Bowdoin Pines Society
The Bowdoin Pines Society recognizes the generosity of alumni, parents and friends of Bowdoin who have made provisions for the College in their philanthropic plans, through beneficiary designations, will or trust provisions or other legacy arrangements including Bowdoin gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts.
Planned gifts have been important to the College from its earliest days. Chartered in 1794, the College received gifts of land and money from both James Bowdoin III and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and named for James's late father, Governor James Bowdoin II. When James Bowdoin III died just a few years after the inauguration of the College's first president, he left the College a bequest consisting of his art collection, scientific equipment, geologic specimens, and his extensive library--one of the largest in the United States at the time. Bowdoin's bequest was one of the first to be made to an institution of higher learning that provided public access to the collections.
Three decades after his first bequest, a residuary provision provided the College with the funds necessary to complete construction of the chapel.
Throughout its history, planned giving arrangements have enabled Bowdoin to grow its endowment to support priorities like providing need-blind financial aid in the form of grants, with no repayment required; creating resources to expand the teaching and mentoring of students by establishing new faculty positions and funding new lines of pedagogy; enhancing student life through the construction and renovation of campus facilities; and funding for extracurricular and cocurricular activities such as student organizations, activities and athletics.
Since James Bowdoin's original gift and later bequest provisions, many planned gifts have enhanced and transformed the College.
We invite you to become a member of the Bowdoin Pines Society which is comprised of over 1,000 of the College’s most devoted alumni, parents and friends who have provided for it in their philanthropic plans through beneficiary designations, provisions in wills and trusts, and other legacy arrangement, including: charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts.
If you have made a provision in your estate plan for Bowdoin and would like to join the Bowdoin Pines Society, please inform the Office of Gift Planning of your intentions by providing information to us through our secure web-based portal or by downloading our documentation form and emailing it to giftplanning@bowdoin.edu or by mail to Bowdoin College, Office of Gift Planning, 4100 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011
To learn more about gift planning at Bowdoin or to let the College know of your arrangements, contact us.
