MA Giving Week 2023

Marin Academy is your school.

You're vital to our community. What matters to you matters to us.

That's why we want you to "give your passion" and support what meant most to you at Marin Academy.

• If your creativity thrived at Marin Academy, designate your gift to the Arts.
• If your fondest memories are from the court or the field, designate your gift to Athletics.
• If you discovered your passion for science through the MARC Program, give toward Academics.
• Or if you care most about exceptional education being equitably accessible, give toward Tuition Assistance.

However you give, however much you give, we're grateful for your continued involvement because – as our school begins its next 50 years – we can't do this without you.

Visit campus and you'll see a mighty cohort of teachers who have stayed at Marin Academy for decades: 20, 30, even 40 years! 

Marin Academy is a place where faculty choose to stay. 

Feeling bookish: hang with Derek Anderson (34 years at Marin Academy) in the Library. Or swing by Human Development to say "hi!" to Sanjai Moses (21 years). Get artsy with Anne Maurice (40 years) and Katherine Boyd (26 years), or dramatic with Annie Elias (23 years) and David Sinaiko (23 years). Study Science with Randi Bakken (22 years), Spanish with Pilar Góngora (21 years), or History with Betsy Muir (19 years).

Why is Marin Academy a place faculty want to stay for decades? Math Teacher Kevin Rees (18 years) cites the "feeling of joy" that is characteristic — and lasting — at Marin Academy.

English and Human Development Teacher Nicole Stanton (17 years) stays because of her "belief in the institution" and its focus on the classroom.

Many long-term faculty say it is the students that are so unique to Marin Academy. So, what makes an MA Kid? Science Teacher Liz Gottlieb (24 years) describes a "kid who knows themself" and who pursues their passions. Kevin reflects that, at Marin Academy, "quirky, weird, different kids are just beloved."

Donate today to honor the MA Kid in you!

What are your favorite parts of Marin Academy? Many shout out our transformational, exciting Signature Programs.

The best-beloved trifecta? Outings! Minicourse! Conference on Democracy!

Donate if you  Outings

Marin Academy is all about experiential learning: learning by doing. That's why we've had an Outings program since the school's start. Who masterminds Outings now? Why, it's alum Leslie Beach '04!

Here's what Leslie '04 says about being Marin Academy's Outings Director: "As an MA student, I fell in love with California through the Outings program: its beautiful wild places, yes, but also its unlikely gas stations, or the feeling of satisfaction when I recognized a road and another chunk of geography fell into place. I met many fellow students who I might not have befriended otherwise, and we held spontaneous memorial services for crab carapaces in Mendocino and threw rocks at other rocks for hours in the shadow of slot canyons. It's a great joy to cultivate that kind of slow, resourceful connection to place and company with today's MA students."

An Outing may take students to an arts event in the City, or to explore the Pacific Pinball Museum — but, more often than not, Outings get students out into nature.

Donate if you  Minicourse

From building an igloo to scuba-diving, Minicourse is a time for students to experience the world, acquire new skills, and learn about themselves. And what Minicourse is more beloved than Wilderness Quest?

Part of the school's tradition for nearly 40 years, Wilderness Quest – previously known as Vision Quest – is, for many alumni, the quintessential, iconic Marin Academy experience. Alongside Leslie Beach '04, Taylor Tan '06 – now a Math Teacher at Marin Academy – has been dedicated to the continuation and revitalization of this questing adventure.

Leslie '04 and Taylor '06, who both quested as students, emphasize the program's enduring value as a rite-of-passage for teenagers approaching adulthood, and uphold its core identifier: solo-camping in Death Valley. They also continue to improve and innovate — keeping students safe in the wilderness with psychological first-aid and rethinking the questing practice by centering rituals that are organic to MA's community and traditions.

Donate if you  Conference on Democracy

As a Marin Academy alum, the phrase "in a democratic society" is one that may echo in the depths of your soul. And, if it does, you probably remember the Conference on Democracy as the hottest party of the year.

Did you know? Conference On Democracy earned national recognition when the National Association of Independent Schools named Marin Academy a Leading Edge School in the category of Equity and Justice.

Conference on Democracy speakers are always wildly intelligent, interesting, and impressive. This year's conference featured alumni Eva Galanes-Rosenbaum '01, Kyle Lemle '07, and Lena Felton '13 as keynote panelists!

Signature Programs make Marin Academy the school you love. And your support is how we keep programs like these running for decades.

Why donate to Marin Academy? Because you're supporting Tuition Assistance for lower income families and fair wages for teachers. 

Marin Academy spends $4,000,000 annually on Tuition Assistance, making a Marin Academy education accessible for students unable to meet the cost of tuition.

By the way, Tuition Assistance isn't just for tuition. It comprehensively covers whatever you need for student life: textbooks, lunches in the MA Café, special activity fees, and more!

The MA Promise is our commitment to providing equitable educational access. We promise that:

• Families with income of less than $100,000/year pay $0 in tuition.

• Marin Academy will meet 100% of demonstrated need for families with income of more than $100,000/year.

Teachers transform lives. 

We want Marin Academy to be a place where teachers love to work. That's why we're committed to providing salaries and benefits that attract and retain talented, experienced educators. Our teacher salaries are highly competitive – targeted at or above the 80th percentile, when compared against salaries offered by other Bay Area independent high schools.

Faculty and staff salaries and benefits account for 64% of Marin Academy's annual spending. Paying personnel is our greatest financial priority. Your donation to Marin Academy's Annual Fund is a donation toward Marin Academy's incredible faculty.

Your Giving Week donation isn't just a financial contribution. It is a way to support our shared values.