It’s costly to run a top-tier college without charging tuition. It’s even more costly when the experience includes the many things that happen in Deep Springs Valley. Staff and faculty salaries, room & board, utilities, infrastructure, and maintenance all add up. Our operating budget runs just shy of $2.5 Million. About $800,000 of that budget is covered each year by your direct support of our Annual Fund. Alums, friends, parents, family, fans, and foundations: thank you!
We invite you to take part in Deep Springs’ second century by considering a gift of any size to the College. Your investment in Deep Springs is an investment in democratic self-government, transformative classroom experiences, stewardship of the land, and ethical leadership. With your help, we provide each generation of Deep Springs students unmatched preparation for leadership and service to humanity.
Please consider a gift online via credit card or a recurring monthly gift by visiting our donate page here.
Development Contacts
Koll Jensen, Development Director
(206) 792-6959
kolljensen@deepsprings.edu
Kerrie Coborn, Development Officer
klcoborn@deepsprings.edu
Sue Darlington, President
(760) 872-2000, ext. 72
sdarlington@deepsprings.edu
Deep Springs College is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation established in the state of California. Contributions to our educational work are eligible for tax-deduction under applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Recent tax filings of Form 990 for Deep Springs Corporation are available at www.guidestar.org. The College’s EIN (Tax ID #) is 95-613748.
There are many ways to give! One is simply to mail a check payable to “Deep Springs College” to our address:
Deep Springs College
HC 72 Box 45001
Dyer, NV 89010
Writing a check and four other ways of giving are summarized here. Below are more details on ways you can contribute to Deep Springs.
Donations Online
Deep Springs accepts online credit card donations via our Donate Page. Click “Donate” and follow instructions for making a credit card gift. You can make a gift without creating an account, or you can create a login account to view your complete giving history at Deep Springs. Your contribution generates an acknowledgment letter with tax receipt from us.
Planned Giving & Bequests: Welcome to the L.L. Nunn Society
If you don’t have a will, please allow us to recommend a service that allows you to designate beneficiaries of your estate by visiting FreeWill. Setting up your will online is free and takes about ten minutes. We hope you will consider designating a percent of your estate to Deep Springs.
No matter your age and stage, we encourage you to take a minute to think about how you might make an impact with what you have when you no longer need it. Or to sit down with your partner or spouse to discuss how you anticipate supporting the ones you love and the institutions and causes that matter the most to you. Just starting a family? That’s a perfect time for the conversation even if your plans change.
L.L. Nunn made the first planned gift to Deep Springs in establishing his Trust. Scores of other donors have done so since, and planned gifts are now a major component of our fiscal health and projection.
Please consider joining the L.L. Nunn Society by naming Deep Springs as a beneficiary in your will or of a trust, annuity, 401K, TIAA (or other) brokerage account, or life insurance policy.
In 2020 the Society has 50 members. We’d like to double this number by the end of 2021.
If you do decide to name Deep Springs a beneficiary of some portion of your estate, please let us know, so we can thank you and welcome you to the Society! If you have any questions about membership please contact the Development Director (whose contact info is at the top of this page).
The College is not equipped to administer annuities for donors (most commonly CRUTS), but you may establish an annuity with any number of financial institutions to name Deep Springs the beneficiary.
Stocks and Securities
When the stock market last soared, gifting appreciated stock shares became a popular way to support Deep Springs. Giving stock can be done with one click through your brokerage account. The tax savings of gifting appreciated shares can be large because the amount of appreciation does not count as income, but the current value does count towards deductions. We hope you’ll consider this option.
For instructions contact the Development Director (whose contact info is at the top of this page). We’ll provide our TIN# and Deep Springs account information at State Street Global in Boston for you to enter online or for your broker or financial institution to arrange the gift.
Please remember to alert us the date and amount of your donation (or number of shares) so we can properly attribute your gift!
Required Minimum Distributions
An RMD is the amount of money that must be withdrawn from a traditional IRA, 401(k) (or 403b) once you hit the age of 72 (until recently 71.5). This has become a very popular form of annual gift to Deep Springs College for a couple of reasons.
First, the money has to come out of the fund by law, so it might feel like “found money.” And second, if instead of withdrawing the money for another purpose, it goes directly from your IRA to a verified 501(c)(3) like Deep Springs, then the income is not taxed. This means you get to pass the savings along to Deep Springs– a great “win-win.”
Please ask your financial institution about RMDs.
Matching Gift Contributions
Please ask your employer or organization for information on matching gift eligibility. Many companies have conjoined foundations to match charitable giving by their employees. If your company has such a program, please name Deep Springs College in the gift matching documentation.
Contributions of Goods or Services
For an in-kind gift, please contact the Development Director (whose contact info is at the top of this page) with a description and value of the gift. We are not equipped to take all in-kind gifts, but the right item at the right time can be a great help.
Memorial Donations
Gifts to Deep Springs can be made In Honor Of or In Memory Of someone special. It is our honor to recognize them in our Annual Report.
Please send donations to:
Deep Springs College
HC 72 Box 45001
Dyer, NV 89010
Or contact the Development Director (whose contact info is at the top of this page).
Deep Springs maintains a special relationship with our alums and contributors. Close to 50% of our alums contribute every year. Your annual commitment coupled with a carefully tended endowment allows us to meet our budget. Presently income from the endowment covers 60% of annual expenses, income from farm & ranch provides 7%, and your annual contributions provide the remaining 33%. This excludes contributions for capital improvements like putting up the new Boarding House.
Two new major buildings on campus are fully-funded and nearing completion: the Boarding House and the Faculty Triplex. The Boarding House is a state-of-the-art food production and dining facility up to the task of delivering Deep Springs’ original farm-to-table for the entire community. The Triplex will house three faculty and their families just off the Main Circle with a stunning view of the Sierras, and will help us attract and retain the best faculty for the College.
With the turn of a New Century our goal is to solidify the long-term health of the college through key projects. We aim to strengthen the program in each of the three pillars to meet the changing needs of the country and the planet, to boost our endowment, and to secure our signature Summer Seminar.
The Annual Fund
Your annual contributions– including many that come in the ways described above– cover operating expenses on an ongoing basis: paying salaries, keeping the tractors running, horses shod, and lights on. You can contribute with a check to Deep Springs College, or an increasing number of donors are scheduling monthly recurring credit card payments. You can set this up directly on our Donate page or contact our Development Officer (whose contact info is at the top of this page) and she can set this up for you.
Please enjoy reading our most recent appeal for support from Deep Springs family here!
Endowment Gifts
Continuing to grow the endowment helps us keep pace with rising salaries and expenses to stay competitive in the world of higher education. It also reduces our dependence on the Annual Fund. You can contribute now with a gift or make a pledge to be fulfilled at a future point or over several payments at our Donate page.
Capital Purchases & Enhancements
We have recurring needs to upgrade vehicles, buy books for our library, or replace outdated facilities. Through capital contributions, we improve the College with a safe working and learning environment without borrowing from other budget lines. Please inquire if you have specific hopes about immediate use for your gift. Recent uses include diversity recruitment and unforeseen expenses related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There is no doubt that Deep Springs is preparing new leaders for new times, and we have never been prouder to ask for your support. Thank you to so many of you for your ongoing support. For new friends of the College, we thank you for considering a gift to the most remarkable college in the world.