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Support Riverview

Learn how giving at Riverview works!

Since Riverview School’s founding in 1957, we have worked to build a one-of-a-kind educational experience for students with complex learning challenges. Each year, in every area of student development: classroom, extracurricular, and residential life,  Riverview staff are dedicated to individualized education, and innovation. At each step in our evolution, Riverview School has relied on the extended Riverview family to support the needs of the school and foster new ideas and new directions, with philanthropic support in 3 key areas: Annual Fund, our spring Village of Dreams Gala, and strategic Capital Campaigns.

Each of these giving areas has a special purpose, and each has been instrumental in Riverview School becoming a nationally recognized center of excellence, where generations of students can experience life-changing growth.

Annual Fund

Gifts to our Annual Fund support about 4% of the school’s annual operating costs.  Riverview’s Annual Fund - currently over $700,000 per year - is the essential base of support for the school. Because donations to the Annual Fund are unrestricted, they can be used across campus, wherever a critical need or unexpected opportunity arises.

In our classrooms and dorms, these funds make it possible for staff to create and innovate as they respond to students’ interests and needs. Outside of our classrooms, the flexibility of the Annual Fund helps to keep us rolling. We can address individual developmental and financial needs that arise. And when research points to new directions, we can implement the latest ideas without breaking stride. Riverview’s Annual Fund is an essential part of the magic that creates the Riverview Community – the place where every donation can truly make a difference.

Village of Dreams Gala

The Village of Dreams Gala is an annual fundraising event that typically raises between $800,000 - $1,000,000. The Gala raises funds for a targeted initiative, that is often identified through our Annual Fund efforts. These efforts have helped to grow a robust theater arts program, increased our Financial Aid support, and turned an experiment with yoga, meditation, and cooking classes into an integrated Wellness program. Each year the Gala and the Fund-A-Dream helps us fully develop the very best ideas, further establishing Riverview as a place of excellence and filling the critical and evolving needs of our students and faculty. Together, our Annual Fund and Spring Gala raises over 1.5M annually for the school.

In June 2022, the Gala hit a new record, raising more than $1,000,000 for the school. This Gala was our first in-person event since 2019. The turnout and positive energy under the tent were awe-inspiring. It was a solid reminder that it takes a village to make dreams come true and Riverview has an incredible village
Campaign for Wellness

Capital Campaigns at Riverview support growth in both Programming and state-of-the art facilities. Our most recent Campaign for Wellness has allowed us to build our game-changing Cohen Center for Fitness and Recreation, that incorporates integrated wellness programming into the fabric of daily life, including programs that teach healthy eating and wellness habits that will impact quality-of-life long after graduation. This past spring, we opened a state-of-the-art Nutrition Cooking Center which allows our students to cook, prep and learn in a for a truly hands on classroom setting. In October of 2022, we officially broke ground on the final phase of our Campaign for Wellness as we began construction of a brand new outdoor turf field and rubber track to replace the old Davis Field. Expected completion is scheduled for Spring 2023.

Before Wellness, our Capital Campaigns have helped in many ways including: prioritizing music and the arts programming in our James Center, the growth and expansion of our postsecondary GROW program, and many of the other things that have become essential to the Riverview Community experience.

Capital Campaigns are always big, but their impact on the Riverview culture as a whole is even bigger.

FAQs

What does the Annual Fund support?

Riverview’s Annual Fund provides unrestricted money for programs and experiences for our students and faculty. It allows for our Riverview community to engage in a dynamic and enriching curriculum for each and every one of our students.

Money raised through the Annual Fund is also used to fund the greatest need at any given time. In many ways, the annual fund funnels programming and enrichment through every aspect of a student’s experience here at Riverview.

Why, outside of tuition, is additional money needed?

As with many Independent schools, tuition does not cover all of the annual operating expenses for the school. Riverview relies greatly on bridging the gap between tuition and our annual operating costs. It helps to provide program enhancements and continued innovation.

Why is 100% Parent Participation important?

We hope and encourage each of our Riverview families to consider Riverview a philanthropic priority for their family.

Your participation is a vote of confidence in all that we do. Your gift helps to advance our mission to empower our faculty and students to build the strongest path towards success. It allows us to innovate and utilize new strategies to deliver individualized programming for each of our students.

What is our goal?

The primary goal of Riverview’s annual fund is to bridge the gap between what tuition provides, and the cost it takes to execute a top notch Riverview Education. More specifically, Riverview relies on raising at least $650,000- $700,000 annually in order to support the budgetary needs of the school.

How much should I give?

Individual gifts can range from anywhere between $25-$50,000. The average gift of a parent is $2,000. At Riverview we believe if everyone gives as generously as possible, for their current financial situation, then we can collectively reach our goals.

What are the dates for the Annual Fund?

Our annual fund runs July 1- June 30th, but our primary fundraising efforts for the annual fund typically runs September- December.

Are gifts to the Annual Fund tax-deductible?

Yes. Gifts to Riverview’s annual fund is considered a charitable donation and can be fully deducted within IRS regulatory limits. Please note that event tickets and raffles are not tax-deductible.

Are matching gifts important?

Yes! Many companies and employers offer charitable match donations for employees. Please contact your Human Resource department to see if your company has a matching gift program. You will receive donor credit for both the original gift and the amount of the match. Every dollar counts!

A Video Library About Giving At Riverview
Giving at Riverview
Learn about Riverview's commitment to financial aid
Hear directly from our students
Reflecting Back on 2020
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