Giving

Every year, Waynflete raises essential operating support through The Waynflete Fund. Tuition and fees do not cover the full cost of educating students at Waynflete or the cost of major improvements. (This is the case for all independent schools.) Waynflete sustains its mission and standards of excellence with generous gifts from families and friends. Periodically, Waynflete initiates capital campaigns for special and major projects. Building On Our Strengths is one such capital campaign.

Our goal is to raise $10 million or more in gifts and pledges by June 30, 2018. Pledges and recurring gifts must be confirmed before June 30, 2018, but may be fulfilled over as many as five years.

The Waynflete Fund is an annual effort that supports a portion of Waynflete's annual operating budget, enabling us to provide an exceptional education while keeping tuition as affordable as possible. It is the school's highest fundraising priority. Building On Our Strengths is a three-year campaign that includes capital priorities (a new Lower School), growth of the school's endowment, and continued growth of The Waynflete Fund. Since The Waynflete Fund is so critical to daily life at the school, we ask that all donors factor Waynflete Fund giving into their commitment to the Building On Our Strengths campaign.

Gifts may be made via check, cash, securities, or credit card. You may give or pledge at waynflete.org/give or by calling (207) 774-7863, ext. 1221.

Yes! You may designate your gift or pledge to the campaign area that you find most compelling including: the financial aid endowment (to grow a diverse student body); the faculty support endowment (to attract and retain top-notch teachers and provide professional development opportunities); the new Lower School (to enhance the strength of the program); and The Waynflete Fund (to support Waynflete's short- and long-term health).

A key tenet of the school's philosophy is to make a Waynflete education affordable to as many families as possible. The tuition rates that are necessary to fully fund our program would further limit the number of families who could afford to attend, resulting in a decrease in enrollment, fewer programs, reduced faculty size, and larger classes. This would diminish our ability to provide the individualized attention and quality of education that families want and expect for their children.

Yes! You may make a campaign pledge and fulfill it over a period as long as five years. You can also make recurring monthly gifts of $10 or more for as long as you'd like.

Thanks to gifts from generations of donors, Waynflete's endowment stands at over $24 million (view endowment list). The school spends a percentage of the endowment value each year—principal remains untouched—to support the annual operating budget, financial aid, faculty salaries and benefits, professional development, and programs. Donors wishing to establish a named fund within the Waynflete endowment may do so with a minimum gift or multi-year pledge of $50,000.

We recognize that all families have different financial capacity. For this reason, we ask you to give at a level that feels significant and meaningful. Many families find it helpful to think of their campaign gift as a "stretch gift" (for the Building On Our Strengths Campaign to succeed, we need our community to help with many stretch gifts). The option for a multi-year pledge is conducive to more significant gifts.

The construction of a new Lower School is the school's top capital improvement priority. Since the adoption of the Campus Master Plan in 1994, Waynflete's Middle and Upper School programs have been transformed by major renovations and the addition of new spaces and facilities. The plan notes that "a similar transformation of the Lower School is long overdue." Due to the early success of the Building On Our Strengths campaign, Waynflete's board of trustees and administration were confident that there was enough momentum to begin construction.