Annual Fund

Each year, Brearley’s operating budget exceeds its tuition income by approximately $10,000 per student. The Annual Fund plays a critical part in helping the School to meet its budget. Alumnae have held a pivotal role in supporting the School since 1923, when they began contributing to the Teachers Pension Fund. This strong tradition of giving continues today, with more than 40 percent of alumnae making a gift to the Annual Fund each year—a percentage that is regularly the highest among New York’s independent schools.

The Alumnae Annual Fund Chair is responsible for coordinating the fund-raising efforts of the Alumnae Major Donor committee, the Class Agents, and the Young Alumnae Challenge.

Alumnae Major Donors

The Major Donor effort encourages targeted alumnae to become Major Donors by giving to the Annual Fund at a level of $1,250 or higher, as follows:

Class Agents

Class Agents volunteer to contact their classmates and ask them to support the School. They serve a five-year term, from one reunion to the next. The Class Agents Chair recruits Class Agents as well as the Notes Agents who gather alumnae notes for the Brearley Bulletin, and acts as liaison for the class with the Alumnae Office.

Young Alumnae Challenge

Thanks to the generosity of a group of older alumnae, a gift of any size from an alumna of the ten most recent years will be matched on a one-for-one basis. The program encourages young alumnae to get in the habit of participating in the Annual Fund, ensuring that even the most modest gift has an impact at the School. The Young Alumnae Challenge Chair writes a personal letter to the ten most recent classes to tell them about the Challenge, urging them to join it and following up with e-mail reminders.