A Family's Guide to Giving & Getting Involved

The Holton Parents Association (PA) supports and enhances the School through programs and activities involving parents, students, faculty, and staff. It also provides an open, ongoing communication channel between the parents and administration, which benefits the School as well as our parents and students. Every Holton parent is a member of the Parents Association, and we look forward to partnering with you on the various events and activities scheduled throughout the school year.

The PA sponsors a number of activities and encourages parents to become involved in the planning, execution, and enjoyment of each one. As you can imagine, many of these events will need to be reimagined this year given the current environment. There will still be many ways you can help, and we look forward to connecting with you in the coming year! Below are just a few volunteer opportunities sponsored by the PA:

We encourage our families to participate in Holton’s Parent Partnership Program as we recognize that strong partnerships between school and home are integral to cultivating health and well-being. Throughout the year, the School hosts authors, thought leaders, and other professionals to discuss topics relevant to our parents and their families. We hope that you will join us for these events throughout the year.

The Holton Fund is the primary fundraising effort at Holton-Arms. The School depends on ongoing annual contributions to sustain daily activities, support excellent faculty, and look toward the future. From lab equipment to computers, financial aid to art classes, sports activities to school plays, The Holton Fund supports all the things that make Holton so unique.

Members of The Holton Fund Parent Committee reach out to other parents throughout the year to discuss how a gift to The Holton Fund makes an immediate impact. The School asks each family to make The Holton Fund a philanthropic priority by making a donation of any size over the course of the school year.

If you are interested in being part of The Holton Fund Parent Committee, please contact Director of Annual Giving Alison Wacker or 301-365-6079.

The Holton Fund is the School’s annual giving program and primary fundraising effort. Each year, The Holton Fund raises necessary funds that touch every student’s life at Holton. These funds allow the School to maintain its high standard of academic excellence by providing funding for the School’s most immediate needs:

• Compensation and benefits for our talented and dedicated teachers
• Financial assistance to support a distinctive and diverse learning environment
• Equipment and supplies for academic, arts, and athletics programs
• Professional development for faculty and staff
• Innovations to our rich curricular offerings
• Experiential learning opportunities locally, nationally, and globally
• Upgrades to instructional technology
• Maintenance of our campus and facilities

Each year, we ask all members of the Holton community to make a donation of any size to The Holton Fund. Please keep a look out for a letter regarding your support this fall. Holton’s fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30. Pledges are payable by June 30; however, many contribute before December 31 to take advantage of a tax deduction in the current calendar year. In the 2019-20 academic year, The Holton Fund added $1,677,647 to the School’s operating budget. We hope you join us in this community-wide effort!

The Promise of Holton-Arms: The Campaign for Our Future is a comprehensive fundraising effort that will secure the future of Holton for years to come. Dollars raised for the Promise Campaign directly support the construction of a Learning Commons, a reimagined Upper and Middle School Library, part info-tech center, part library of the future; Holton’s endowment; and The Holton Fund.

To date the Campaign has raised over $20 million in gifts and pledges. Donors to the Promise Campaign are encouraged to include commitments to The Holton Fund within their multi-year pledges to ensure that the School’s primary fundraising effort continues to grow during the life of the Campaign.

If you are interested in learning more about the Promise Campaign, please contact Campaign Director Abigail Betts ’98 or 301-365-6057.

Each year, the entire Holton community comes together to support financial aid through an online auction that culminates with a fabulous celebration event. Members of our community can participate in our largest fundraising event by volunteering, supporting the celebration through sponsorships, purchasing items online, and raising a paddle for donations to financial aid through Fund-a-Dream. Proceeds from the Holton Online Auction and Premiere Party directly support Holton’s Financial Aid Program.

Each year, we ask the parents of our graduating seniors to honor their daughter’s time at Holton by participating in the Senior Parent Gift with a donation to the School’s endowment. Many choose to direct their enrollment deposit to the Senior Parent Gift as a way to celebrate the graduating class and their lasting legacy at Holton.

For more information, please contact Director of Annual Giving Alison Wacker or 301-365-6079.

Gifts can be made by cash, check, credit card, and by wiring funds. Online gifts are a convenient way to give and can be made using Holton's online giving form. The Holton Fund is also now on Venmo as @HoltonFund. Gifts to The Holton Fund can be made in honor or in memory of a special individual such as a teacher, coach, or loved one. Gifts may be made in the form of a single gift or recurring monthly payments.

Holton welcomes gifts of stock or securities, which can provide significant tax advantages to our donors. Instructions for making a gift of stock can be found here.

Gifts can also be made in the form of a grant from a donor-advised fund. Many of our donors enjoy the tax benefits associated with giving this way. For more information, please consult your financial and tax advisor.

Many companies will match donations made by their employees. This is a great way to maximize your gift, possibly doubling or even tripling your gift with a corporate match. Simply send us the appropriate paperwork from your employer and we will take care of the rest. Find out if your company has a matching gift program using the search feature on Holton's matching gifts page.

Planned gifts provide the resources that create extraordinary opportunities to meet your philanthropic and personal goals. A planned gift to Holton can take many forms and provides long-term support for the School as well as tax benefits for the donor. Holton welcomes planned gifts in the form of bequests, gifts from a retirement plan, donor advised fund, stock and appreciated assets, real estate, personal property, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, retained life estate, and life insurance. Donors who have taken this special step of including Holton in their estate plans are recognized as members of the Lamp of Learning Society.

For more information on planned giving please visit Holton's planned giving website and please contact Campaign Director Abigail Betts ’98 or 301-365-6057.