Frequently Asked Questions
Why does it seem so difficult for non-Indian citizens (including PIO and OCI card holders) to give to Woodstock School?
Governments are raising the minimum threshold for receiving tax deductions for donations, and more foreign donors are seeking to give directly to Woodstock School. However, donors often become frustrated when they learn of the very specific process that must be followed for Woodstock School to receive their donations.
Woodstock School must adhere to the Indian government’s Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA), which stipulates that all donations from non-Indian citizens (including PIO and OCI card holders) be submitted via bank-to-bank transfer or check ONLY to a specially designated State Bank of India account. No online payment or transfer services may be used to send money to this account. Note that checks can take anywhere from weeks to months to clear.
Foreign donors must use the account details below for check or bank-to-bank electronic funds transfer (EFT) ONLY, assuring the payee name you write/enter is EXACTLY as it appears below under “Account Name.”
Bank Name: State Bank of India
Account Name: The Board of Directors of the Woodstock School and Teachers Training College
Account Number: 40078561071
IFS Code: SBIN0000691
SWIFT Code: SBININBB104
Bank Address: FCRA Cell, 4th Floor, State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch, 11 Sansad Marg, New Delhi ‐ 110001
Checks should include the purpose of donation written on the note line and be mailed to the following address:
Advancement Office
Woodstock School
Landour, Tehri Road
Mussoorie – 248179
Uttarakhand – India
What are annual giving and the Woodstock Fund for Excellence?
Annual giving focuses on the school’s annual fundraising priority. Each year, all members of our community (parents, alumni, board members, staff, and friends) are asked to make a donation to Woodstock. The revenues raised through our annual giving programme support the Woodstock Fund for Excellence. This is our unrestricted fund, which means we can support projects and initiatives where resources are required most, helping to provide our students with an exemplary Woodstock education now and into the future.
Why is annual giving so important? What does it fund?
Tuition covers the majority of the school’s annual budget. Annual giving and other major gifts pay for the essentials needed for excellence and for projects and programmes required to ensure that the school stays relevant and competitive into the future.
How much am I expected to give?
We are more interested in having your philanthropic support than in the amount of that support. Our request is that you make it a habit to contribute something to Woodstock annually and, based on the evolution of your involvement in Woodstock’s future, consider making Woodstock one of your primary philanthropic priorities.
Most Woodstock School fundraising projects and appeals have giving levels attached to them, along with an estimation of how many gifts are needed at each level to achieve the fundraising goal. We ask you to contribute at a level that is personally meaningful and that makes sense for you and your family. Every gift is greatly valued and deeply appreciated.
Why is a gift of ANY size important to Woodstock?
Support of Woodstock School represents your belief in the continuation of the Woodstock School mission and your dedication to the maintenance of the vision for Education for a World of Difference for current and future students. Your gift of any amount demonstrates to our campus community, alumni, past/current parents, and foundations your continued commitment to Woodstock as an institution unique in all the world. Yes, Woodstock School is unique in its place-based education focused on global citizenship and individual mentoring to bring out the best in each member of our global, lifelong learning community. Small gifts add up to become large ventures.
As our friends at Canadian Friends of Woodstock School (CFWS) put it:
Studying in the Himalayas at India’s leading international boarding school is the opportunity of a lifetime, with students and staff joining Woodstock from 30+ countries worldwide. Woodstock School exemplifies excellence in academics, enrichment, and residential life. A holistic learning experience develops well-rounded students who go on to become global citizens, succeeding and thriving in all walks of life.
Can I include Woodstock School in my will or other financial plans?
Yes! Over 100 supporters to date have joined the Lyre Tree Society by indicating that they have included WoodstoclSchool in their financial plans. Please see the sidebar on this page for more information.
My company is required to make Corporate Social Responsibility contributions under India’s Companies Act. is it possible for Woodstock School to receive CSR funding?
Yes! Woodstock School is registered to receive CSR funding and in past years has received donations from a handful of companies. We are always interested to learn more ideas on how to partner with companies in their CSR. Please email us at advancement@woodstock.ac.in if you think Woodstock might be a good fit for your company’s CSR plans – or if you know of a company we should be working with!
Can I designate my gift?
Donors may direct their contributions to one of the specific projects detailed in appeals from Woodstock School and described on our online giving page. Simply specify which area you want to support when you make your donation. Unrestricted gifts to the Woodstock School or FWS Fund for Excellence (gifts that can be applied with discretion where needed most) provide Woodstock with the greatest degree of flexibility to respond to needs that may arise in these times of continued uncertainty. Please note that as an independent U.S.-based charitable organisation, Friends of Woodstock School (FWS) may not accept donations towards all of the same purposes Woodstock School promotes via campaigns and its giving page. Please check the FWS website for a full list of funds for which FWS accepts donations.
I’m not sure which fund to support. Which is the most useful for Woodstock?
Whichever fund you choose to support, you can rest assured that your donation will be put to work as effectively as possible. But if you’re not sure which area you want to support, a donation to the Woodstock Fund for Excellence gives the school the most flexibility to use the money where the community needs it most. Because the fund is unrestricted, Woodstock can use the money to support highest-priority projects and initiatives.
Who is asked to contribute to the Woodstock Fund for Excellence?
The Woodstock Fund for Excellence helps support the ENTIRE Woodstock community. Accordingly, we seek help from the worldwide community of past and present parents, alumni, board members, friends, and staff.
Can I make a gift to the Woodstock Fund for Excellence over a period of time?
You may consider a monthly or sustained gift. A sustaining gift gives you control of your monthly expenses and also demonstrates your fiscal support of Woodstock’s current and future mission. The monthly charge on your credit card may be cancelled at any time upon request. These recurring donations may be set up to be payable to Woodstock School (Indian citizens only – contact advancement@woodstock.ac.in for details) or to Friends of Woodstock School (U.S. citizens).
Is my gift tax-deductible?
Donations by non-Indian citizens (including PIO and OCI card holders), who are not eligible for (or do not require) tax relief in the U.S. or India can be made directly to Woodstock School.
Gifts made directly to Woodstock School by citizens of India are eligible for tax benefit under section 80G.
Gifts made by residents of the U.S. to the Friends of Woodstock School Foundation, which is a U.S. IRS-recognised not-for-profit 501(3)(c) organisation, are eligible for tax benefit in the U.S.
Gifts made by residents of Canada to Canadian Friends of Woodstock School, which is a Canadian government-recognised charitable organisation, are eligible for tax benefits in Canada.
Donors who are not citizens of India, the U.S., or Canada may qualify for tax benefits in accordance with the laws of their respective countries. Note that a UK charitable trust will soon be established to provide tax benefit to UK residents wishing to support Woodstock School.
How does the Woodstock Fund for Excellence affect Woodstock’s operating budget?
Each year Woodstock School depends on a combination of income from fees and charitable contributions to achieve its educational objectives. Contributions to the Woodstock Fund for Excellence meet immediate needs and are allocated towards capital project improvements such as staff and employee housing, as well as to special student projects and professional development opportunities for staff.
Do all international independent schools like Woodstock fundraise?
Yes, most international independent schools fundraise and greatly depend on external funding to pursue relevance, growth, and ever-greater excellence into the future. In fact, the average percentage of annual income received from external funding for boarding schools around the world is 22% compared to the 5.5% of annual income received from external funding at Woodstock School.* Tuition is the “price tag” for an independent international school education, but it is not the true cost.
*Source: National Association of Independent Schools, January 2023 (includes a global sample of schools with data for 2020-2021); Woodstock School financial data with a five-year average for Indian fiscal years 2017-2022.
