The Endowment for Lifelong Learners
We are overjoyed to announce the Endowment for Lifelong Learners at Blue Mountain School! Our permanent fund is made possible by a series of private donations by a generous Blue Mountain School Alumnus and a partnership with the Community Foundation of the New River Valley (CFNRV). The endowment is the result of tireless efforts on the part of our Board of Directors to create financial stability for the future of Blue Mountain School. The primary gift, from a former Blue Mountain School student, shows that our mission, values, and every day work are resonant and significant. Every day our teachers, staff, and students show up to school to feel the joy and wonder of learning in a space that celebrates community, patience, communication, the natural world, our differences and our similarities.
Even as our school has grown and more families have discovered the beauty and joy of Blue Mountain School, each passing year has been packed with financial struggle. In 2024 the Board of Directors committed to give the largest pay raise on record to our teachers and staff. At the same time our student numbers continued to grow to the highest number ever and, as part of our mission, we continue to operate on a tiered tuition system and offer financial assistance to those who cannot afford the full tuition. These competing factors led our fundraising need to swell to nearly $140,000 for the 25/26 school year - this number is the budgetary deficit between operating the school if all families paid full tuition compared to the actual tuition currently paid by our families.
How does the Endowment help solve this problem? Are we done with Fundraising? What about my tuition? How does the endowment work?
The short answers to what we imagine are your most pressing questions are: We still have to fundraise, and families still need to pay tuition at existing or higher levels. The endowment relieves the pressure of the future survival of the school, but it does not completely close the tuition gap, nor does it provide for infrastructure needs such as a new driveway or new classrooms or new offices.
Here’s how it works:
The Endowment for Lifelong Learners at Blue Mountain School, which is invested and managed by CFNRV, could grow in some years, or it could shrink in downturned markets, but we should expect that over the life of the fund it will average growth of about 7.5%. According to the CFNRV guidelines, the account pays 6% annually of the total funds in the investment account.
This means that in the 26/27 school year, we will still need to raise approximately $50,000 to close the potential budget gap between actual tuition paid and the operating costs of the school. As the cost of living continues to increase and we continue to give our staff the appropriate wage increases, that number could increase year over year.
So what does this mean for families?
Effectively, it shows that though the school has more financial stability and promises more sustainability for years to come, in order to follow our long time commitment to keeping Blue Mountain School accessible to students, fundraising and paying tuition will always be a large part of life at Blue Mountain School.
It also means that the school can begin to operate like our peers in other educational institutions, raising money for the long term health of the organization while raising the quality of care and investing in infrastructure improvements. Every dollar donated to the endowment over the life of the school will lower the budget gap for future generations, meaning that if you or someone you know would like to donate to the school, we now have an exciting new opportunity to make the school financially stable for future generations. Even the smallest donations to the endowment, like an acorn in our beloved forest, can grow into a mighty oak, contributing exponentially to future generations of Lifelong Learners at Blue Mountain School.
GIVE 6% FOR LIFE - Your donation to the endowment fund will pay 6% annually to Blue Mountain School, meaning that over the lifetime of the school, you will end up paying many times over your singular amount. For example, the school has a 44 year history and plans to be here for at least another 44 years, so this means $1000 today will pay out $2640 ($60x44) over the next 44 years!
To donate to the Endowment, visit cfnrv.org, click "Give Now," select your donation amount, and under “Give to a specific fund or purpose” type Blue Mountain School Endowment. Then complete your payment information, and know that your donation will support lifelong learners for generations!
Even as our school has grown and more families have discovered the beauty and joy of Blue Mountain School, each passing year has been packed with financial struggle. In 2024 the Board of Directors committed to give the largest pay raise on record to our teachers and staff. At the same time our student numbers continued to grow to the highest number ever and, as part of our mission, we continue to operate on a tiered tuition system and offer financial assistance to those who cannot afford the full tuition. These competing factors led our fundraising need to swell to nearly $140,000 for the 25/26 school year - this number is the budgetary deficit between operating the school if all families paid full tuition compared to the actual tuition currently paid by our families.
How does the Endowment help solve this problem? Are we done with Fundraising? What about my tuition? How does the endowment work?
The short answers to what we imagine are your most pressing questions are: We still have to fundraise, and families still need to pay tuition at existing or higher levels. The endowment relieves the pressure of the future survival of the school, but it does not completely close the tuition gap, nor does it provide for infrastructure needs such as a new driveway or new classrooms or new offices.
Here’s how it works:
The Endowment for Lifelong Learners at Blue Mountain School, which is invested and managed by CFNRV, could grow in some years, or it could shrink in downturned markets, but we should expect that over the life of the fund it will average growth of about 7.5%. According to the CFNRV guidelines, the account pays 6% annually of the total funds in the investment account.
This means that in the 26/27 school year, we will still need to raise approximately $50,000 to close the potential budget gap between actual tuition paid and the operating costs of the school. As the cost of living continues to increase and we continue to give our staff the appropriate wage increases, that number could increase year over year.
So what does this mean for families?
Effectively, it shows that though the school has more financial stability and promises more sustainability for years to come, in order to follow our long time commitment to keeping Blue Mountain School accessible to students, fundraising and paying tuition will always be a large part of life at Blue Mountain School.
It also means that the school can begin to operate like our peers in other educational institutions, raising money for the long term health of the organization while raising the quality of care and investing in infrastructure improvements. Every dollar donated to the endowment over the life of the school will lower the budget gap for future generations, meaning that if you or someone you know would like to donate to the school, we now have an exciting new opportunity to make the school financially stable for future generations. Even the smallest donations to the endowment, like an acorn in our beloved forest, can grow into a mighty oak, contributing exponentially to future generations of Lifelong Learners at Blue Mountain School.
GIVE 6% FOR LIFE - Your donation to the endowment fund will pay 6% annually to Blue Mountain School, meaning that over the lifetime of the school, you will end up paying many times over your singular amount. For example, the school has a 44 year history and plans to be here for at least another 44 years, so this means $1000 today will pay out $2640 ($60x44) over the next 44 years!
To donate to the Endowment, visit cfnrv.org, click "Give Now," select your donation amount, and under “Give to a specific fund or purpose” type Blue Mountain School Endowment. Then complete your payment information, and know that your donation will support lifelong learners for generations!
