and technologically-advanced spaces in which to work. Classrooms, athletic facilities, the Poly Arts Center, locker rooms, and dining facilities continue to be top priorities for the school, and their care is an integral part of our strategy to remain competitive among independent schools.

Growing Poly’s endowment and providing support for capital improvements and enhancements to our programs are major aspects of the strategic plan and are critical to the long-term sustainability of Poly Prep.

Keeping Poly Beautiful

Classrooms

Athletic fields

The Poly Arts Center

Locker rooms

Dining facilities

For more information about making a gift toward our endowment or a capital gift that will improve our campus, please contact:

James Cappabianca, Director of Major Gifts

jcappabianca@polyprep.org

Phone: (718) 630-5419

Recognizing Generosity

Donors at all levels are listed in Poly’s Annual Impact Report (published each fall) and receive regular updates about the impact of their generosity. But the true reward of making a donation to Poly is knowing that any gift, no matter the size, directly supports the lives of our students.

Giving Societies and Levels

We encourage every family with the means to consider joining the Tower Society with a gift of $3,500 or more. Gifts of this size provide a strong foundation each year, giving our teachers and administrators the support they need to meet the everyday challenges of teaching at an independent school.

We welcome donors who make gifts of $10,000 or more to our Leadership Levels every year. Many of these donors have been instrumental in relieving the operating budget for key projects and programs, building on the strong foundation of community-wide support.

Donors at the Tower Society and Leadership Levels are recognized for their support through events and special stewardship activities.

Ways to Give

ONLINE GIVING

Gifts and pledges may be made with a credit card at polyprep.org/give or via the QR codes in this guide.

IN PERSON, PHONE, OR MAIL

The Development Office is located on the 2nd Floor of the Sabbagh Alumni House on the Dyker Heights campus. To make a credit card donation by phone, call (347) 394-1104. Gifts can be mailed to:

Poly Prep Country Day School Office of Advancement

9216 Seventh Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11228

GIFTS OF STOCK/SECURITIES

Donors who choose to make gifts of appreciated securities may save capital gains tax on donated assets held long term. Securities can be transferred electronically to Poly by your broker. To learn more, contact Lauren Bonaventura Sorrento, Director of Advancement Services.

(Contact information on the inside back cover.)

PLANNED AND ESTATE GIFTS

Donors who have decided to leave a lasting legacy to Poly, with a planned or estate gift, become members of the Joseph Dana Allen Society. These gifts ensure that our school remains a proving ground for tomorrow’s leaders for generations to come.

Planned gifts also offer sizable tax savings, and can even provide income for you and your family. Including Poly in your estate plans is a simple and straightforward process. You can make an appointment with your attorney to include a legacy gift to Poly; or bypass the attorney visit and designate Poly as a beneficiary of a retirement account. To learn more, contact Keith Wiggs, Senior Director of Advancement. (Contact information on the inside back cover.) We’re grateful to those donors who have decided to leave a lasting legacy to Poly.

Annual Giving: Peer Institutions

Meet the Advancement Team

Keith Wiggs Senior Director of Advancement kwiggs@polyprep.org 347-394-1164 Aferdita Hakaj Director of Annual Giving ahakaj@polyprep.org 718-663-6033 Nicole Patti

Lauren Bonaventura Sorrento Director of Advancement Services lbonaventura@polyprep.org 347-394-1103