Empowering students with language-based learning differences

Spring Fundraiser



Thank You for Your Generosity!

Last week, we asked for your support to help us respond to an urgent financial need. You, our dedicated community, responded with equal urgency.
Since over 130 donors generously participated during the Spring Fundraiser, you’ve unlocked a $50,000 donation through the Donor Participation Challenge! This means our grand total for the 2025 Spring Fundraiser is more than $132,200!
We’d like to express our sincere thanks to our anonymous donor for this very meaningful and generous $50,000 donation to provide extremely vital support for Siena families. You truly made a difference for the entire Siena community, and we are truly thankful.
To end last week on a strong note, we unlocked several generous donations from various Siena community members who offered matches, including Northern Virginia Head of School Jennifer Betts’s $500 Art Exhibition Match, Executive Head of School Dr. Jilly Darefsky’s $500 Grandparents’ and Special Guests’ Day Match, and a Siena staff member’s $1,000 Friends and Family Match.
Thank you all very much for all of your support, energy, and sharing as we, the Siena community, made a major, lasting difference together during the 2025 Spring Fundraiser. Your generosity will help ensure that students who can benefit from Siena, attend Siena.
Remember that there's still an opportunity to give and make even more of a difference at this critical time for many in our community:
Together, We Can Make a Difference
This year, as we launch our Annual Spring Fundraiser, support of The Siena School Scholarship Fund has never been more essential. Our goal has been, and will always be, to do everything we can to ensure a student who can benefit from Siena, attends Siena. Many Siena families impacted by changes to the federal government are experiencing financial hardship and are in urgent need of support. Now more than ever the future of students at The Siena School depends on your generosity, and we are asking for your support to help us respond.
As the level of need grows, this is our moment to unite and strengthen our community. The Scholarship Fund is not just a source of financial support; it’s a lifeline that ensures access to Siena’s transformative, specialized programs. By contributing to The Scholarship Fund, you not only help individual students but also ensure that our community thrives together.
Please join us in this critical effort.
Thank You for Making a Difference
Thanks to your great involvement and energy, you multiplied the power of your giving by unlocking many of the matches offered by Siena community members, including our Boards and Middle School matches.
You still have the opportunity to donate to make even more matches successful:
- Monthly Donation Match from Silver Spring Head of School Katie Douglas ($500)
- Friends and Family Match from a Siena Teacher ($1,000)
- Alumni Community Combined Match ($3,000)
Today: Grandparents’ and Special Guests’ Day Donation Match
In honor of all family members who help us build big futures and make a Siena education possible, Executive Head of School Dr. Jilly Darefsky will match up to $500 in donations made today during Grandparents’ and Special Guests’ Day.
Remember that all of this support and community sharing will keep us progressing with the Donor Participation Challenge: reaching 100 donors will unlock a special $50,000 gift for The Siena School Scholarship Fund and effectively double every donation made during the Fundraiser.
Special Note
As we have seen during our Annual Spring Fundraiser, support of The Siena School Scholarship Fund has never been more essential. Now more than ever the future of students at The Siena School depends on your generosity.
As the level of need has grown, this is our moment to unite and strengthen our community. By contributing to The Scholarship Fund, you not only help individual students but also ensure that our community thrives together.
Please keep joining us in this critical effort. Together, we can continue to make a difference.
Build Bright Futures, Brick by Brick

As we conclude our Annual Spring Fundraiser, support of The Siena School Scholarship Fund has never been more essential. Our goal has been, and will always be, to do everything we can to ensure a student who can benefit from Siena, attends Siena. Many Siena families impacted by changes to the federal government are experiencing financial hardship and are in urgent need of support. Now more than ever the future of students at The Siena School depends on your generosity, and we are asking for your support to help us respond.
As the level of need grows, this is our moment to unite and strengthen our community. The Scholarship Fund is not just a source of financial support; it’s a lifeline that ensures access to Siena’s transformative, specialized programs. By contributing to The Scholarship Fund, you not only help individual students but also ensure that our community thrives together.
Thank you for joining us in this critical effort. Together, we truly made a difference.
Read
Is it time yet to READ for 20 minutes today? We thank everyone who's donated to The Siena School Scholarship Fund so far today. Siena students built these free-standing Lego words in a House Competition…in the process unlocking a $20,000 donation celebrating their creativity and community spirit.
Afternoon Fundraising Updates
It's been a very lively and strongly community-driven day of giving on Siena's campuses today:
- With your help and support, we’re progressing well with our Donor Participation Challenge. Donate now to be one of the first 100 donors to unlock a special $50,000 gift for the Scholarship Fund and build even more bright Siena futures. Keep spreading the word to expand our donor community.
- Our in-person Art Exhibitions are happening now on our Forest Glen and Northern Virginia campuses. Give now to help make Northern Virginia Head of School Jennifer Betts’s $500 match for donations made during the Art Exhibition. You can also join Silver Spring Head of School Katie Douglas in starting a monthly donation plan and make sustained giving to the Scholarship Fund a priority. Ms. Douglas will match your first monthly gift up to $500 total.
- We’ve already gotten some donations from staff families, aunts, friends, and more so keep spreading the word on your social media to help us make the $1,000 Friends and Family Match that a dedicated Siena teacher is offering
- We're also closing in on the $3,000 Alumni Community match offer from two alumni families for donations from our alumni community, so keep sharing and supporting!
Grow
The support we've seen from our community today continues to GROW! We thank everyone who's donated to The Siena School Scholarship Fund so far today. Siena students built these free-standing Lego words in a House Competition…in the process unlocking a $20,000 donation celebrating their creativity and community spirit.
As these long-time Siena grandparents shared about their grandchild, “She is doing just beautifully.” Learn more about Siena's impact on Lou and Dell’s granddaughter and why they’ve supported the Scholarship Fund for many years.
Your donations make moments like this possible, helping us continue to provide life-changing education to students who need it.
Lunchtime Giving Update

Now that we’ve hit the halfway point of our $50,000 giving goal, we've unlocked an additional $10,000 gift and provided even more building blocks for the Spring Fundraiser!
Thank you yet again for helping build confidence, one brick at a time!
As we continue our important community-driven work today, please remember that support of The Siena School Scholarship Fund has never been more essential. Our goal has been, and will always be, to do everything we can to ensure a student who can benefit from Siena, attends Siena. Many Siena families impacted by changes to the federal government are experiencing financial hardship and are in urgent need of support. Now more than ever the future of students at The Siena School depends on your generosity, and we are asking for your support to help us respond.
As the level of need grows, this is our moment to unite and strengthen our community. The Scholarship Fund is not just a source of financial support; it’s a lifeline that ensures access to Siena’s transformative, specialized programs. By contributing to The Scholarship Fund, you not only help individual students but also ensure that our community thrives together.
Please keep joining us in this critical effort.
Hope
The support we've seen from our community today is filling us with HOPE! We thank everyone who's donated to The Siena School Scholarship Fund so far today. Siena students built these free-standing Lego words in a House Competition…in the process unlocking a $20,000 donation celebrating their creativity and community spirit.
Supporting the Scholarship Fund is deeply personal for this middle school parent. “He is in a place where he truly belongs,” he shared. Donations to the Scholarship Fund help more students come to a place where they belong each and every day.
Building Confidence, One Brick at a Time
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Start the day by building a strong foundation for the Spring Fundraiser and get us closer to unlocking today’s various donation matches and gifts. Together, we can—and will—make a difference.
Middle School Match: Another Success!

Thank you, Siena middle school families, for your generosity in making this generous $1,000 match from a middle school family so quickly and truly making a difference today.
Another Match Made!

More great news this morning for building bright Siena futures through the Scholarship Fund: our donor community has now unlocked the combined $2,500 match from Siena's Boards of Directors and Advisors.
Thank you for continuing to make a difference today and every day.
Match Made!

Another successful build! Thanks to our dedicated loyalty donors supporting the Scholarship Fund year after year, we've ALREADY unlocked Amy and Jonathan Walker's generous $1,000 matching donation.
Thank you!
Today's the Day!

Welcome to the Spring 2025 fundraiser for The Siena School Scholarship Fund!
We have a very exciting day ahead of us to support the Scholarship Fund and have a fun, creative celebration. To help us meet our goal of raising $50,000 during the Spring Fundraiser,* we've planned a day of giving opportunities, pictures, video shares, and more.
In addition:
- To keep building Siena alumni community support for the Spring Fundraiser, two Siena alumni families are offering a combined $3,000 match for donations from our alumni students and families.
- To honor Siena’s many dedicated loyalty donors who’ve regularly supported the Scholarship Fund for two or more consecutive years, Siena’s retired Director of Finance and Operations Amy Walker and her husband Jonathan will match up to $1,000 in loyalty donations today.
- To celebrate how our broad donor community has the power to change lives, a Siena teacher will match up to $1,000 in donations from siblings, aunts, uncles, staff families, and other friends and family during the Spring Fundraiser. Please help us make this match by spreading the word to your friends and family.
- One of our families has offered to match up to $1,000 in donations made today by middle school families from Siena’s Forest Glen and Northern Virginia campuses.
- To celebrate the many talented artists in the Siena community and continue building bright Siena futures brick by brick, Siena Northern Virginia Head of School Jennifer Betts will match up to $500 in donations made today during the Arts Exhibition.
- Join others in our donor community in becoming a monthly donor to make impactful sustained giving a priority. Siena Silver Spring Head of School Katie Douglas will match your first monthly gift—dollar for dollar—up to $500 total. Sign up today and make your support go twice as far!
- And, in celebration of Siena’s dedication to building our students’ bright futures, Siena’s Boards of Directors and Advisors are offering a $2,500 match for donations made today.
Exciting Participation Challenge: Be Part of the Impact!
We're turning up the energy for our Spring Fundraiser, and you can be a key part of the community-driven support this week! Once we hit 100 donors, we'll unlock a special gift for the Scholarship Fund of $50,000, and you could be one of the first to make this happen.
No matter how big or small, your donation will bring us closer to that goal. Join us in making a lasting difference through this exciting community challenge today. Let’s hit 100 donors and build brighter futures together during our Spring Fundraiser.
Special Note
This year, as we launch our Annual Spring Fundraiser, support of The Siena School Scholarship Fund has never been more essential. Our goal has been, and will always be, to do everything we can to ensure a student who can benefit from Siena, attends Siena. Many Siena families impacted by changes to the federal government are experiencing financial hardship and are in urgent need of support. Now more than ever the future of students at The Siena School depends on your generosity, and we are asking for your support to help us respond.
As the level of need grows, this is our moment to unite and strengthen our community. The Scholarship Fund is not just a source of financial support; it’s a lifeline that ensures access to Siena’s transformative, specialized programs. By contributing to The Scholarship Fund, you not only help individual students but also ensure that our community thrives together.
Please join us in this critical effort. Together, we can make a difference.
Donate now and make a difference
*As you're donating, please consider making your Spring Fundraiser 2025 gift go further by adding 3.5% to cover processing fees. When you donate, there'll be a box to check to pay this small transaction fee.
If you would like to make a donation via check, please do so by mailing the check to:
Greater Washington Community Foundation
PO Box 49010
Baltimore, MD 21297-4910
Please address your checks to: The Siena School Scholarship Fund/Greater Washington Community Foundation.
Here are two great announcements to kick off today’s Spring Fundraiser:
During Siena's annual Faculty and Staff Giving Day last week, our dedicated, talented team of Siena educators raised over $2,700 to help build bright futures and start making a difference together.
And, during their cross-campus House Competition last week, Siena students unlocked a $20K donation from an anonymous donor in celebration of their creativity and strong community building work.
Thank you very much for making a difference together for the Spring Fundraiser!
Support Builds Success
As the level of need grows, this is our moment to unite and strengthen our community. By contributing to The Scholarship Fund, you not only help individual students access Siena’s transformative, specialized programs, but also ensure that our community thrives. Together, we can make a difference.