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Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ to the BAC

Your generosity plays a key role in all we do at the BAC! No matter how you choose to support the college, you are enhancing everything that ensures we are always providing a distinctive educational experience for all our students.

A gift to the BAC is an investment in our students and the future.

Preserving Our Past, Building Our Future

Students at the BAC (collage). Students interact while waiting for the start of a lecture in Cascieri Hall (top left). A woman and young child interact with the Slowness exhibit at the BAC McCormick Gallery (top right). A student celebrates winning an award at the Academic Honors and Awards ceremony (bottom left). A student smiles while taking notes on paper in the computer lab at the BAC (bottom right).

The Campaign for the Campus is transforming our historic spaces and advancing a bold, inclusive model of design education—one rooted in access, innovation, and real-world impact.
Phase I includes:

  • Restoring 951 Boylston, an important landmark and learning hub.
  • Completing a geothermal system to cut emissions and model sustainable design.
  • Expanding opportunity for the next generation of designers by reducing operating costs to keep education affordable.

This is more than a building project. It’s our moment to lead and shape the future of design.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Priorities

With your support to the BAC, we are able to continue providing the best education to the most talented students through excellent facilities and top-notch educators and professional collaborations.

Unrestricted annual support to the BAC provides essential resources for the College's current operational expenses. While we are a tuition-driven organization, student tuition only provides a portion of the funds needed to run the BAC in the 21st century. Gifts to The BAC Fund immediately enhance our students' design education by funding resources for curriculum development, student academic services, technology, and investments in our faculty.

The Student Scholarships Fund provides aid to students who are in most need of financial support. Studying at the BAC is a financial investment in a student's future, and lack of significant personal funds should not prevent an inspired and motivated designer from pursuing his or her passion. Scholarships help our students afford their education and reduce the burden of student loan debt, which can create roadblocks to success long after graduation. Donors may make gifts of any amount to this fund. Every gift helps our students realize their full potential as designers. All full-time students eligible for financial aid qualify to receive a scholarship from this fund, with priority given to students with the greatest financial need.

The Pre-College Design Access Fund minimizes the barrier of entry to the BAC’s summer programs, Summer Academy and the Urban Design & Planning Fellowship. This fund directly supports students interested in one of our Pre-College Programs—but do not have the financial resources to participate. 100% of your gift goes to support access for all students interested in pursuing a pre-college architecture and design experience at The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ—regardless of their financial status. Your support builds a more accessible and equitable education in design for all ages and backgrounds.

The President's Innovation Fund was created in 2015 to support the needs of The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ in the 21st century. Design education and the design professions are constantly evolving, and the BAC must be agile, flexible, and committed to being the leading practice-based design school in the nation. Therefore, the College must adapt to the latest trends in technology, stay connected to its community, and challenge its students to be engaged citizens and thoughtful designers both inside and outside the classroom. Specifically, this fund can support, but is not limited to, design technology, Gateway projects, student organizations, and seed funding for college-wide initiatives. Donors may make gifts of any amount to this fund. The president of The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ has the discretion to allocate the funds available to meet unforeseen needs that are critical to advancing our mission.

How to Make a Gift

If you have any questions about which type of donation is best for you, please contact giving@the-bac.edu and we can guide you through the process.

The easiest, most efficient way to make a one-time or recurring gift is by credit card using our secure online giving form below.

You can donate, update your contact information, and talk about your BAC experience by calling the Office of Institutional Advancement at 617.585.0107.

To give by mail with a check:

  1. Make your check payable to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ.
  2. On the check’s memo line or in an attached note, please specify how you would like to designate your gift. If you do not include a designation, your gift will be put to work right away through the BAC Fund, providing essential resources for the College's current operational expenses.
  3. Mail your gift to:

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ
ATTN: Office of Institutional Advancement
320 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115

Many employers sponsor matching-gift programs and will match charitable contributions made by their employees. Your employer’s human resources department can supply you with specific instructions about its process for matching gifts. To ensure a seamless transaction, please provide your organization with the email address giving@the-bac.edu when you submit your match request. If you need the BAC’s EIN (Employer Identification Number) to complete the form, it is 04-2271070. For assistance with this process, you can contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at giving@the-bac.edu or 617.585.0107.

To make a gift of securities held by your bank or broker,

1) Provide your broker with detailed instructions of the gift you would like to make to The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ, including the name of the stock and the number of shares to be transferred from your account to the BAC at:

Fidelity Investments

DTC (Depository Trust Company) #0226

Account #X19-083151

Reference: Donor's Name and Gift Designation

2) Please contact The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ’s Office of Institutional Advancement at giving@the-bac.edu or 617.585.0107 to let us know the name of the stock and the number of shares that you will be transferring to the BAC account at Fidelity. This information will help us provide you with proper gift acknowledgement in a timely manner.

In certain cases, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ will accept items of tangible personal property (including art, collectibles, books, equipment) and other personal assets or materials of value as a gift. These in-kind gifts must first be approved by the College’s leadership before being accepted. The Office of Institutional Advancement can provide additional information on this process. Please contact us at giving@the-bac.edu or 617.585.0107.

Making a planned gift is one of the most meaningful ways to support the BAC and its mission while accommodating your own personal, financial, estate-planning, and philanthropic goals. Bequests and other testamentary gifts contribute to the BAC’s future financial strength and continued academic excellence. A gift to the College through your estate plans qualifies you as a member of the 1889 Society, created to recognize and thank donors whose foresight is building the future of the BAC. For more information about documenting your intentions, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at giving@the-bac.edu or 617.585.0107.

A donor advised fund (DAF) is a mechanism that simplifies the administrative burden of fulfilling your philanthropic objectives. You can recommend grants to The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ from your fund and designate them as you wish.

BAC Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Societies

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ’s giving societies are meant to honor our most generous and loyal donors and bring together like-minded members of the BAC community. Throughout the year, members of each giving society receive communications from BAC leadership, special invitations to events, tailored networking opportunities, and recognition on campus.

Members of these giving societies are committed to advancing the College's mission to educate future generations of emerging design professionals.

The Somerset Leadership Society recognizes supporters of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ who have made an annual gift of $1,000 or more to the College. Named for the street on which a four-story pre-Civil War brick building served as the BAC's first permanent home for 54 years, the Somerset Leadership Society reinforces the BAC's unwavering commitment to lead and adapt through the evolving landscape of practice-based design education.

Donors to the Somerset Leadership Society provide vital support in allowing the College to continue educating the future of the design professions. As a way of recognizing our generous donors in the Somerset Leadership Society, members are invited to private receptions and events, receive special updates from the College, and are publicly acknowledged in the annual contributors report.

For more information on the Somerset Leadership Society, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at giving@the-bac.edu.

The 1889 Legacy Society recognizes and honors all individuals who provide support for the BAC in their wills, trusts, life income gifts, retirement plans, life insurance designations, and other planned gifts.

Members of the 1889 Legacy Society are invited to special gatherings and are recognized for their foresight and commitment to the long-term vision for the College's future. Named for the year in which the BAC was founded, the 1889 Legacy Society recognizes the vital role benefactors have played over our 125-year history. Beginning with the BAC's first bequest of $5,000 from Boston Architectural Club member Arthur Rotch, and continuing with the many donors who have followed, a planned gift at the BAC is the ultimate expression of confidence in our future.

Membership enables the College to thank and recognize you for the future plans you have made today and to inspire generosity in others. Legacy gifts have an enduring effect at the BAC, as they help to ensure the College's future for generations of emerging design professionals.

Individuals who have informed the BAC of their estate planning will automatically become members of the 1889 Legacy Society.

For more information on estate planning at the BAC and on the 1889 Legacy Society, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at giving@the-bac.edu.

Student holds a thumbs up at a presentation during 2022 intensive courses.

Engage in #Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµBAC


There are many ways to get engaged at the BAC in addition to financial support. Learn more about how to get involved by contacting giving@the-bac.edu.

  • Join a Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Society
  • Mentor a current BAC student
  • Attend an upcoming event and network with the BAC Community
  • Sign up for our newsletter
Cummings Foundation Logo

Cummings Grant


The BAC is thrilled to be one of 130 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through Cummings Foundation's $20 Million Grant Program. We are honored to have been chosen out of the 738 total applicants during a competitive review process. Learn more about the $20 Million Grant Program.

BAC’s Legal Name, Address, and Tax ID

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ
320 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115

BAC’s EIN (Employer Identification Number) 04-2271070

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, and your charitable support may be tax deductible if it meets the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

Need Assistance?

Contact the Office of
Institutional Advancement