Giving

As a non-profit organization, we rely on parents, donors, volunteers, and various grants to keep our school thriving. There are several ways you can make a difference in our community—and whether you’re contributing time or money, you can be sure that what you put into our school stays in our school. You can also be sure that L’Ecole Française du Maine gives back.

Thank you in advance for your continued support.

Donate Now !

Philanthropy

L’Ecole Française du Maine leases a school building from the Town of Freeport, and we make it our mission to return the generous support we’ve received from the local community. First, we completely renovated the old school and saved the historic building from probable demolition. We then landscaped the grounds and updated the playground, and we extend this park to the local community during non-school hours. We also make our building available for town meetings and community events.

To further give back to the communities and organizations that support and surround us, our students give choral and Suzuki performances at the Franco Center in Lewiston and the annual Franco-American Day in Augusta. Our school chorus has performed a free concert for the Freeport Elders Association and the school supports the Freeport Community Center each year by providing Thanksgiving baskets to families in the community.

For more information on how we reach out to Freeport and the surrounding community, please contact us.

Donate

L’Ecole Française du Maine doesn’t receive any financial support from the French and the U.S. governments or from the State of Maine. We operate solely on tuition revenue and donations from the public and corporate sponsors. As a non-profit organization operating under a 501(c)(3) status, L’Ecole is enabled to receive tax deductible charitable donations. EFDM will provide acknowledgement letters with our Federal Tax ID number for all gifts.

Therefore, your support is crucial. There are several ways to support L’Ecole Française du Maine.

Please see the Directors should you be thinking of or able to donate a property in or around South Freeport. Many philanthropic vehicles are available, including Philanthropic Trusts should you be of retirement age.

Donate Now !

Your contribution to the annual fund helps close the gap between tuition revenue and the actual cost of education. Because contributions to the annual fund are part of the operating budget of the school, your generosity will result in tangible benefits to the students by allowing the school to:

Give our faculty the resources needed to provide an outstanding educational experience.
Minimize tuition increases and maintain robust financial stability.
Offer scholarships and financial aid programs in support of economic diversity in our student body

Matching Gifts: You can double or even triple the amount of your personal gift by taking advantage of corporate matching gift programs. Most companies will match their employee’s donations. Simply ask your employer for the matching gift form and enclose it with your gift. Our Development Office will take care of the necessary paperwork with your employer.

EFDM is in need of space for its Middle School. The building fund was established to set aside resources in view of the purchase of such a site. There are many ways to contribute to this fund:

Make a donation of money that will be restricted to the Building Fund.
Make a donation of a piece of land or of a building that you or your company has no plans for.
If you are a contractor, make a donation of labor or materials.

Please keep in mind that your donations to the Building Fund – like all other contributions – are tax deductible and would dramtically help in making our dream of a new site come true.

Several of L’Ecole Française du Maine community events are also important fundraisers for the school. Show your support and come meet the parents and friends of L’Ecole Française du Maine. These events take place throughout the school year and present unique underwriting opportunities to corporations and benefactors. Please contact the School to learn about various and unique underwriting opportunities.

An endowment, the method by which these charitable assets are permanently preserved, is a powerful tool for leaving a legacy and supporting a beloved cause or organization. An endowment preserves and increases a charitable gift permanently because the original gift is never spent. Only a portion of the earnings from its investment are granted out each year, so the endowment remains and grows. Adequate endowment funds can provide a buffer against fluctuations in financial support, allowing an organization to focus on its mission rather than on the constant cycle of fundraising. Help us reach a long-term financial stability so that we can focus our energies on what we do best – provide quality bilingual education to our community.

Don’t forget: an endowment lasts forever.

Volunteer

As parents, we all want to play an active role in our child’s education. At L’Ecole Française du Maine, we recognize and value that parent involvement plays an important role in a child’s educational experience. Due to the unique characteristics of the immersion education, we work at balancing the needs of the total French immersion classroom with the needs and added value of having parents contribute their time and energies to the school. There are many ways in which we welcome your presence and help. Please see your child’s teacher to discuss how you can participate. For example, join us for lunch someday, help on a field trip, garden on the school grounds, mow the lawn (even in the summer!), shovel the walk, be a guest speaker, run errands for the school, and countless other ways… Merci beaucoup.