Gift Opportunities
Annual Fund 2025
The 2025 Keewaydin operations budget assumes $800,000 in Annual Fund donations. Each year, The Keewaydin Foundation relies on this fund to help cover a variety of expenses related to programs, equipment, maintenance, and scholarships.
Keewaydin Giving Levels
Bow Paddlers:
Stern Paddlers:
Wannigan Club:
Paddle Club:
Canoe Club:
Tripper’s Circle:
Director’s Circle:
Leadership Circle:
Keewaydin Society:
$100+
$250+
$500+
$1,000+
$2,500+
$5,000+
$10,000+
$25,000+
$50,000+
Green Canoe Society
Earn your canoe pin by contributing to the Keewaydin Annual Fund for three consecutive years or more to become a member of The Green Canoe Society! Consistency Counts!
Trailblazers Society
Trailblazers are donors who make ongoing, monthly contributions to Keewaydin. You can choose your gift amount, and contributions are deducted each month via electronic check, debit or credit card! For the price of a craft beer per month you can be a part of creating Keewaydin Magic!
“As a camper, Keewaydin Made me feel like the most important kid in the world. It taught me how capable I could be, how tough I could be, and taught me the value of honor and helping the other fellow. As a staffman, it has taught me how to be a kid again while passing on those same lessons. I give to Keewaydin to ensure it can keep on teaching those important lessons to future campers and staff.”
-Mig Oppenheimer ’67, Sustaining Donor since 1998
Endowed Gifts
Support Keewaydin now and well into the future by making an endowed gift. Gifts of $150,000 or more can establish an endowed, named fund that will generate annual-interest income for scholarships or other specific needs at any of Keewaydin’s camps, the Keewaydin Environmental Education Center, or Ojibway Family Lodge. Gifts to the endowment can be paid via pledge for a pledge period of up to five years. For more information about establishing an endowed fund, please contact Mary Welz, at mary@keewaydin.org or at 802.352.4247. In addition, donations can be made to any one of the 41 endowed funds already in place. If you would like to contribute to a current endowed fund, please use the link below or contact Mary Welz.
Planned/Legacy Gifts
You can make a powerful, lasting impact on Keewaydin that costs nothing during your lifetime. Provide support in perpetuity for the life-changing experiences Keewaydin provides to children by including the Keewaydin Foundation in your will or estate plans, or by naming Keewaydin as the beneficiary of your IRA, retirement funds, or insurance policy. Donors who include Keewaydin in their estate plans become members of the Silver Paddle Society and are recognized in The Northwest Wind and on plaques at each camp.
To receive more information about planned giving, please contact Mary Welz at 802.352.4247 or at mary@keewaydin.org.
Keewaydin Scholarship Funding
Current Use Scholarship Funds
The Roy Waters Annual Scholarships Fund
Provides camper scholarships for those with demonstrated financial need at Keewaydin Temagami. The fund was established in honor of Roy A. Waters, a legendary Keewaydin Temagami staffman who dedicated 52 years of service to both Keewaydin Temagami and Keewaydin Dunmore.
The General Breed Annual Scholarships Fund
Provides annual scholarship assistance to campers with demonstrated need at Keewaydin Dunmore and Sonagdeewin. The fund was established in honor of Stephen A. Breed, Director of Keewaydin Dunmore from 1913-1920 and Associate Director from 1920-1942.
Endowed Scholarship Funds
Support Keewaydin now and well into the future by endowing a scholarship fund. Gifts of $150,000 or more can establish an endowed, named fund that will generate continued interest income for scholarships at any of Keewaydin’s camps or the Keewaydin Environmental Education Center. Gifts to the endowment can be paid via pledge for a pledge period of up to five years. In addition, donations can be made to any one of the 41 endowed funds that are already established.
For more information about establishing or giving to an endowed fund, please contact Mary Welz, at mary@keewaydin.org or at 802.352.4247.
Ways to Give
Donors to Keewaydin may choose from a variety of giving vehicles.
GIFTS FOR TODAY:
CASH
Gifts made by personal check or credit card are the easiest and most immediate way to support Keewaydin. Gifts can be made online via credit card or electronic check on our giving page. Checks should be made payable to “Keewaydin Foundation” and are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Keewaydin is a registered charity in both the United States and Canada.
APPRECIATED ASSETS
Gifting appreciated assets such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds can be a double win for you. You will receive a charitable deduction for the donation, and you will also avoid capital gains taxes. You will receive credit for the full fair market value of the stock, but the cost to you is its original purchase price. Gifts from your brokerage account can be made electronically. In order to ensure that we are able to acknowledge your gift in a timely manner, please notify the Keewaydin development staff in advance if you plan to make a gift of appreciated securities. For more information, please call the Foundation Office at 802-352-4247, or email our Director of Development Mary Welz at mary@keewaydin.org and we can provide wire transfer instructions.
WIRE TRANSFER FUNDS
Keewaydin accepts wire transferred funds as a means to contribute. To protect the security of your donation, please contact Mary Welz at the Keewaydin Foundation Office at 802-352-4247 for the most-up-to-date information about how to make a wire transfer.
MULTI-YEAR PLEDGE
A multi-year pledge is a great vehicle that allows you to make a larger gift and to affirm your ongoing commitment to Keewaydin. Payments can be made over a period of up to five years and can be automatically set up from your checking or credit card account, on a schedule that works for you.
LIFE INSURANCE POLICY
You may transfer ownership of an existing cash value life insurance policy to Keewaydin and receive a charitable income tax deduction once you surrender the policy. Keewaydin will use the proceeds for its highest priorities, as established by its Board of Directors.
GIFTS FOR TOMORROW: THE SILVER PADDLE SOCIETY
The Silver Paddle Society recognizes alumni, parents, and friends who ensure that Keewaydin camps and programs will thrive for generations to come by providing for Keewaydin through bequests, trusts, IRAs, or through other long term financial plans.
BEQUESTS
Naming the Keewaydin Foundation as the beneficiary of your will or trust is a simple way to leave a lasting legacy to your beloved camp. You may gift a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate. We would like to recognize you for your generosity during your lifetime, so please notify us of your intention.
BENEFICIARY ARRANGEMENTS
Naming Keewaydin as the full or partial beneficiary of your life insurance policy or retirement accounts is a simple way to ensure support for Keewaydin into the future. This approach also relieves your heirs of any income and estate tax due on retirement accounts.
CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY – Immediate or Deferred
In exchange for your irrevocable gift of cash, low-yield CDs, stocks, bonds or mutual funds, you will receive an income stream for life. At the time of your death, Keewaydin receives the interest income from the remainder of your gift. If desired, you can postpone when your income stream starts with a deferred charitable gift annuity. Interest rates are established by the American Council on Gift Annuities and vary from 4.4% to 9% depending on the age of the annuitants. Annuities can be issued for one or two people. For more information, please contact Mary Welz at mary@keewaydin.org.
Have Questions? To get more information on donating to the Keewaydin Foundation, please call 802.352.4247. You can also contact Mary or John directly in the Keewaydin Foundation office:
Mary Welz
Director of Development
mary@keewaydin.org
John Frazier
Associate Director of Development
John@keewaydin.org
Kirsten Leavestrom
Development and Alumni Relations Coordinator
Kirsten@keewaydin.org
Sandy Chivers
Development Associate
Sandy@keewaydin.org