Giving

Giving

Help Simon’s Rock support our mission of helping independent minds to thrive, through a rigorous liberal arts education that changes their world, and themselves, for the better. 
Give Now

Ways to Give

  • Gifts in Kind
    Simon’s Rock also accepts gifts in kind. If you need to coordinate your gift, please contact [email protected].
  • Online
    Give Now
  • Planned Giving
    If you plan to include Bard College at Simon’s Rock in your will or estate planning, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at [email protected]
  • By Check
    To make a gift by check, please send your contribution to:

    The Fund for Simon’s Rock
    Simon’s Rock at Bard College
    30 Seminary Drive
    Barrytown, NY 10591
  • By Telephone
    To make a contribution by credit card over the telephone, please contact Director of Institutional Advancement, Tom Esch at 845-752-5600.
  • By Wire Transfer
    Simon’s Rock welcomes donations via wire transfer. Instruct your brokerage or bank office to arrange for the transfer of funds electronically to the Simon’s Rock account at KeyBank.
    • ABA Routing Number: 021300077
    • Name and Address of Bank: KeyBank of New York, Albany, NY
    • KeyBank Checking Account Number: 3253-7000-4070
    • KeyBank Checking Account Name: Simon’s Rock College of Bard
    • Additional Information: Please provide the name of the Donor and any desired purpose for your gift
    To ensure proper crediting of your donation, please email 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 [email protected].

    Or mail to:
    Office of Institutional Advancement
    Simon’s Rock at Bard College
    30 Seminary Drive
    Barrytown, NY 10591
  • Stock Donations
    Often a gift of appreciated securities is a very tax-effective way to support Simon’s Rock.
  • Donor Advised Funds
    What is a donor-advised fund?

    A donor-advised fund (DAF) is like a charitable investment account for the sole purpose of supporting charitable organizations you care about. It is a simple, flexible, and tax-advantageous way to give.

    When making a donor-advised fund recommendation, please name Bard College at Simon’s Rock as the recipient. Our tax ID/EIN is 14-1713034.
  • Match Your Gift
    With matching gifts you can sometimes double or even triple your gift!

    Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match charitable contributions made by their employees. Some companies will also match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses.

Funds and Scholarships

Your gift to Simon’s Rock transforms students who, like you, are thinkers and creators ready to discover, pursue, and share our passions with the world.
With your help, on and beyond the Simon’s Rock campus, we are creating the conditions in which students and families may actively choose not only where to go to college, but when.

Your contributions to Simon’s Rock support inclusivity and access to a life-changing education, by way of acceleration, affecting those who belong in this community in a lasting way.

Your support of any of the following initiatives provides for a Simon’s Rock that isn’t about grades or standardized tests, but instead real learning, real curiosity, and real ambition.
  • The Fund for Simon's Rock
    Do you like the idea of making a gift to Simon’s Rock to support scholarships, faculty, curricular programming, inclusivity, facilities, career development, or any priority of greatest need? Your contribution to the Fund for Simon’s Rock accomplishes exactly this.

    Support the Fund for Simon’s Rock
  • Gabriel Asfar Scholarship Fund
    Dr. Gabriel Asfar was a beloved professor of French and Arabic at Simon’s Rock from 1983 to 2014. In 2012, the Gabriel Asfar Scholarship was established in honor of his long service to the College.

    Support Gabriel’s Fund
  • Leslie R. Sander Scholarship Fund
    Leslie Sander ’83 was an indelible presence at Simon’s Rock and remains so in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to know her. This endowed fund supports a bachelor of arts student who has demonstrated academic excellence and served the Simon’s Rock community in a meaningful way, in perpetuity.

    Support Leslie’s Fund
  • The Jim Monsonis Fund
    Established to celebrate the 80th birthday of faculty emeritus Jim Monsonis, this special fund serves students who have encountered an unexpected financial hardship and for whom an infusion of support can be the difference in their ability to continue their studies at Simon’s Rock. Consider making a monthly gift, as many others have, to keep this fund active for years to come.

    Support Jim’s Fund
  • Ñacuñán Sáez Scholarship Fund
    Established by the Faculty Senate and the Board of Overseers in memory of Dr. Ñacuñán Sáez, faculty member in languages and literature at Simon’s Rock from 1984 to 1992, this scholarship is awarded to a returning student who exemplifies Ñacuñán Sáez’s qualities of wit, breadth of interest, and delight in learning.

    Support Ñacuñán’s Fund
  • Taylor Horn Global Studies Scholarship
    Established by his friends and family in 2020 in memory of Taylor Horn ’09, this travel scholarship is intended for students of foreign languages, world geography, politics and activism, social and environmental justice, global relations, and conflict resolution. Students are eligible for an annual travel award.

    Support Taylor’s Fund

Our Initiatives

Founder's Day

Each year on November 16, we recognize the birthday of Simon’s Rock founder Elizabeth “Betty” Blodgett Hall. Betty changed education with the radical idea that curious and independent adolescents deserve a new path to college in a fast-changing world. More than 50 years on, we recognize Betty as the founder of what has become the early college movement, and we honor her vision by offering students of all economic levels a safe and creative intellectual haven. Please consider making a gift to celebrate Betty Hall and to help us continue to uphold her legacy for future generations of Simon’s Rock students. 

Make a Gift Today

Great Pine Society

Named for the family farm on which Elizabeth Blodgett Hall founded Simon’s Rock, the Great Pine Society offers families an opportunity to join a network of philanthropic support.

Just as the Hall family established the roots for a new educational model at Simon’s Rock, the families of the Great Pine Society continue to advance our mission to inspire the curiosity and creativity of younger scholars. Parents of current students and alumni who contribute to Simon’s Rock are members of the Great Pine Society. Membership is also open to other family members. We hope you’ll consider joining the Leadership Circle of the Great Pine Society with a contribution of $1,500 or more. 

Join the Great Pine Society Today

Simon’s Rock in Montserrat

For nearly fifteen years Simon’s Rock students and faculty have visited and conducted research on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. In 2024 work was completed on a residential field station under the direction of island-based staff and Simon’s Rock faculty. Simon’s Rock is the only institution hosting study and research abroad in Montserrat in its own location. Simon’s Rock students have identified new species, conducted original research studies, and made important contributions to scholarship on Montserrat, often in collaboration with Montserratian researchers.

Make a Gift Today

Pride Week

During the final week in March each year, we celebrate Campus Pride Week. Why March? We center our celebrations around International Transgender Day of Visibility, which occurs annually on March 31. Holding Pride Week at this time allows us to celebrate while we have students on campus, so they are able to recognize this moment on the calendar and express their identity, embrace who they are, and take Pride in Simon’s Rock. We ask you to join us in a special fundraising appeal to honor Simon’s Rock Pride Week to help us meet our financial goals for the year and to support our students as they explore the world, discover themselves, and celebrate Pride.

Make a Gift Today

Meet Our Donors

Everyone has a unique reason for giving to Simon’s Rock. Allow us to introduce some of our supporters: They are alumni and parents, members of foundations and corporations, and philanthropists who are committed to creating opportunities for generations of Rockers to come.

Coming Soon

Contact Us

We look forward to hearing your stories and helping you learn more about the impact your gift can make.

Tom Esch
Director of Institutional Advancement
[email protected]
845-752-5600
Annual Report of Giving
Coming Soon: Annual Report of Giving
Fiscal Year 2025
(July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025)

Every gift matters.
 Make yours now.