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Welcome

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

- Winston Churchill
The business model of an independent school is unique. Kent School is an independently organized non-profit school, overseen by the Board of Trustees. Kent School is not dependent on government or church funds - it is funded primarily through tuition and charitable donations. Tuition revenue only covers about 90% of the true cost of a Kent School education. The rest is covered by the Osprey Fund, donor-restricted gifts, and the Kent School Endowment. 

The Osprey Fund, Kent School’s annual fundraising campaign, is our top fundraising priority. The Osprey Fund bridges the tuition gap by supporting each student, teacher, and program. Unrestricted Osprey Fund donations underwrite the operating expenses of the School. Kent School relies on generous financial support from parents, alumni, past parents, and friends to support its curriculum and facilities. 

Sometimes, Kent School receives donations restricted for a specific purpose. A gift is classified as restricted when a donor is asked to give to a capital campaign, or a scholarship fund, or if the donor wishes the donation to be used for only one purpose.  

The Kent School Endowment helps the School with long range planning and expenditures. Growth in the endowment for faculty compensation and professional development assists us in attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers who will help us strengthen our program with competitive total compensation packages. Growth in student financial assistance funds will allow us to draw and keep a more diverse student body. Financial sustainability through endowment growth will also help Kent School be nimble if unforeseen circumstances arise. Kent School takes an endowment draw of 4-5% annually, so it can continue to grow over time. 
Each year we host the Golf Tournament and annual Auction in the spring and the Osprey 5K & Fall Festival in the fall. The wonderful spirit of our community is in full bloom at all of our events events. Your participation is welcomed and encouraged.

Large or small, each gift to Kent School makes a major difference: it signifies your confidence in us as a school worthy of your support. Your confidence is well placed and we are grateful for your support.


For more information supporting Kent School or Together We Soar: Campaign for Kent School, please contact Victoria Corcoran, Director of Development and Alumni Relations at 410-778-4100 x350 or at vcorcoran@kentschool.org
Ways to Give

List of 4 items.

  • Gifts of Cash

    Gifts to Kent School can be made by Cash, Check, or Credit card.

    Make checks out to Kent School, and send them to: 
    Kent School
    c/o Development Office
    6788 Wilkins Lane
    Chestertown, MD 21620

    You can make a credit card gift securely through our website, here.

  • Gifts of Stock

    If you are interested in making a gift to the school by transferring stock, please follow these steps:

    1. Ask your broker to deliver the securities to:
      Charles Schwab
      DTC# 0164 (Code 40)
      ACCT# 9075-1349
      Account Name: Kent School

    2. Notify the Development Office of your plans to make a gift of securities, so we can may confirm receipt and acknowledge the gift appropriately.

  • Planned Giving

    Making a planned gift is a wonderful way to show your support and appreciation for Kent School and its mission while accommodating your own personal, financial, estate-planning, and philanthropic goals. Your advance planning for this additional gift will mean that Kent School can continue to shape the lives of students for generations to come.

    Planned Giving Opportunities
    (1) Bequests
    You may prefer to state in your will or trust a sum of money or a percentage of your estate that you wish to give to Kent School. Whatever form of bequest you choose, it is not subject to federal estate taxes and so significantly reduces the tax burden of an estate. The value of the bequest may be deducted when the taxable estate is determined, and there is no limit to the deduction.

    (2) Gifts from Retirement Plans
    Your retirement-plan benefits are very likely a significant portion of your net worth. And because of special tax considerations, they could make an excellent choice for funding a charitable gift. Retirement-plan benefits include assets held in individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401(k) plans, profit-sharing plans, Keogh plans, and 403(b) plans.

    (3) Other Ways to Give
    Kent School is in the process of developing the ability to offer Charitable Gift Annuities and Charitable Trusts. If you are interested in these options, please contact the Development Office. Planned gifts may be directed to an existing endowment for scholarship, professional development or the general endowment (or another area of your choosing. Gifts that are not directed to a specific purpose will be used as unrestricted donations and directed to an appropriate need as designated by the Head of School and Investment Committee.

  • The Tax Benefits of Charitable Giving

    Probably most important for contributors, the above-the-line deduction for charitable donations given in cash (not stock) are deductible up to $300 per individual or now, $600 for married couples filing jointly. This is important because the 2017 tax law changes reduced the number of people itemizing; eliminating the tax deduction some tax filers took for giving to charity. This 2021, $600 (for couples) and $300 (individuals), above-the-line deduction is an incentive for cash donations made to non-profits by tax filers that do not itemize. Again, the donations must be cash.
     
    For very generous donors, the provision that allows them to offset 100% of Adjusted Gross Income for cash donations, remains in effect. There is a similar incentive allowing corporations to deduct up to 25% of taxable income for cash donations.
     
    Of course, as in years past, Required Minimum Distributions can be donated directly from a donor’s qualified retirement account (RMDs now begin at age 72). Donating in this way, may help a retiree reduce ordinary income tax, so they get a benefit regardless of if they itemize or not.  The key is that the donation must never be received by the donor, but instead the RMD is issued directly to the charity.

    Cash donations to charity are more valuable than ever. Congress has extended some tax benefits for donating to non-profits extended into 2021 and beyond. These opportunities for giving came out the 2020 CARES Act for Covid relief. 

    WhatHowTax BenefitWhen
    Donations up to $300Must be cashFor taxpayers that do not itemize, it is an Above-the-Line deduction2020 and continuing for 2021
    Donations up to $600 by spousesMust be cashUpdated from 2020 for married couples filing jointly.  Both spouses can take a deduction for combined donations up to $600 Above-the-line, non-itemizing returnsBeginning in tax year 2021
    Large donations of cash by individual donors that itemizeMust be cashDonors can deduct up to 100% of their Adjusted Gross Income, itemized2020 and continued for 2021 tax filing
    Donations from corporationsMust be cashCorporations can deduct up to 25% of taxable income2020 and continued for 2021 tax filing
    Required Minimum DistributionsSent directly from the client’s retirement account to the charityDonating Required Minimum Distributions keeps the withdraw from being counted as ordinary incomeOn-going, but RMDs now begin at age 72, unless previously commenced

    This is not tax advice. Please consult with your financial professional regarding your specific situation.
Funds of Kent School

List of 10 items.

  • The Osprey Fund

    The Osprey Fund, Kent School's annual effort, is our top fundraising priority. Tuition revenue only covers about 90% of the true cost of a Kent School education. The Osprey Fund bridges that gap by supporting each student, teacher, and program. Large or small, every gift to Kent School is important.

  • Together We Soar Campaign

    Keeping watch over our beautiful riverside campus, our beloved resident Osprey inspired Kent School teachers, parents, board members and students to come together to plan a $2 million campaign, Together We Soar, to bring about important and needed capital improvements designed to benefit students from Preschool through Eighth Grade and increase the school’s endowment. Today, we have raised $800,000 in new endowment funds and nearly $500,000 toward improvements to the Deborah C. Williams Middle School including an exciting new $1 million centerpiece Environmental Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics space.
     
     
    Symbolizing this next chapter in the life of Kent School, a recently completed graceful new entrance portico provides safety and security for visitors, students and faculty. When the campaign is fully funded, the portico will also open its doors to new cutting-edge academic opportunities designed to prepare students for success in secondary school, college and life in our global society.
     
    Created to guide our students to take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, solve complex problems, think critically, embrace collaboration and work through the creative process, the new Innovation Center will include the Middle School Science Lab, Middle School Math classrooms, and visual arts classrooms – including both a 2D art studio and a 3D art studio, for all students. The new Middle School Science Lab will include state-of-the-art equipment for the program designed to teach students the scientific method while focusing on core understanding of key principles in Earth Science, Life Science and Physical Science integrated with environmental science and Chesapeake Bay Studies.
     
    Like the best schools, Kent School balances achievements and progress in ways that fully embrace our history while also exploring new opportunities in our ever-changing world. We are convinced that the power of the Kent School spirit, its community connections, and its balance of tradition and innovation will enable Kent School to soar unwaveringly into a boundless future. Please join us.

    Read More

  • The Ben P. Gale Founders Fund

    The Ben P. Gale Founders Fund provides merit-based scholarships to students who have demonstrated exceptionally strong moral behavior, and have exhibited significant academic talent throughout the course of their studies.

  • The General Endowment

    A strong endowment provides the foundation for academic excellence. Kent School’s endowment sits at nearly $3 million and generates a blended draw of four to five percent annually depending on the endowed fund to the operating budget, calculated on a rolling three year average. These funds support student tuition assistance, employee compensation, professional development, the Kudner Leyon Visiting Writer program, facility maintenance, and other expenditures not fully covered in our annual operating budget. Earnings from the endowment position Kent School to meet unforeseen and unbudgeted expenses as they arise.

    Gifts to the General Endowment Fund help the school with long range planning and expenditures. Endowed funds are invested and the school draws a percentage of the annual interest income to support financial assistance, facility maintenance and other expenditures not covered in our annual operating budget.

  • The Lois Duffey Fund

    The Lois Duffey Fund was established for existing Kent School students who, for some unforeseen financial reason, would otherwise not be able to continue attending. They should be students who contribute positively to the school community, academically or otherwise.

  • The Washington College Endowment Fund

    The Washington College Endowment Fund was established at Kent School in 2019 as part of Together We Soar: The 50th Anniversary Campaign for Kent School. The Fund will provide tuition assistance for the families of Washington College employees who are enrolled at Kent School. In the event that no such Washington College affiliated family applies for tuition assistance, a portion of the endowment draw from this fund, as directed by the School’s Endowment Committee, may be used to fund Washington College student interns.

  • The Joan Flaherty Fund

    The Joan Flaherty Fund of the Kent School Endowment was established in as part of the Campaign for Kent in 2000. The Flaherty Fund supports Kent School faculty and staff by providing funding for professional development experiences, salary and benefits.

    Growth in the endowment for faculty compensation and professional development assists us in attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers who will help us strengthen our program with competitive total compensation packages. Financial sustainability through endowment growth will also help Kent School be nimble if unforeseen circumstances arise.

  • The Joan C. Merriken Scholarship Fund

    The Joan C. Merriken Scholarship Endowment Fund was established in order to provide funds for alumni children who are eager to learn and possess a spirit consistent with Joan Merriken's vision for the school. These students strive for academic and personal excellence in the classroom and through the positive impact they have on others. The Joan C. Merriken Scholarship Fund is restricted to families who can demonstrate a financial need. 

  • The Kudner Leyon Memorial Endowment

    The Kudner Leyon Memorial Fund of the Kent School Endowment was established in 2000 and supports the Kudner Leyon Visiting Writers Program. The Program allows Kent School to host acclaimed authors and/or illustrators for a day of workshops and presentations that engage our students and reflect the emphasis we place on writing, reading, and the literary arts at every grade level. The program is a celebration of books, the creative process, and story creation. The Fund was named for Ariana Kudner and Amanda Leyon of the Class of 1991. Both girls tragically lost their lives in a car accident while they were in high school. This Memorial Fund was established to honor both girls' love of books.

  • The Richard and Leah Revie Scholarship Fund

    Colonel and Mrs. Richard Revie established this scholarship fund in memory of their son and granddaughter. Donations to this fund support financial aid for Kent School students in their formative years at Kent School. The Revie Scholarship is an endowed fund.

Kent School

admissions@kentschool.org