Giving and Getting Involved

North Florida School
Giving Opportunities
2008-2009

There are many ways to provide opportunities for children today.  Many children with special needs are striving to live a more independent life while overcoming obstacles they face with the challenges of their disabilities.  Helping a child at North Florida School is investing in a future.  A future that can include learning job skills, self-care skills, and living as independently as possible.

Raising a child with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, and other developmental disabilities is a tremendous emotional and financial responsibility.  In fulfilling our nonprofit charter, we offer many students NFS financial assistance and a total of approximately 98% of our student body receives some kind of scholarship or assistance.

We know that many people like to know specifically what their gift is accomplishing at North Florida School.  In recognition of this, we are introducing the Family of Annual Funds.  Through this program, you can match your personal interests with area of needs within the School’s operating budget.  A gift we can count on year after year helps us continue our efforts to provide a brighter future for children with developmental disabilities.

Gifts to capital campaigns generally go toward buildings and other construction priorities.  Over $1 million dollars was raised during North Florida School’s first capital campaign to build the 9,000 square foot Anderson Smith Campus building on our 3 acre site.   Please contact the Development Office to see how you can help build The Center for Fine Arts and Athletics!

The School hosts at least three special events each year to raise funds for programs and designated special projects. The success of these events is due to the hundreds of volunteers, donors and guests who come together in support of North Florida School.

Restricted gifts may be made to specific scholarships, programs and special projects.  These designated gifts complement progress realized through the School’s operating budget and the Family of Annual Funds.

Planned Gifts such as bequests, life insurance, annuities and trust agreements may provide a tax advantage to the donor and in some cases, may provide income to the donor during his or her lifetime.

The Heritage Society recognizes donors whose annual contributions to the Family of Annual Funds, annual restricted funds or in-kind donations are $1,000 or more.  Their generosity is the foundation that helps North Florida School flourish and grow.

CLASSROOM ADOPTION PROGRAM
This is a wonderful opportunity for a business, civic organization or individual to truly make a difference in the lives of our student body.  Help to update one of our six classrooms (Elementary, Middle School, Junior High, Senior High, Transition Program Track 1 or Transition Program Track II) with the necessary educational tools and at the same time get to know the great children that North Florida School serves by volunteering in the classroom as a reading mentor!

You will be invited to join your adopted classroom teachers and students for breakfast; tour the school; and work out a mutually agreeable volunteer schedule.

The Classroom Adoption Program provides the class with a combination US, World and 5 Continent wall mounted pull down map; a classroom HP Pavillion notebook computer with XP professional windows software; classroom first aid kit; chair mats, dictionary and classroom specific wish list items with a gift of $5,000. 

For more information regarding the classroom adoption program, please call Leigh Forrester at 904-724-8326 or email (lforrester@northfloridaschool.org)  

North Florida School
Family of Annual Funds
2008-2009

Through the Family of Annual Funds, you can match your personal interests with areas of need within the School’s operating budget.

Gifts to….

The Academic Fund will help develop new courses, provide materials for existing courses and offer an academic program specific for each child.

The Campus Fund will help ensure a safe and secure learning environment, improve classroom facilities, maintain play equipment and enhance the campus.

The Faculty Fund will offer competitive compensation and benefits, provide for professional growth and attract and retain the best teachers.

The Physical Education Fund will help cover expenses for games and sports equipment and help us to expand our physical education program.

The Speech, Occupational, Physical and Social Skills Therapy Fund will help to bring licensed professionals to our school for one-on-one sessions.

The Vocational and Community Service Fund will provide the Transition Program students with transportation and job coaches for their job and community service opportunities.

Where North Florida School Needs It Most:

If your desire is to demonstrate your financial support of the School to be used for the Area of Greatest Need, we promise to do just that, and we extend our thanks to you for your trust.

Gifts at every level further our programs and are important to the School.  We invite you to participate at the level that is right for you.

We encourage you to give first consideration to the Family of Annual Funds when asked to support North Florida School.  Many individuals also choose to support the School through capital campaign gifts, memorial gifts, planned gifts or bequests.  For more information about additional ways to support the School, please contact the director of development at (904) 724-8326.

Ways of Giving
Gifts of cash

Most gifts to North Florida School are cash contributions, for which donors receive tax benefits if they itemize deductions.

Gifts of stock

Current tax laws make it possible for you to make a charitable gift of stock to North Florida School at a remarkably low after-tax cost.  This tax savings is achieved in two ways:

-By avoiding capital gains tax on the transfer of stock to us

-By receiving an income tax charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the stock on the day that the gift is made (assuming that you have held the stock for longer than twelve months)

Example: Ten years ago you purchased 100 shares of XYZ Corp. for $500. It is now worth $2,000. An outright gift of the stock to us would result in a charitable contribution deduction of $2,000. In addition, there is no tax on the $1,500 of appreciation.

Please be sure to call North Florida School’s development office at 904-724-8326 to notify us of your intentions to make a gift of stock.  To ensure that the transaction is processed in a timely and efficient manner, please provide a description of the stock to be transferred, the approximate delivery date, and the desired purpose of the gift.

Matching gifts

Whether you give cash or securities, yours may be one of the many employers who offer matching gift programs...which double, and in some cases even triple, the value of your gift to the School. These gifts can mean thousands of dollars for North Florida School.

Please contact your employer for matching gift guidelines for your company.

Gifts-in-kind

Donations of technology, equipment, furniture and other items relevant to our educational program and in good condition are welcome. The donor, through appraisal, market comparisons or record of purchase, determines the fair market value of the gift. If the gift-in-kind is of direct and immediate value to North Florida School in fulfilling its mission (such as new computer equipment for instructional use), the donor may deduct the full fair market value. There are limitations on the amount that may be deducted for tangible personal property the use of which does not meet the mission of the School. Please contact the development office for details.

Real estate

Gifts of real estate, including personal residences, vacation homes, commercial properties, and unimproved land, may offer exceptional tax benefits for the donors while providing support for the School. Similar to the situation with appreciated stock and securities, if ownership of the unencumbered real estate is transferred to North Florida School prior to its sale, the donor will receive a charitable gift deduction, and will likely avoid the capital-gains tax associated with that appreciation.

Planned Gifts

Deferred giving, often referred to as planned giving, allows almost any individual to provide a gift to North Florida School while carrying out personal financial goals. Through planned giving, donors may find they are able to make a more generous gift to North Florida School while receiving financial benefits such as increased current income, tax savings, avoidance of capital-gains tax, and reduced estate-settlement costs. Please notify the School if you have already included, or plan to include North Florida School in your estate plans. A few of the available planned giving options include:
·               Charitable trust funds
·               Charitable remainder trusts
·               Charitable remainder annuity trusts
·               Charitable lead trusts
·               Life insurance

Bequests

A valid, updated will is the cornerstone of an effective estate plan. Charitable gifts provide one of the few remaining deductions to estate taxes. By making provisions in your will for the School, you make a gift to the future of North Florida School.

Raising Funds to Purchase
SuccessMaker Software

 
Computer software is an important part of the Academics!

SuccessMaker Enterprise, provides a comprehensive curriculum in math, reading, spelling, and writing that a student works through at his/her own pace on the computer.  Progress is charted and reports are generated that give students, teachers, and parents immediate feedback on a student’s progress.  The best part of this program is that it quickly finds the optimal method of instruction for each individual based on their response to different areas of the program.