Branson Alumni Scholarship Challenge 2024

595
Donors
114% of 520 Donor goal
$249,632
Donated
This campaign ended on February 16, 2024, but you can still make a gift to The Branson School by clicking here!
About

As students, we had a meaningful and formative time at Branson, a place where we felt seen and heard. We were given the opportunities to spread our wings and define ourselves - a foundation for the rest of our lives. 

Let's give back in honor of our teachers. 

Matches & Challenges
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Donation Challenge

$35,000 if 300 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

Offered by Anonymous

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Donation Challenge

$30,000 if 107 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

Offered by Anonymous

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Donation Challenge

$25,000 if 100 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

Offered by Anonymous

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Donation Challenge

$1,000 if 5 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (1981)

Offered by Class of 1981

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Donation Challenge

$1,000 if 20 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (2000)

Offered by Class of 2000 Class Reps

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Donation Challenge

$1,000 if 20 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

Offered by Anonymous

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Donation Challenge

$500 if 16 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Branson Alumni Scholarship Fund (All Alumni Gifts)

Offered by Class of 1998 Class Reps

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Donation Challenge

$200 if $200 is donated in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

Offered by Talia Seidman Rhodes

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Donation Challenge

$83 if 14 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (1983)

Offered by Scott Flemming '83

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Gift

Donation Match

$30 per donor up to $300

Match Complete!

For Alumni (1997)

Offered by Rachel L Feibusch

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Gift

Donation Match

$25 per donor up to $1,000

Match Complete!

Offered by Dayna Desmond

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Gift

Donation Match

$1 per $1 donated up to $1,000

Match Complete!

Offered by Roya Malekian

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Gift

Donation Match

$1 per $1 donated up to $500

Match Complete!

For Class of 1978

Offered by Dean Grinsfelder

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Donation Challenge

$10,000 if 100 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (2014-2023)

Offered by Anonymous Challenge to Classes of 2014-2023

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Donation Challenge

$6,000 if 21 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (1987)

Offered by Class of 1987 Class Reps

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Donation Challenge

$1,000 if 21 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (1999)

Offered by Class of 1999 Class Reps

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Donation Challenge

$1,000 if 14 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (1994)

Offered by Bryan Bordon '94

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Donation Challenge

$1,000 if 8 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (1989)

Offered by Aaron Wangenheim '89

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Donation Challenge

$1,000 if 12 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Class of 1979

Offered by Tom Mayes

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Donation Challenge

$700 if 11 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (1985)

Offered by Class of 1985 Class Reps

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Donation Challenge

$550 if 6 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni donors (1978) who gave to Branson Alumni Scholarship Fund (All Alumni Gifts)

Offered by Class of 1978 - Dean and Marcus

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Donation Challenge

$500 if 18 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (1990)

Offered by Kaveh Alizadeh '90

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Donation Challenge

$20 if 20 donors give in the next 9 months

Challenge Complete!

For Alumni (2020)

Offered by Katherine Gutierrez '20

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Gift

Donation Match

$10 per donor up to $100

Match Complete!

For Class of 2009

Offered by Erin Rinker

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Gift

Donation Match

$50 per donor up to $500

Match Complete!

For Class of 1991

Offered by Josh Jaffe

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Incentives
Advocates generating 1 gift or more will be recognized on the advocate board. Hit the advocate tab to get started!
Generate 1 Gift
Advocates generating 5 or more gifts will receive a special Branson swag item. Hit the advocate tab to get started!
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Why Endowment?
Updates
We did it!! Thank you, Branson Alumni!!

We did it! We knocked it out of the park and surpassed our 520-donor goal!

Together, we took on three challenges totaling $90,000 and reached them all by 8 pm. And then, at the very end of the day, an unexpected final challenge to our younger alumni propelled additional giving late into the evening.

By the close of the campaign, 595 Branson alumni had come together to support the next generation of Branson students and honor our teachers โ€“ this is our highest alumni participation to date. We raised a total of $249,632, which is 50% more than last year! 

Who took the final lead?

  • Specific shout-outs to the Classes of 1995, 1997, 1999, 1983, and 2007 for the highest class participation. 
  • Honorable mention goes to the Classes of 2019 and 2015, with the next highest participation (kudos to our young alumni!). 

This year, our giving honored our teachers, past and present, whoโ€™ve made an impact on our lives. Take a look at what some of your fellow alumni shared with us.

Finally, thank you to all of you who participated in our Day of Giving. Please enjoy this brief thank you video


270 days ago by NJ Han
Announcement: New Challenge for our Young Alum Classes!!

We have just received the tremendous news that a group of "older" alumni have just put a challenge before us: they will give $100 for any one of us in the last ten Branson classes who makes a gift between now until tomorrow.  Whether you give $10 or $500 or more, they will give $100, up to $10,000!

This challenge is for the classes of 2014 to 2023. And it will unlock $10,000 when 100 alums from the Classes of 2014 to 2023 donate any dollar amount!!

This is wonderful news and we are so thankful these alums are offering up this challenge. Let's do this!! Calling all young alums!! Who's up for a challenge?!

We are extending our campaign to tomorrow night for this amazing STRETCH GOAL. Let's have some fun!! 

272 days ago by NJ Han
WE DID IT!!!

After an exhilarating day sharing memories, it was the most heartwarming to witness the love and strength of this community come together on this special day. 

We did it!! We met our 520 donor goal today and we surpassed our record participation goal from last year of 514. We raised almost $220,000, another unprecedented achievement for our Branson Day of Giving.

On the leaderboard, the Class of 1995 was the clear front runner all day (Go Alexis Lynch!!) with the Class of 1983 (Go Scott Flemming!!), and the Class of 1999 (Go Amy Wheeler, Lauren Morlock, Marisha Rodriguez!!) and Class of 1997 (Go Rachel Feibusch!!) tying for third, followed by Class of 2019 (Go Carter Hawthornthwaite and Melissa Chow!!) close behind.

All of you were instrumental in the success of this campaign. Together, we are making the stellar Branson education and experience more accessible to all. And together, we took a moment to express our gratitude to our Branson teachers for their service and dedication.

Here's a thank you video for you to enjoy. THANK YOU!!

272 days ago by NJ Han
Second Challenge Unlocked! Now in the homestretch!!

We reached another exciting milestone in our Day of Giving! This afternoon, 120 of you stepped forward to contribute to the Alumni Scholarship Fund, and you have just unlocked our $30,000 challenge. Congratulations and thank you!

We have one final challenge to announce: a group of anonymous alumni spanning multiple class years will give $25,000 when we reach our final Day of Giving participation goal of 520 donors.

Let's do this, Branson Alums!! 

272 days ago by NJ Han
We honor you Ms. Brown, Ms. Anderson, Mr. Kerby and Mr. Tallant!

At our recent 30th anniversary of Gospel Night, we were graced with the presence of some of our beloved faculty - Bridget Anderson, Brenda Brown, Damon Kerby and Marty Tallant. Thank you for sharing your JOY with us!!

Brenda Brown, a beloved member of the Branson faculty for over forty years, shares,

โ€œAs a child of a single mom, I attended high school on a scholarship so I appreciate Bransonโ€™s strong effort to support a diverse student body through their financial aid program. Also, financial aid reflects the mission of Branson to be a community that is inclusive and multi-dimensional. In supporting this aid to students, we of the Branson community affirm that financial โ€“ in addition to other forms of โ€“ diversity, is essential to Bransonโ€™s well-being.โ€

273 days ago by NJ Han
300 of you unlocked our first challenge of $35,000!!! โค๏ธ

More than 300 of you have given to support our I โค๏ธ  Branson Alumni Day of Giving and, because of that, you have just unlocked $35,000 in support for the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Wow! Congratulations, and thank you!

But wait, thereโ€™s more…

Thatโ€™s right, weโ€™re pleased to announce a second challenge of $30,000 which will be unlocked when a total of 420 donors support our Day of Giving today. Thank you to the group of anonymous donors who stepped forward to offer this generous challenge gift. Now, we need just 120 of you to join us.

In just two more years, Bransonโ€™s expansion will be complete and weโ€™ll be a school of 420 students. So, essentially, weโ€™re looking for one alumni gift per student to meet this next challenge.

273 days ago by NJ Han
Support our teachers and our students today!!

Today is all about supporting our teachers and our students. Itโ€™s about giving back so that Branson can continue to help โ€œgrow good humansโ€ well into the future.

โ€œWe give because we believe in the impact of a great education. We earmark our gift for financial assistance because we and our siblings are lucky recipients of financial assistance at institutions (including Branson) that have made a huge difference in our lives.โ€ 

โ€“ Oahn Tran โ€˜04 and Carl Ma, Branson Science Teacher and Director of Institutional Research, and Oanh's husband 

Weโ€™ve loved seeing your comments about why you give and how much Bransonโ€™s teachers have meant to you, and weโ€™ll share a few of them in our next message. In the meantime, letโ€™s keep it up โ€“ weโ€™re so close to unlocking that $35,000!

273 days ago by NJ Han
Weโ€™re excited to announce our first big challenge of the day!

Every new gift propels us one step closer to our goal.

A group of anonymous donors has pledged a challenge gift of $35,000 that will be unlocked once a total of 300 donors have given to the Alumni Scholarship Fund.

That means that weโ€™re looking for 130 of you to step up and show your support of Branson this morning. Let's do it together!

Why does giving today matter?

Hilary Schmitt, History Teacher and Department Chair, reflects:

โ€œI believe in the impact the Branson community culture and education has on our students during their time here and long after they graduate. Alums have shared with me that they consider their Branson experience pivotal to their success as learners and advocates in our world.โ€ 

Your gift today and your participation in this challenge ensure this Branson experience will continue for future students and teachers. And in dynamic classrooms, both students and teachers thrive. 

273 days ago by NJ Han
Why Give?

Read on to learn why it's important to our faculty and staff that we continue to give on Alumni Day of Giving. Giving on this day is one way our amazing Branson alums give back. 

"The alumni scholarship fund does so much invisible good work for faculty and students-- there are so many spontaneous great moments that I'm able to say yes to because the alumni scholarship fund is there to make it possible.  Thank you in advance for helping to fund a great teacher's next great idea." Jeff Symonds, Director of Studies

273 days ago by NJ Han
Today is Valentineโ€™s Day and itโ€™s our Alumni Day of Giving!

The day has finally arrived. We are all so excited to be kicking off our 2024 Alumni Day of Giving in honor of a Branson teacher. This Valentineโ€™s Day, we would like to take this opportunity to honor our Branson teachers for their dedication to our development during our formative high school years. 

Please share a memory of a favorite Branson teacher or share a note of gratitude for their influence and dedication. Share by clicking here!

Today, honor a Branson teacher with your gift. 

โค๏ธ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’š

273 days ago by NJ Han
Class LeaderboardWho's class is in the lead? Let's keep it going and make this the most successful fundraising effort for Branson's alumni community!
ClassDonorsRaised ($)Goal (Donors)%
201920$3640
198718$15,6920
201518$1,3680
200317$1,9900
199925$6,6270
19563$1,7060
201810$1,5580
20068$7980
197911$8,5870
202217$5270
19673$1500
199312$2,7400
200218$5,2130
198512$3,0330
19571$5,0000
198911$2,4990
200514$5,1620
20147$5820
200014$6,7570
199416$5,8530
20018$2,1720
19786$1,9610
19819$4,9750
20124$2230
19702$2030
19904$1,3700
19758$2,5530
198323$2,9660
20172$1370
199812$7,1070
19592$5250
19663$6260
20087$5440
20216$1620
19843$6610
199726$3,6040
202010$2220
19722$6000
19693$4030
19808$9720
19772$5410
19866$9260
19652$6160
19711$1030
20162$410
19582$1520
199531$4,9550
19622$1,1000
20114$3860
20107$6350
20133$4530
19734$3580
19630$00
19611$500
200722$2,9150
19540$00
19826$1,0180
200412$3,6210
19966$1,6650
19645$6030
19510$00
19521$1000
19767$8210
19927$7,1090
19531$2000
19601$1000
20237$2200
19740$00
19681$1000
19500$00
198810$2,6270
19550$00
200912$2,2310
19919$1,0200
Reunion LeaderboardCongrats reunion classes!! Get your competitive spirits on and meet your class challenge!
Reunion Class YearDonorsRaised ($)Goal (Donors)%
199925$6,6270
201920$3640
19645$6030
200912$2,2310
19740$00
19843$6610
20147$5820
200412$3,6210
19693$4030
198911$2,4990
197911$8,5870
199416$5,8530
Donor Affiliations
Book icon1%Students
Gradhat icon98%Alumni
Parent icon3%Parents
Suitcase icon2%Faculty/Staff
Friends icon1%Friends
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Advocates

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Gave $35,000 during a Challenge!
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Anonymous
Gave $30,000 during a Challenge!
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Anonymous
Gave $25,000 during a Challenge!
Anonymous Challenge to Classes of 2014-2023 photo
Anonymous Challenge to Classes of 2014-2023
Gave $10,000 during a Challenge!
Class of 1987 Class Reps photo
Class of 1987 Class Reps
Gave $6,000 during a Challenge!
Rachel Feibusch photo
generated 45 clicks and 19 gifts, totaling $2,665
Alexis Lynch photo
generated 57 clicks and 20 gifts, totaling $1,784
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generated 29 clicks and 10 gifts, totaling $1,348
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Anonymous
Gave $1,000 during a Challenge!
Class of 1999 Class Reps photo
Class of 1999 Class Reps
Gave $1,000 during a Challenge!

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