A gift to High 5® supports thousands of youth and adults we work with every year. Become a member of the High 5 team, effecting positive change and growth in the lives of so many people each year. Together we are empowering young people and adults to be their best selves.
Your support, whether for the first time or continuously since our founding almost a quarter-century ago, enables us to reach, teach, and transform.
Connect. Empower. Lead…Be the Example
These words define our mission at High 5 Adventure Learning Center. We help young people and adults create stronger schools and communities. High 5 transforms individuals into teams, and teams into innovative problem-solvers pursuing a shared mission.
Join our mission and securely donate below.
Become part of the High 5 family
Your donation can help us do our work in very specific ways:
- A gift of $500 could support facilitation programming for a school’s educational team.
- A gift of $150 could provide scholarship funding for an emerging adventure educator to attend one of our workshops or certificate-level trainings.
- A gift of $100 could support professional development for educator teams, helping them to improve and expand their skills and advance their careers.
- A gift of $40 could help a high school student attend our Summer Edge of Leadership program, designed to promote improved communication between student and teacher teams.
Ways to Give
Give Securely Online
Your gift can be made in any increment as a one-time or monthly contribution. Recurring monthly gifts help High 5 plan and sustain our work.
Donate by Mail
Mail your check directly to High 5, made payable to High 5 Adventure Learning Center:
High 5 Adventure Learning Center
130 Austine Drive, Suite 170
Brattleboro, VT 05301
Appreciated Securities
Donating appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares is quick, simple, and secure and may provide you with important tax benefits.
If you wish to make a securities gift, please be sure to call us at High 5 and let us know the name and number of shares you are contributing. That will allow us to monitor the safe and timely arrival of your gift in our account. Call (802) 254-8718 and you can speak with confidence with any member of our staff to inform them of your gift.
Tax Information
High 5 Adventure Learning Center is an approved 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization and all donations to High 5 are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
Business name: High 5 Adventure Learning Center
Federal tax identification number: 03-0363893
If you have any questions about making a gift to High 5, please contact High 5 at: info@high5adventure.org or call us at (802) 254-8718.
Introducing the Lead By Example Legacy Society
Honoring 25 Years of Impact and Securing the Next 25
As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of High 5 Adventure Learning Center, we’re looking ahead — boldly and optimistically — toward the future. In that spirit, we’re proud to introduce the Lead By Example Legacy Society, a new opportunity for donors to make a lasting impact through legacy giving.
Legacy gifts help ensure that future generations of young people and educators will continue to Connect, Empower, and Lead within their schools and communities. By including High 5 in your estate plans, you can help secure our mission for decades to come.
Why Legacy Giving?
A gift to High 5 in your will, trust, or retirement plan is a powerful way to:
- Leave a lasting impact aligned with your values
- Support future educators and leaders
- Inspire others through your example
And best of all:
- It’s easy to arrange
- It doesn’t affect your current finances or lifestyle
- It’s flexible — you can update it at any time
Other Ways to Give
Bequests
A bequest is one of the simplest ways to support High 5. You can include language in your will or trust that designates:
- A specific dollar amount
- A percentage of your estate
- The remainder (or a portion) of your estate after other distributions
You can direct your gift to a specific program or allow it to be used where it’s needed most. Gifts of all sizes are meaningful.
Beneficiary Designations
High 5 can be named as a beneficiary of:
- Retirement plans (like IRAs)
- Bank or brokerage accounts
- Life insurance policies
- Donor-advised funds
This method is tax-efficient: retirement accounts left to individuals can be reduced by income taxes by as much as 70%, but a charitable designation to High 5 is transferred tax-free — allowing the full value of your gift to make a difference.
IRA Charitable Distributions
If you’re 70½ or older, you may make a tax-free distribution of up to $100,000 each year directly from your IRA to High 5. This counts toward your required minimum distribution (RMD) and can reduce your taxable income — even if you take the standard deduction.
To qualify:
- You must be 70½ or older at the time of the gift
- The gift must come directly from a traditional IRA to High 5
- Gifts must be outright (not to a donor-advised fund, trust, or annuity)
Looking Ahead Together
While anniversaries often prompt reflection, we see our 25th as a launching point — an invitation to dream bigger and reach further. As we imagine the next 25 years, we’re building a foundation that ensures High 5’s unique brand of adventure-based learning will continue to thrive.
By joining the Lead By Example Legacy Society, you help shape that future. Together, we can ensure that the spirit of connection, empowerment, and leadership lives on.
Let’s Talk
If you’re considering a legacy gift or want to learn more, please reach out. We’d be honored to talk with you.
Jen Ottinger
Executive Director
(802) 254-8718
jottinger@high5adventure.org