Your support makes the difference.
At Orchard Friends, success looks different for every student—but it takes a community working together to make these individual triumphs possible. We think of philanthropy the same way: every milestone we reach as an institution, we reach because of our community’s support and generosity.
Orchard Friends does not receive tax revenue; like all nonprofit organizations, our work depends on philanthropy. And at a small school like Orchard Friends, philanthropy doesn’t just move the needle—it helps us leap ahead, allowing us to grow and evolve in ways that benefit every member of our community.
To learn more about the impact a gift to Orchard Friends can make, read our 2023 Annual Report.
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Your gifts support our students,
allowing us to offer their families financial aid that makes it possible to give their child an Orchard Friends education and supporting the experiences and hands-on learning that help set us apart.
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Your gifts support our faculty and staff,
equipping them with the resources they need to provide the education our students deserve and to support themselves and their families.
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Your gifts sustain OFS for the long-term,
helping us to build out our operating funds and our endowment fund: the financial wellspring that can and will ensure our strength and stability in perpetuity.
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I believe in this school because they believed in Cole—and when you believe in something this strongly, you have to do everything you can to support it.
Pam Ambrosino (mother of Cole '21)
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WAY Foundation invests in the future of our community—and one of the ways we do so is by investing in children: in their health, and in their education. We’re proud to support Orchard Friends because it makes such a meaningful impact on both. In my 30 years as a professional counselor, I’ve never seen a school like this one.
Ann Adornetto, LPC
Vice President, WAY Foundation -
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Last year, we made our first gift to the school. We chose to support professional development for teachers because we wanted our donation to have a lasting impact. Even the best building upgrades only last so long, and laptops become obsolete—but teachers carry what they learn wherever they go, and every one of their students and colleagues benefit from their knowledge.
John and Catherine Piekarski
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I’ve been truly touched to see the scholarship fund our family created grow through our community’s support and I hope that over time, it grows to the point that no child’s family has to pay.
Linda Vizi
How can I support OFS?
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Making a gift online is the easiest, fastest way to support Orchard Friends.
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We accept contributions of cash, check or money order via mail. Please make checks and money orders payable to Orchard Friends School. If you wish to designate your gift—for example, to support financial aid—please specify in the memo field. Gifts can be mailed to:
Orchard Friends School
Attn: Annual Giving Fund
405 Linden Avenue
Riverton, NJ 08077
Reach out to Courtney Bell at cbell@orchardfriends.org with questions. -
It's easy to set up a recurring gift using our online giving form. You may also make a pledge to support Orchard Friends to be paid at a future date or in a series of installments. Please contact Courtney Bell at cbell@orchardfriends.org with questions.
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Matching is a great way to amplify the impact of your gift! Thousands of companies are willing to match, double, or triple their employees’ donations, and some even match gifts from those who have retired from the company. Contact your employer’s personnel or corporate social responsibility department about its gift matching policy and program, and reach out to Courtney Bell at cbell@orchardfriends.org with any questions about how it works at Orchard Friends.
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Giving your time and talent is every bit as significant and important to our school and our community—and with the number of field trips we take and the amount of active, hand-on learning opportunities we offer, there's no shortage of opportunities to get involved! If you'd like to learn more or talk about how to get involved as a volunteer, reach out to Beth DiPerna at bdiperna@orchardfriends.org.
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Donating appreciated securities, including stocks or bonds, is an easy and tax-effective way to give. Reach out to Courtney Bell at cbell@orchardfriends.org with questions or to get started.
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Donating appreciated real estate, such as a home, vacation property, undeveloped land, farmland, or commercial property can make a great gift. Reach out to Courtney Bell at cbell@orchardfriends.org with questions or to get started.
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Donating part or all of your unused retirement assets—such as a gift from your IRA, 401(k), 403(b), pension, or other tax-deferred plan—is an excellent way to make a gift. Reach out to Courtney Bell at cbell@orchardfriends.org with questions or to get started.
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If you have a life insurance policy that has outlasted its original purpose (e.g., a life insurance policy your family no longer needs now that your children are grown), consider making a gift of your insurance policy. Reach out to Courtney Bell at cbell@orchardfriends.org with questions or to get started.
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Books and pencils, paints and paintbrushes, and so much more: our teachers and students are always excited to receive and eager to use new supplies! If you have materials you'd like to provide or donate, reach out to Beth DiPerna at bdiperna@orchardfriends.org.
Spotlight on Philanthropy:
Lou and Linda Vizi
After Lou Vizi retired, he began volunteering at Orchard Friends—and whether he was dressing up as a conductor to read The Polar Express to a class, or teaching students how to use tools to make basic repairs, Lou was passionate about opening minds through experience and engagement.
Of all the gifts Lou gave our school in the 17 years he spent with us, none has had a greater or more lasting impact than the scholarship fund his wife, Linda, established in his name and in his memory. Thanks to the Louis Vizi Scholarship Fund, we’ve been able to accept nine wonderful students whose families were unable to secure district placements and could not pay tuition out of pocket. And because this is an endowed scholarship fund, it will be an evergreen source of support to the school and to the students Lou loved.
To learn more about the Louis Vizi Scholarship Fund, reach out to Beth DiPerna at bdiperna@orchardfriends.org
Orchard Friends is the proud recipient of a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the world’s largest and most comprehensive source of information about IRS-registered nonprofit organizations. Fewer than five percent of the nonprofit organizations registered with GuideStar receive this designation.