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Annual Fund - Levels of Giving

PALM SOCIETY ($250-$499)
Palm trees are synonymous with South Florida and decorate both Ransom Everglades campuses. Hearty trees that bend and survive the strongest of hurricane winds, they were once one of the symbols on the Everglades school for Girls class ring. The Palm Society acknowledges alumni, parents, grandparents and friends of Ransom Everglades School who give between $250 and $499.

BAY SOCIETY ($500-$999)
The Bay Society encompasses many aspects of Ransom Everglades. Not many schools can claim the Bay as their backyard. The bay is the focal point for school sports, summer camp activities and environmental study; truly a unique experience utilized by the entire Ransom Everglades community. The Bay Society acknowledges alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of Ransom Everglades School who give between $500 and $999.

GROVE SOCIETY ($1,000-$1,499)
A precursor to the City of Miami, Coconut Grove is one of the oldest cities in Florida. The grove has been and continues to be a unique mixture of investors, settlers, bohemians, artists and patrons. The Everglades and Ransom campuses frame this distinctive bay front metropolis enhancing the richness of the Grove. The Grove Society acknowledges alumni, parents, grandparents and friends of Ransom Everglades School who give between $1,000 and $1,499.

BENEFACTOR LEVELS: The Benefactor level at Ransom Everglades recognizes those who give $1,500 or more to the societies listed below and thereby receive special recognition throughout the school year.

RANSOM SOCIETY ($1,500 - $2,999)
In 1949, the Trustees of the Adirondack-Florida School closed the northern Adirondack campus and renamed the school The Ransom School for Boys in honor of its founder Paul C. Ransom. In addition to a unique mission, Paul Ransom created a curriculum and pedagogy that revolved around a Socratic method forming the basis of a mentoring relationship between faculty and student. Students sat around tables with Paul Ransom and his colleagues and discussed the important questions involved in acquiring knowledge and understanding. The Ransom Society acknowledges alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of Ransom Everglades School who give between $1,500 and $2,999 to the Annual Fund.

EVERGLADES SOCIETY ($3,000 - $4,999)
The Everglades School for Girls was founded in 1955 by Mr. and Mrs. Edward F. Swenson, Jr. It was established as an independent school for girls in grades seven through twelve. Marie Swenson believed that faculty could only be role models for their students if they were as open to the acquiring of new knowledge and new perspectives as they wanted their students to be. The Everglades campus was situated north of the Ransom School for Boys, and they regarded each other with a sense of comraderie and mutual respect. In 1974, the Everglades School for Girls merged with the Ransom School for Boys. The Everglades Society acknowledges alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of Ransom Everglades School who give between $3,000 and $4,999 to the Annual Fund.

PAGODA SOCIETY ($5,000-$9,999)
Special to the entire Ransom Everglades community is the Pagoda. Built in 1902, this original Adriondack-Florida School building was considered o be Paul C. Ransom’s “architectural masterpiece.” Built of Dade County pine on coral rock pilings and perched atop the hill overlooking Biscayne Bay, it has withstood every hurricane since its completion. In 1973, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered an embodiment of the Ransom Everglades tradition. It now houses the Head of School’s office, and its old Commons Room is considered a “museum” of early Adriondack-Florida school artifacts and pictures. The Pagoda Society acknowledges alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of Ransom Everglades School who give between $5,000 and $9,999 to the Annual Fund.

FOUNDERS CIRCLE ($10,000 or above)
A “founder” is a person who establishes something enduring. The Adirondack-Florida School, founded, in 1903 by Paul C. Ransom, began with both a unique mission and an innovative approach to education that set it apart from most schools. It was the first migratory boarding school in the nation. Students spend winters at the “Pine Knot Camp” in Florida and fall and spring at “Meenagha Lodge” in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Paul Ransom believed that independent schools existed to train the leadership of tomorrow, to create a class of citizens who would be more interested in giving to their community than taking from it.

When relative newcomers to Miami, Edward and Marie Swenson, were in the process of choosing a school for their daughters, they concluded that there was a definite need for a small independent school in Miami that would fully prepare young women for college. Having discussed the idea with friends of like mind, the Swensons decided to found their own school: the Everglades School for Girls. Founded in 1955, Everglades School for Girls had the philosophy that girls would leave the school well-rounded, well-adjusted and independent. The Founders Club acknowledges alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of Ransom Everglades who give $10,000 or more to the Annual Fund.