Giving to the BAC

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.

At the core of this campaign is our mission: accessibility and excellence for all. Our campus buildings are more than just structures—they are symbols of innovation and inclusion. However, these cherished spaces are aging. The outdated systems in our Newbury Street building and the deteriorating condition of our Boylston Street building threaten their functionality, sustainability, and our ability to inspire future generations. The Campaign for the Campus is our chance to transform our campus into a living laboratory while preserving Boston’s architectural history—enhancing learning spaces and reducing our carbon footprint.

The Pre-College Design Access Fund minimizes the barrier of entry to the BAC’s summer programs, Summer Academy and the Urban Design and Planning Studio. 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 Boston Architectural College—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 Boston Architectural College 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 Boston Architectural College has the discretion to allocate the funds available to meet unforeseen needs that are critical to advancing our mission.

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 Boston Architectural College.
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:

Boston Architectural College
ATTN: Office of Institutional Advancement
320 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115

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 Legacy Society, created to recognize and thank donors whose foresight is building the future of the BAC. 

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 Boston Architectural College, 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 Boston Architectural College’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, Boston Architectural College 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.

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

The Somerset Leadership Society recognizes supporters of the Boston Architectural College 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.