Support BPI
Why Every Gift Matters
Think of the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) as a college unto itself.
BPI enrolls over 400 students in academically rigorous college programs, maintains a robust alumni network, and supports a growing field of college-in-prison programs across the country and the globe.
BPI is the vanguard of college access and equity in the United States.
Every student enrolls in full-time, degree granting programs, always at no cost to the student. In other words, BPI’s work — and so many BPI students’ achievements — are possible only because of the loyalty of friends like you.
Your donation will help BPI continue the groundbreaking work to redefine college access in America and to address the harms of mass incarceration. Become a BPI supporter today and join a distinguished and passionate community that believes in the transformative power of a genuine education.
Give via check, credit card, wire transfer, stocks, or real estate >
(Click above to jump to section with info on “Other Ways to Give” and for our Tax ID (EIN) Number. Or, proceed below to donate online.)
$10,000
A year of college for a first-year student
$5,000
Support of alumni stipends for ConnectEd Workshops and Public Health & Education Fellowships
$1,000
Books and materials for a calculus class of 16 students
$500
Laptop and IT support for a microcollege student or BPI alum
$100
Where the need is greatest
$50 Recurring Gift
Sustaining support of all of BPI’s work
Where Your Support Goes
BPI’s work is made possible by a diverse community of funders and supporters who provide critical funds enabling us to carry out our mission to defy expectations of who college is for and where it might lead. As a lean organization that works with longstanding partnerships to spread the cost of college, each dollar invested at BPI has an outsized impact.
Your support sustains BPI’s college-in-prison campuses, holistic Reentry & Alumni Affairs programs for people returning home, and BPI’s work in communities and institutions across the country through the Bard Microcolleges, National Engagement, and the Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison.
“Because of Bard Microcollege Holyoke, I see a bright future ahead of me, and I know that anything I want to achieve is possible.”
—Candice Pelletier ’18
“BPI’s argument is for college in general, not in particular. This is a program that highlights how important college and the educational experience is to everyone in this country.”
—Dyjuan Tatro ’18
Other Ways to Give a Gift
Making a charitable contribution to BPI is easy. Gifts can be made via check, credit card, wire transfer, stocks, or real estate.
As a program of Bard College, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law and used exclusively by BPI (EIN number 14-1713034).
Please check with your financial advisor for specific information regarding the deductibility of your gift.
Bard College accepts VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Card. To make a contribution by credit card over the telephone, please contact Kate Cox at 845.752.5909, or donate online.
Make a donation by check.
Attn: Kate Cox
Bard College
BPI
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
For sending via Fed Ex, please use the street address of 30 Campus Road
BPI welcomes donations via wire transfer. To make a gift via wire transfer, instruct your brokerage or bank to arrange for the transfer of funds electronically to the Bard Prison Initiative account at Bank of America.
Beneficiary Name: Bard College
Beneficiary Address: 30 Campus Road, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
Account Number: 483075033470
Bank Name: Bank of America
Bank Address: 222 Broadway, New York, NY 10038
Wire Routing Number: 026009593 (to be used for wires sent from a US account)
ACH Routing Number: 021000322 (to be used for ACH or non-wire transfers)
SWIFT Code: BOFAUS3N (to be used for wires sent from an international account)
Memo: Please include that this gift is for Bard Prison Initiative
To ensure proper crediting of your donation:
You must email, fax to 845-758-4294 or mail a copy of the instructions you send to your broker or bank officer, along with any special instructions regarding the purpose of the gift.
The mailing address is:
Bard College
Attn: Gift Recorder
Office of Development
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000
Thank you for your gift to Bard! If you wish to speak to someone regarding your gift, please call the Gift Recorder at 845-758-7861 or giftrecorder@bard.edu.
When you donate appreciated stocks to BPI, you avoid the capital gains tax you would have paid if you sold the asset for a profit. If you have owned the securities for longer than twelve months, you also receive an income tax charitable deduction for their full fair-market value. These tax savings–both in income and capital gains taxes–make gifts of securities a popular alternative to cash.
If you wish to maintain a particular stock in your portfolio, consider giving BPI the stock and using the cash you would have donated to purchase the same securities in the open market. The newly acquired shares will then carry the current market value as their cost basis, an easy way to reduce future capital gains tax liability.
To make a gift of stock please instruct your broker or bank officer to arrange for the transfer of securities electronically to BPI’s account at UBS Financial Services, Inc.
The information is as follows:
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
DTC number: 0221
Beneficiary: Bard Prison Initiative
Account number: US11008
Memo: (purpose of gift)
In order to ensure proper crediting of your gift …
You must email, fax, or mail a copy of the instructions you send to your broker or bank officer along with any special instructions regarding the purpose of the gift to Bard College. Our broker is unable to provide us with donor information.
Email: giftrecorder@bard.edu
Fax: 845-758-4294
Bard College
Attn: Gift Recorder
Office of Development
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000
What is a donor advised fund? A donor advised fund (DAF) is a type of giving program that allows you to combine the most favorable tax benefits with the flexibility to support your favorite charities easily. DAFs are an excellent way to simplify your charitable giving and facilitate your philanthropic goals.
How does it work?
- Establish your DAF by making an irrevocable, tax-deductible donation to a public charity that sponsors a DAF program
- Advise the investment allocation of the donated assets (any investment growth is tax-free)
- Recommend grants to qualified public charities of your choice, like Bard Prison Initiative
What are the main advantages of the DAF?
- Simplicity: The DAF sponsor handles all record-keeping, disbursements, and tax receipts.
- Flexibility: Timing of your tax deduction can be separate from your charitable decision making.
- Tax efficiency: Contributions are tax-deductible and any investment growth in the DAF is tax-free. It is also easy to donate long term appreciated securities, eliminating capital gains taxes and allowing you to support multiple charities from one block of stock.
- Family legacy: A DAF is a powerful way to build or continue a tradition of family philanthropy.
- No start-up costs: There is no cost to establish a DAF. However, there are often minimum initial charitable contributions to establish the DAF (typically $5,000 or more).**
- No transaction fees: Once approved, 100% of your recommended grant goes to your qualified public charity of choice.**
- Privacy if desired: Donors may choose to be acknowledged or remain anonymous.
** Sponsoring organizations generally assess an administrative fee on the assets in a DAF. These fees vary by sponsoring organization.
The John Bard Society was established to recognize loyal alumni/ae, faculty, staff, and friends who have made provisions for Bard College—planned gifts—in their estate plans. Some include a bequest to Bard in their will, some contribute to Bard’s pooled income fund, and some establish a Charitable Gift Annuity with the College. Planned gifts have far-reaching effects that benefit today’s Bard students as well as those of tomorrow.
Pooled Income Fund
Charitable Trusts
Charitable Gift Annuity
Retirement Assets
Life Insurance
Bequests
Contact us
For more information about ways to support the Bard Prison Initiative, please contact:
Kate Cox
Director of Development
845.752.5909
kcox@bard.edu