Starting this summer, an anonymous alum is turbocharging the transformational power of estate gifts. Hoping to inspire other members of the School’s community to make a planned gift, the alum has committed $200,000 in matching funds that will amplify the value of new or increased planned gifts. 

For every planned gift made under this Legacy Challenge, the donor fund will contribute 10 percent of the value to the School’s Together We Shine campaign. And you can direct that money to the campaign priority of your choice: campus reunification, endowment, or the Sidwell Friends Fund. The match applies both to new gifts or increases to existing gifts that include Sidwell Friends in an estate plan. 

Margaret Weaver Steel ’70 says it was an easy decision for her to create an endowed fund through a planned gift. “As a ‘lifer,’ the rigorous education, the wonderful teachers, the Quaker philosophy, the importance of giving back, and the long-lasting friendships have stayed with me throughout my life. And I am grateful.”

Whether through a bequest, charitable trust, or beneficiary designation, planned gifts help ensure a consistent, long-term source of funding for the School. They allow donors to create a legacy that aligns with their own values while furthering Sidwell Friends’ mission for future generations.

The Margaret Weaver Steel ’70 Fund is an example of how a donor can manifest their own values through their giving. Steel says, “The focus of my fund is to support the School’s athletic program and enhance educational opportunities involving teamwork, athletic skill and sportsmanship. Athletics was a big part of my time at Sidwell Friends, and I believe the lessons learned help students in many ways as they progress through life. I want to do everything I can to help future students have the wonderful and everlasting experience I had at Sidwell Friends.”

Planned gifts often allow a donor to dream bigger about the kind of impact they can make. And it’s never too early to establish a planned gift. Donors of all ages have a variety of planned giving options to meet their goals. Indeed, a high number of Millennials are now creating wills and estate plans. 

For more than 20 years, Sidwell Friends alumni, parents, and other friends have shown their support for the School by making a planned gift and becoming members of The Thomas and Frances Sidwell Society. Now there’s a way to increase the value of your planned gift and make an impact right away. 

The anonymous donor who established the challenge says, “Like me, many Sidwell Friends alumni and parents make annual gifts to support the School’s current needs. By making a planned gift we can honor our legacy of giving and continue it into the future.”

Donors who make planned gifts become part of the Thomas and Frances Sidwell Society, which recognizes those who follow in the tradition of Thomas Sidwell, who survived Frances and wanted his estate to help further the School he founded. Please contact Amanda Meter, senior director of individual giving, at metera@sidwell.edu if Sidwell Friends is part of your estate plans.