Giving Day FAQs

DA Giving Day is a day of collective gratitude and generosity. On March 22, the Durham Academy community — parents, faculty, staff, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents and friends — will come together for 24 hours of giving to support DA and give back to the people who made a difference in their lives. The focus of Giving Day is participation, so join in the fun with a gift of any amount!

The majority of Giving Day gifts benefit the Durham Academy Fund, which provides essential funding for current and future students. The DA Fund is the school’s highest giving priority. It fuels an unparalleled experience in every facet of the school for every student and every faculty member, every day. A gift to the DA Fund is the single most important way to support Durham Academy and immediately impacts the school's areas of greatest need. You can direct your contribution to an area of impact within the DA Fund with particular meaning to you. All gifts to Durham Academy are appreciated and are tax deductible.

Several generous donors have offered a $30,000 challenge gift to Durham Academy if we reach our goal of 1,000 donors. That $30,000 challenge gift multiplies the collective generosity of our community to provide funding beyond tuition dollars to support DA’s mission and commitment to excellence.

Make sure your Spidey senses are tuned to the other challenges in play that day:

• The grade with the highest level of parent participation wins an on-campus visit from superheroes on National Superhero Day (April 28).
• The grade with the most grandparent donors wins an on-campus visit from superheroes on National Superhero Day (April 28).
• Always A Cav challenge: Every donor in the alumni class with the most donors will receive a Durham Academy tumbler and will be entered into a drawing for a lunch with DA’s own SuperCav — Head of School Michael Ulku-Steiner.

No. We welcome gifts at any level — whether it’s $5, $50, $500 or $5,000, we hope you’ll participate in DA Giving Day at a level that’s appropriate for you. Remember, every person counts toward unlocking that $30,000 challenge gift for Durham Academy!

Durham Academy is grateful for a gift of any amount and hopes each family will give according to their means. This collective investment speaks volumes to our wider community. Because every student and every teacher benefits from the DA Fund, we encourage all members of our community to participate.

On March 22, visit www.da.org/givingday and click the “Give Now” button, and you’re done! If you have multiple students at DA, one gift will count for each student’s grade level.

Our goal this year is based on the number of donors, not dollar amounts, so once you’ve made your gift, use your superpowers to make sure your friends and family have done the same! Remember, our goal is 1,000 donors!

If you’ve already made Durham Academy a priority for your support this year, thank you! The great part about Giving Day is that it’s not the size of the gift that matters, it’s all about participation. Any gift, of any size, on March 22 gets us one step closer to our goal of 1,000 donors to unlock a $30,000 challenge gift for Durham Academy. 

Those who participate in Giving Day are recognized on the Giving Day website (unless they choose to be anonymous). Donors who make a gift to Durham Academy during the fiscal year are also listed in our annual Impact Report at the following levels:

• $25,000 and above
• $10,000–$24,999
• $5,000–$9,999
• $2,500–$4,999
• $1,000–$2,499
• Up to $999

If a donor wishes to remain anonymous, their gift is listed as anonymous. Alumni donors are recognized by class year. In addition, DA also recognizes donors in special lifetime and legacy giving societies.

Download your DA Giving Day toolkit here so that you can spread the word about #DAGivingDay on March 22, honor the DA superhero who’s made a difference in your life and inspire others to do the same! Whether that’s a selfie, video, social post or sharing DA’s posts that day, there are lots of ways to high-five your hero! 

Yes! If your employer matches donations made to educational institutions, your gift can be increased at no additional cost to you. Visit da.org/match to see if your employer participates. You will be credited for the total amount of the gift (donor contribution + employer match).