Why Support Blundell's?
There are many charities appealing for your philanthropy. So why should Blundell’s be top of your list?
It is essential for us to provide our pupils with an environment that allows them to achieve their full potential. With your involvement and support, you will be certain of ensuring that pupils, past, present and future will appreciate and take pride in the ongoing success of the School. They too will develop loyalty and passion for the school, thus building on its long history; therefore perpetuating the original intentions of its founder, Peter Blundell.
We are very grateful indeed to many of you who have made generous donations in the past, large and small either to the general appeals or for specific areas of interest. We are also very thankful to those of you who have left the School something in your Will. Going forward we hope you will continue to be involved or become involved for the first time, your support really does make a difference as it ensures the continued development of this fine School, which strongly promotes a comprehensive preparation for life after Blundell’s, instilling as it does, the fundamental qualities of friendship, integrity, confidence and independence. These are developed not solely in the classroom, but in tandem with enjoyment on the sports field, in the music, drama and arts and in so many other areas.
The education that pupils receive at Blundell’s has been sustained by generations of donors from 1604 onwards. In donating to Blundell’s you are repaying your debt to the philanthropists of the past by making an investment in the future of your School.
We know that many of our present Old Blundellians, Parents, Friends and wider community would like to continue supporting the School and to augment this tradition of giving the Blundell’s Foundation Charity Number 1081249 was established in 1998. As a recognized Charity, donations to the Blundell’s Foundation can be augmented by Gift Aid, which significantly increases the value of the original gift. Equally, high rate tax papers get even greater tax relief.
The Foundation which is administered by the Development Office ensures that the highest standards of conduct apply to the recognition of donors and to the use of their donations ensuring they go to the ends intended and donors will be consulted should this not be possible. While we value the ability to inform donors to which purpose their gifts have been applied, we accept without question a donor’s request for anonymity.
Why do we need to raise funds?
Maintaining the outstanding reputation of Blundell’s School is vital. Doing so means investing in modern facilities and talented teachers in common with many independent schools, we have no endowment fund to assist with the funding of major projects or the continuing provision of much needed bursaries. The modernisation of our facilities, the management of our historic site and buildings, the developing of an expanding curriculum and the future funding of bursaries, are some of the cost pressures we face.
School fees are carefully managed and directed to fund teaching and resourcing. The priority we give to these areas means that the cost of special projects, new buildings and additional teaching cannot be funded out of surpluses alone. Many of the new build projects in the last 15 years have been made possible by the support and generosity of Blundell’s donors to the School.
The Russell - panorama of SH at the start line
There are many other projects which also need financial support. These include boarding house refurbishments, teaching aids, sporting equipment, musical instruments, travel and tour bursaries amongst other projects. These purchases might seem small but they are essential to maintaining the quality of our educational environment. As important as major gifts are, many Old Blundellians, Parents and Friends also choose to make annual/regular gifts, as they demonstrate the connection and appreciation that they have for Blundell’s School. By supporting the School on a regular basis, or with one-off gifts you are reinforcing to Blundell’s School the importance of their work. It is this tradition of giving something back to the School that links Old Blundellians of every era. Regular giving means that the Blundell’s also has a dependable source of income that provides confidence to the financial planning processes.
If you would like to make a donation to Blundell’s please download the appropriate form and send to the Development Office, Blundell’s School Blundells Road, Tiverton Devon, EX16 4DN.
Recognition/Benefactor Charter: Our promise to donors
The Development Programme is here to stay. This is not a periodic appeal – a burst of activity followed by years of silence. Our intention is to build a culture of support for Blundell's future development. We can only achieve this if people feel positive about giving both initially and subsequently. This requires us to think of things from the benefactor's point of view.
In order to do this we will:
- Acknowledge your gift appropriately and as soon as possible after receiving it.
- Ensure that the money you give is committed to the project of your choice.
- Be happy to discuss your plans and provide a school perspective before you give.
- Respect requests for anonymity and in these circumstances keep details of your gift confidential.
- Keep you updated on the School's activities on a regular basis, through reports in the Diary magazine, on the website and with occasional newsletters.
- Maintain a permanent record of our gratitude to supporters in a Book of Benefactors, held permanently in the School library.
- Publish a list of new benefactors each year in Development publications (excluding those who wish to remain anonymous).
- Consider marking major gifts in more specific ways, by offering the benefactor the opportunity to name a room, building or project.
- Offer membership to the 1604 Society to those people who pledge support in the form of a legacy.
- Be happy to host visits to the school be existing or prospective benefactors.
The Development Director is available to discuss in more detail any of the points outlined above.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Surely Blundell's is a wealthy school – why does it need additional support?
The School certainly enjoys a healthy and secure financial position and is well managed to ensure the School is maintained to a high quality, introducing new facilities when surplus allows. However, Blundell's does not benefit from the large endowment funds available to some schools. In order to continue to build on past achievements and to bring our ambitious programme of future improvements to fruition, we need to supplement fee income with support from other sources.
Does this have something to do with the government looking at Charities?
Our history predates the Charities Commission by four centuries and we hope will endure for many more. However, we do know we must do more.
Why doesn't the School just raise fees?
School fees are important, but historically they only fund a portion of the School's budget. Fees pay for the day to day running costs of the School, which include teaching salaries, catering, cleaning, maintenance, laundry, nursing, sport, security, administrative support and transport. Despite this long list, we have to ensure that our fees remain competitive and offer value for money to parents. Annual gifts offer greater flexibility than fees and allow the school to meet new and exciting opportunities as they arise.
How can it be guaranteed that my gift will not be swallowed up in running costs?
We have an obligation to honour your wishes and to use the money you donate for the stated purpose. To ensure that this happens, a separate Blundell's School Foundation Fund has been created.
Does the School have charitable status for tax purposes?
Yes, the School is a registered charity and thanks to Gift Aid, your donation can be greater just by filling in a form! Our charity number is 1081249.
Code of Fundraising Practice for Blundell’s School
In recent months there has been significant coverage around fundraising practices which has damaged the public’s confidence in the work carried out by charities. In response to this, the government commissioned a review into UK-wide fundraising regulation and, Sir Stuart Etherington published his findings in Regulating Fundraising for the future; trust in charities, confidence in fundraising regulation. The Fundraising Regulator sets and maintains the standards for charitable fundraising. They ensure that fundraising is respectful, open, honest and accountable to the public. Blundell’s supports these standards and its registered number with the regulator is 1081249.
You can read the Code of Fundraising Practice regulations in full in this PDF document.
Chad Murrin