Frequently Asked Questions
President's Message | Priorities | Leadership | Frequently Asked Questions
Why is NEC conducting a capital
campaign?
What is the campaign goal?
Who benefits from this campaign?
Why should New England Conservatory be supported?
How does NEC’s endowment compare to other
music schools?
Why is the Annual Fund important?
How is NEC unique?
How can I give to NEC?
Can I donate a piano to NEC?
How can I find out more about the campaign?
Why is NEC conducting
a capital campaign?
The Gift of Music campaign is a central part of New England Conservatory’s
Long-Range Plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in January 2002. By increasing
endowment for faculty and student support, and addressing much-needed improvements
to the physical plant, the campaign is providing the long-term financial resources
that will keep NEC at the forefront of musical education for future generations.
What is the campaign
goal?
The financial goal of the campaign is $100 million, to be raised over a seven-year
period ending in 2008. Nearly half of this total—$43 million—will
strengthen student financial aid, opening the doors to an NEC education for
many promising young musicians. Other areas targeted for campaign dollars include:
Faculty Support ($14.5 million); Community & Educational Programs ($5 million);
Campus Renewal ($20 million); and the NEC Annual Fund ($17.5 million).
Who benefits from
this campaign?
The Gift of Music campaign directly benefits students and faculty, and enables
NEC to compete effectively with higher-endowed institutions in attracting top
young musicians and world-class artist/teachers. Beyond the college, the campaign
supports NEC’s Preparatory School, School of Continuing Education, free
public concerts, and community programs for children and adults of all ages.
Why should New England
Conservatory be supported?
No matter what your musical interest, your enjoyment has likely been influenced
by NEC alumni. Besides performing in symphony orchestras and opera houses throughout
the world, NEC graduates are active as jazz musicians, recording artists, radio
hosts; they compose award-winning film scores, popular songs, and television
documentaries; and they serve in the community as teachers, arts administrators,
and business leaders.
How does NEC’s
endowment compare to other music schools?
NEC’s endowment of just under $50 million is low in comparison with other
leading music schools. The Curtis Institute’s endowment is nearly 2.5
times larger than NEC’s; the Eastman School’s is 5 times greater;
the Juilliard School, which offers professional degrees in drama and dance
as well as music, has an endowment that is 10 times larger. These permanent
funds generate substantial financial assistance—including free tuition,
in one case—and are therefore a main competitive element in drawing outstanding
students and faculty.
Why is the Annual
Fund important?
If you were to walk through the corridors of NEC on any given day, you would
see the effect of Annual Fund dollars at every turn. By adding significantly
to the operating budget, annual gifts help pay for library resources, technology,
student scholarships, upkeep and maintenance, and virtually every area of day-to-day
activity at the school.
How is NEC unique?
Few schools provide a better learning environment than NEC. It is an environment
that demands excellence, but does so in a way that encourages risk-taking
and exploration of every musical tradition. The curriculum is unparalleled
in its breadth and depth, and no limits or restrictions are placed on what
a student can pursue. It is not unusual to find a classical violist studying
improvisation in the jazz department, or a jazz singer performing work by
contemporary classical composers. This approach creates an openness and cross-pollinization
among musical styles and techniques, and gives NEC its reputation for developing
complete, deeply collaborative artists and performers.
How can I give to
NEC?
Gifts to New England Conservatory can be made by check, credit card, or transfers
of stock, marketable securities, or real estate. NEC also offers a number of
planned gift options that enable donors to fulfill their desire to support
NEC while they receive income, tax benefits, and estate planning advantages.
Contributions are tax-deductible, and may be unrestricted or designated toward
a program area, department, or other specific use.
All contributions to NEC, regardless of amount, make a difference in supporting the young artists whose creativity and imagination are shaping the future of music in all its forms.
The more than 150 pianos available to students in the school’s practice rooms, teaching studios, faculty offices, and performance halls are used every day, every minute that our buildings are open—adding up to an amount of practice time that is “boggling to the imagination,” in the words of NEC Piano Department Cochair Bruce Brubaker. Such continuous, heavy use means that Conservatory pianos rotate rapidly through perpetual cycles of repair, restoration, and replacement.
By donating your new or “gently used” piano, you can help NEC meet the school’s ongoing need to add to its inventory—and qualify for a tax deduction at the same time.
Please note, however, that not all pianos are of value to the Conservatory. Here are guidelines from our piano services staff to follow as you consider whether to make a donation:
- We recommend that you have the piano assessed by a qualified piano technician who can help determine its fair market value and who can give NEC an idea of any needed repairs.
- Because we have limited funds for restoring pianos to a level appropriate to a conservatory setting, we may not be able to accept pianos that are not structurally sound.
- Preferred piano models, in order of desirability:
- Steinway Music Room Grand, Model B
- Steinway Music Room Grand, Model L
- Larger size Yahama grand pianos, such as models C3, C5, and C6
- Bechstein models 6 feet and longer
- We regret that we cannot accept uprights.
- We regret that we cannot accept pianos that have gone out of production.
For more information about piano donation, please contact:
Marian Alper
Director of Major Gifts
(617) 585-1196
MAlper@newenglandconservatory.edu
How can I find out more about the campaign?
For information about any campaign-related matter, please contact: Don Jones, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, 290 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.
Telephone (617) 585-1155, or e-mail Don Jones.