Supporting Buckley

Philanthropy at Buckley

Buckley is grounded in a strong philanthropic culture. The unique educational experience Buckley provides to students is made possible in part thanks to the support of dedicated parent volunteers and donors.

Philanthropic contributions enhance the students’ learning experience. There are many ways throughout the year Buckley families will be invited to give, and we encourage you to plan how your family will participate to make an impact.  

Click on the below buttons to find out more about all of the ways our families can get involved!

List of 5 items.

  • The Annual Fund

    The Buckley Annual Fund is a source of general unrestricted operating support. Each year, we ask Trustees, parents, faculty, alumni, and friends of the school to make a tax-deductible gift to Buckley. Every member of the Buckley community is encouraged to make a gift to our Annual Fund: 100% participation from our parent community sets the pace for giving and serves as an inspiring example to members of the broader Buckley community.
    •  Why is Annual Fund giving so important? As is typical I in independent schools, tuition does not cover the full cost of educating each child. Annual Fund contributions enable Buckley to cover these costs.

    • How are my Annual Fund gifts used? As unrestricted gifts, Annual Fund giving benefits virtually every aspect of life at Buckley.

      Expanded curriculum, continued professional development for faculty       members, enriched activities, new technologies, and maintaining our beautiful campus and facilities are all typical uses of Annual Fund gifts.

    • What amount is an appropriate Annual Fund gift? We ask each Buckley family to make our school a philanthropic priority. Past gifts have ranged from $50 to $25,000. Each gift is appreciated and helps us reach our dollar and participation goals.

    • Who do I contact about making a gift to Buckley? Holly O'Brien, Assistant Director of Development for Alumni Engagement and Annual Fund, would be happy to answer any questions about the Annual Fund and other Buckley philanthropic initiatives.

  • Capital Campaign and Special Initiatives

    To ensure the continued success of the school, Buckley may identify major facility and program improvements that require an extended amount of time to complete. Through capital campaigns, Buckley can address needs beyond the day-to-day operations to plan projects to expand, improve, or enhance programs, as well as our campus. In October 2018, Buckley launched a campaign to add six new classrooms, and build a new parking lot and dining hall.

    You can learn more about the OUR SCHOOL, OUR FUTURE campaign HERE

    For more information, please contact Head of School Dr. Jean-Marc Juhel to discuss your participation.

  • Buckley Parents’ Association

    Every parent whose children are enrolled at Buckley are members of the Parents’ Association. The PA works through the Development Office with Suzanne Bossé, Development Associate for PA and Special Events. The PA helps to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for new and returning families, and engages parents as volunteers to help plan and execute various events throughout the school year. PA events are meant to build and foster a strong community, and to raise financial support for the school.
     
    2024-2025 PA President: Sara Vassos; Vice President: Helen Rallakis
     
    Parents’ Association Fall Fair
    The Fall Fair is a fun homecoming weekend of food, games, and activities for parents, students, faculty, staff, and alumni. This three-day event starts with a kickoff party for adults on Friday night, followed by two days of carnival rides, games, a renowned International Food Tent, and much more. Significant volunteer support is needed to ensure a successful event—in the months leading up to the Fall Fair, as well as the weekend itself.
     
    Faculty/Staff Appreciation Week
    Each year, parents come together to thank Buckley’s dedicated faculty and staff. Parents, students, and families are invited to submit written messages, artwork, and videos showing their appreciation for the teachers and staff who make the Buckley experience so special each and every day.
     
    Other Parent Association Volunteer Opportunities
     
    Family Fun Night: help set up and break down this community event.
    Buckley Uniform Shoppe: help organize our twice-yearly uniform swap.

  • Class Parents

    Class Parents play an important role in the life of the school—both inside and outside of the classroom—and are chosen over the summer from a self-selected pool of active parent volunteers. Class Parents are responsible for disseminating important information to parents in their class, such as updates from the school’s administration, and help coordinate volunteers for class-related activities such as field trips, as well as school-wide events including the Fall Fair.
     
    Serving as a Class Parent is an excellent opportunity to help foster parent participation and volunteerism, and to learn more about the operations of the school.
     
    Twice a year Class Parents are invited to a meeting to share experiences, best practices, and learn more about how they can support upcoming school events through their active communication with their class's families.

  • Planned Giving

    Strictly speaking, every gift to Buckley Country Day School is a planned gift. Significant thought and consideration is given by the donor to make a contribution that is meaningful to him or her and will benefit the School. 

    A Planned Gift might be as simple as remembering Buckley Country Day School in your will. There are annuities, trusts, life insurance and pooled income funds. Each has specific advantages that are tailored to the donor's needs while benefiting Buckley. A donor might structure a gift to provide life income, avoid capital gains tax and pass assets to family members substantially free of taxes. 

    Information on wills or other gift planning opportunities are available through Buckley’s Development Office, however, it is strongly advised that you involve an accountant or attorney while considering such a gift. 

    Buckley's Legacy Circle was created to recognize individuals who have remembered the School in their estate plans. 

    The Legacy Continues Through Estate Planning 

    For information, please contact Holly O'Brien, (516) 234-6830 or at hobrien@buckleycountryday.com

Special Events at Buckley

There are always great things going on at Buckley! Here are just some of the special events we have throughout the school year:

List of 2 items.

  • Parents' Association Fall Fair

    Check out the 51st Annual Fall Fair website for more information on how you can support the largest PA fundraising event of the year: www.buckleycountryday.com/fallfair

    Friday, October 18, 2024: Fall Fair Kickoff Party and Auction, 7pm

    Saturday, October 19, 2024: Fall Fair Day 1, 11am - 6pm
    Sunday, October 20, 2024: Fall Fair Day 2, Noon - 5pm

  • Giving Tuesday

    Giving Tuesday is coming up on December 3! 

    Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

    Help Buckley celebrate by making your gift to the Annual Fund on Tuesday, December 3!

The Development Team

Holly O'Brien (left) joined the Buckley community in early 2022 as the Centennial Celebration Project Manager. After a successful Centennial Celebration in May 2023, Holly joined Buckley full time as the Assistant Director of Development for Alumni Engagement and Annual Fund and works remotely for BCDS from Albany, NY.

Holly holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA in Writing for the Screen + Stage from Northwestern University. She has worked in education for over a decade as an educator and administrator. 

Contact information:
hobrien@buckleycountryday.com
(516) 234-6830


Suzanne Bossé (right) joined the Buckley community in 2023 as the Development Assistant, and was promoted to Development Associate for Parents' Association and Special Events at the beginning of the 2024-25 fiscal year. 

Suzanne is a graduate of Fairfield University (BS) and St. John's University (M.B.A). She previously worked in the securities and investments field and draws on extensive her experience as an independent school parent and volunteer on Long Island.

Contact information:
sbosse@buckleycountryday.com
(516) 627-1910 ext. 2719

Buckley Country Day School

2 I.U. WILLETS ROAD ROSLYN NY 11576
P: 516 627 1910 
Buckley Country Day School admits students of any race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally available to students at the School. Buckley Country Day School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law in respect of, without limitation, its educational policies, admission, financial aid, hiring and employment practices, use of school facilities, athletics programs, and other school-administered programs. This policy governs the conduct of all Buckley Country Day School employees including faculty, staff, and summer programs employees.