Community Lunch
Ways to Give
Annual Fund
When you donate to TLC, you create meaningful experiences, connecting children, adults, and families. These are just a few examples of what is possible as a result of your giving:
- Saturday morning playgroups for families in our Badavas Parent Infant Program.
- A memorable camping trip each August to Normandy Farms for over 20 students attending Walden School.
- ASL Interpreting Services for grandparents and extended family members to visit our classrooms and see their students learning first-hand.
- Classroom STEAM supplies for our emerging student programmers and scientists.
Your donation ensures deaf and hard of hearing children and adults have the knowledge, opportunity, and power to design the future of their choice. You create community.
Program-Specific Gifts
General donations made to TLC will be automatically contributed to our Annual Fund unless our donors request to support one of our identified program funds:
- Community Resource Fund
- Badavas Parent Infant Program
- Student Athletics and After School Programs
- Residential Program
- Student Activities
- Academic Programs
To learn more about these funds, please contact Patti McCarthy. You can also make a donation online and select one of the program from the drop-down.
Events & Sponsorships
Do you enjoy connecting with friends and colleagues while supporting TLC's mission and work? So do we!
Join our Special Events Email List
TLC annually holds distinctive community events to raise funds for our programs while celebrating those in our community who make our work possible. Each year, our Spring Fundraiser creates opportunity to broadly support our mission while engaging in a fun and social activity on campus.
We host the Eastern Schools Deaf Athletic Association Tournament, providing a venue for other Deaf Schools to gather and compete. Additionally, our students often travel to other schools; gifts support transportation and accommodations for these experiences.
Additional events include our annual Homecoming weekend and supporting the Ben Hollingsworth Memorial Ride.
Facebook Fundraising
If you're on Facebook, you may raise funds in honor of a friend or family member, student, teacher, or staff member, for your birthday, or any other special occasion.
Creating a fundraiser on Facebook is easy. Simply go to Facebook Fundraisers and choose The Learning Center for the Deaf. Funds raised on Facebook will be automatically applied to our Annual Fund, unless someone reaches out to our Giving Office and requests the funds be applied to one of six identified program funds.
For support with Facebook Fundraisers, please contact Patti McCarthy.
Workplace Giving
Did you know that many companies will match employee donations so you can double your impact? And since companies often match employee contributions, workplace giving provides you with the opportunity to directly influence your company's community impact. To learn more, contact advancement@tlcdeaf.org or your Human Resources Department.
TLC offers opportunities for employees to donate time as volunteers--both in individual and group settings. To find out more, email advancement@tlcdeaf.org.
Volunteer
When you volunteer with us, you gain the opportunity to see first-hand your impact here in our community.
Our campus communication policy reflects that ASL is our primary language; we do ask that our volunteers use ASL to the best of their ability. Volunteer opportunities include:
- Wrapping gifts for Walden School students for holidays and celebrations
- Beautifying the campus for special events
- Organizing special fundraising events, such as the annual Ben Hollingsworth Memorial Ride
- Gathering silent auction gifts for our annual fundraiser
- Supporting learning in the classroom or library
- Helping the day of our special events
Tribute Giving
A tribute gift to The Learning Center for the Deaf is the perfect way to show just how much someone has made a difference in your life and the lives of others.
Your donation in honor of a current or retired employee, a family member, community member, or graduate commends the impact this individual has had on you while sustaining TLC's work. When you make a donation in an individual's honor, we send a letter of acknowledgement to the one you are honoring.
When you donate in memory of an individual who has passed on, we acknowledge your gift to the individual's family. Unless otherwise requested, we remove the amount of the donation from this letter to focus on celebrating the life of the individual who has made such a difference.
We also offer opportunities for space and program naming, providing a meaningful way to substantially pay tribute those who have made, and make, a difference. To discuss these opportunities, please email advancement@tlcdeaf.org.
Estate Giving
“The Learning Center for the Deaf is a place where a deaf child can find a language. There is no other place that provides what TLC provides.” Suzanne Newton (1920-2018)
Suzanne Newton donated generously to TLC during her many years as an ASL class participant and volunteer.
Suzanne requested that, upon her passing, gifts in her memory be made to TLC. It was also her wish that half of her life insurance bequest be designated for general TLC needs, and the other half be used to support Walden School.
Suzanne passed away in 2018 age of 97. We thank Suzanne for giving so generously during her lifetime and beyond.
For more information on the David Schwab Memorial Heritage Society and how to include TLC in your estate plans, please contact us.
Grantmaking
Innovation and collaboration are key values of TLC, and we are proud to be pioneers in Deaf Education, professional training, trauma-informed clinical care, and related services for deaf and hard of hearing children and adults.
We actively partner with grant makers that value access, inclusion, and equity for deaf and hard of hearing children and adults, and we welcome opportunities to participate in and advise foundation-funded initiatives, and pursue mission-aligned collaborative partnerships.
We are grateful for investments from:
- Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund
- Avidia Bank Charitable Foundation, Inc.
- Bayer Foundation
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of MA
- BJ's Charitable Foundation
- Bob's Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation, Inc.
- Bose Corporate Charitable Fund
- Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation
- Boston Scientific Foundation
- Building 19 Foundation
- Citi Foundation
- Copeland Family Foundation
- CVS Health Charity Classic
- DCU for Kids
- Foundation for Metrowest
- Gary S. and Margaret D. Anderson Family Foundation
- George I. Alden Trust
- I AM Strong Foundation
- Impact Framingham
- Merrill Lynch & Co. Foundation
- MetroWest Health Foundation
- Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation
- New England Patriots Charitable Foundation
- Pets in the Classroom
- Pfizer Foundation
- Roberta M. Childs Charitable Foundation
- Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc.
- TD Charitable Foundation
- The Agnes M. Lindsay Trust
- The Baker Foundation
- The Boston Foundation
- The Boston Globe Foundation
- The Hyams Foundation
- The Sudbury Foundation
- The TJX Companies, Inc.
- Verizon Foundation
- Wellesley Hills Jr. Women's Club, Inc.
- William Randolph Hearst Foundation
Finances
The Learning Center for the Deaf, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
With over 200 students taught on campus and over 400 additional students served off-campus, tuition from towns where students reside is TLC’s primary source of revenue. TLC also offers additional lines of service with diversified revenue streams, including audiology, interpreting, ASL classes, and professional training and consultation. TLC also raises funds for programs through mail and electronic appeals, solicitation of grants from corporations and foundations, and fundraising events. In FY19, revenue from grants and fees was $1,684,631, including $144,686 in fundraising income. In total, all revenue and support, including tuition, exceeded $26.9 million.
A recipient of GuideStar’s Gold Seal of Transparency, TLC is committed to publicly sharing key information about our finances and our strategic goals. Read more.
The Learning Center for the Deaf, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax-deductible in accordance with IRS regulations. EIN #23-7064431
- Annual Fund
- Program-Specific Gifts
- Events & Sponsorships
- Facebook Fundraising
- Workplace Giving
- Volunteer
- Tribute Giving
- Estate Giving
- Grantmaking
- Finances
When you donate to TLC, you create meaningful experiences, connecting children, adults, and families. These are just a few examples of what is possible as a result of your giving:
- Saturday morning playgroups for families in our Badavas Parent Infant Program.
- A memorable camping trip each August to Normandy Farms for over 20 students attending Walden School.
- ASL Interpreting Services for grandparents and extended family members to visit our classrooms and see their students learning first-hand.
- Classroom STEAM supplies for our emerging student programmers and scientists.
Your donation ensures deaf and hard of hearing children and adults have the knowledge, opportunity, and power to design the future of their choice. You create community.
General donations made to TLC will be automatically contributed to our Annual Fund unless our donors request to support one of our identified program funds:
- Community Resource Fund
- Badavas Parent Infant Program
- Student Athletics and After School Programs
- Residential Program
- Student Activities
- Academic Programs
To learn more about these funds, please contact Patti McCarthy. You can also make a donation online and select one of the program from the drop-down.
Do you enjoy connecting with friends and colleagues while supporting TLC's mission and work? So do we!
Join our Special Events Email List
TLC annually holds distinctive community events to raise funds for our programs while celebrating those in our community who make our work possible. Each year, our Spring Fundraiser creates opportunity to broadly support our mission while engaging in a fun and social activity on campus.
We host the Eastern Schools Deaf Athletic Association Tournament, providing a venue for other Deaf Schools to gather and compete. Additionally, our students often travel to other schools; gifts support transportation and accommodations for these experiences.
Additional events include our annual Homecoming weekend and supporting the Ben Hollingsworth Memorial Ride.
If you're on Facebook, you may raise funds in honor of a friend or family member, student, teacher, or staff member, for your birthday, or any other special occasion.
Creating a fundraiser on Facebook is easy. Simply go to Facebook Fundraisers and choose The Learning Center for the Deaf. Funds raised on Facebook will be automatically applied to our Annual Fund, unless someone reaches out to our Giving Office and requests the funds be applied to one of six identified program funds.
For support with Facebook Fundraisers, please contact Patti McCarthy.
Did you know that many companies will match employee donations so you can double your impact? And since companies often match employee contributions, workplace giving provides you with the opportunity to directly influence your company's community impact. To learn more, contact advancement@tlcdeaf.org or your Human Resources Department.
TLC offers opportunities for employees to donate time as volunteers--both in individual and group settings. To find out more, email advancement@tlcdeaf.org.
When you volunteer with us, you gain the opportunity to see first-hand your impact here in our community.
Our campus communication policy reflects that ASL is our primary language; we do ask that our volunteers use ASL to the best of their ability. Volunteer opportunities include:
- Wrapping gifts for Walden School students for holidays and celebrations
- Beautifying the campus for special events
- Organizing special fundraising events, such as the annual Ben Hollingsworth Memorial Ride
- Gathering silent auction gifts for our annual fundraiser
- Supporting learning in the classroom or library
- Helping the day of our special events
A tribute gift to The Learning Center for the Deaf is the perfect way to show just how much someone has made a difference in your life and the lives of others.
Your donation in honor of a current or retired employee, a family member, community member, or graduate commends the impact this individual has had on you while sustaining TLC's work. When you make a donation in an individual's honor, we send a letter of acknowledgement to the one you are honoring.
When you donate in memory of an individual who has passed on, we acknowledge your gift to the individual's family. Unless otherwise requested, we remove the amount of the donation from this letter to focus on celebrating the life of the individual who has made such a difference.
We also offer opportunities for space and program naming, providing a meaningful way to substantially pay tribute those who have made, and make, a difference. To discuss these opportunities, please email advancement@tlcdeaf.org.
“The Learning Center for the Deaf is a place where a deaf child can find a language. There is no other place that provides what TLC provides.” Suzanne Newton (1920-2018)
Suzanne Newton donated generously to TLC during her many years as an ASL class participant and volunteer.
Suzanne requested that, upon her passing, gifts in her memory be made to TLC. It was also her wish that half of her life insurance bequest be designated for general TLC needs, and the other half be used to support Walden School.
Suzanne passed away in 2018 age of 97. We thank Suzanne for giving so generously during her lifetime and beyond.
For more information on the David Schwab Memorial Heritage Society and how to include TLC in your estate plans, please contact us.
Innovation and collaboration are key values of TLC, and we are proud to be pioneers in Deaf Education, professional training, trauma-informed clinical care, and related services for deaf and hard of hearing children and adults.
We actively partner with grant makers that value access, inclusion, and equity for deaf and hard of hearing children and adults, and we welcome opportunities to participate in and advise foundation-funded initiatives, and pursue mission-aligned collaborative partnerships.
We are grateful for investments from:
- Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund
- Avidia Bank Charitable Foundation, Inc.
- Bayer Foundation
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of MA
- BJ's Charitable Foundation
- Bob's Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation, Inc.
- Bose Corporate Charitable Fund
- Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation
- Boston Scientific Foundation
- Building 19 Foundation
- Citi Foundation
- Copeland Family Foundation
- CVS Health Charity Classic
- DCU for Kids
- Foundation for Metrowest
- Gary S. and Margaret D. Anderson Family Foundation
- George I. Alden Trust
- I AM Strong Foundation
- Impact Framingham
- Merrill Lynch & Co. Foundation
- MetroWest Health Foundation
- Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation
- New England Patriots Charitable Foundation
- Pets in the Classroom
- Pfizer Foundation
- Roberta M. Childs Charitable Foundation
- Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc.
- TD Charitable Foundation
- The Agnes M. Lindsay Trust
- The Baker Foundation
- The Boston Foundation
- The Boston Globe Foundation
- The Hyams Foundation
- The Sudbury Foundation
- The TJX Companies, Inc.
- Verizon Foundation
- Wellesley Hills Jr. Women's Club, Inc.
- William Randolph Hearst Foundation
The Learning Center for the Deaf, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
With over 200 students taught on campus and over 400 additional students served off-campus, tuition from towns where students reside is TLC’s primary source of revenue. TLC also offers additional lines of service with diversified revenue streams, including audiology, interpreting, ASL classes, and professional training and consultation. TLC also raises funds for programs through mail and electronic appeals, solicitation of grants from corporations and foundations, and fundraising events. In FY19, revenue from grants and fees was $1,684,631, including $144,686 in fundraising income. In total, all revenue and support, including tuition, exceeded $26.9 million.
A recipient of GuideStar’s Gold Seal of Transparency, TLC is committed to publicly sharing key information about our finances and our strategic goals. Read more.
The Learning Center for the Deaf, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax-deductible in accordance with IRS regulations. EIN #23-7064431
Key Staff
Dwight received his MBA from the University of Houston-Victoria, and his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He is currently halfway through the courses required for the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate.
Prior to joining TLC, Dwight worked for six years at Deaf Pathway Global in Brentwood, TN, where he was the director of strategic operations. His work included writing grant proposals and engaging fundraising efforts as a part of a collaborative team.
In his role, Dwight will oversee the research, writing, and management of local and federal grant work to support TLC’s services, while increasing programmatic growth through fundraising efforts, donor relations, marketing and communications.
Residential Student Wish List
Our residential students live, learn and play on our beautiful campus in Framingham. In addition to our recreation, dining, and classroom facilities, students are provided with enriching activities, games, and therapeutic supports that are largely donated by our broader community.
We invite you to shop our residential program Amazon Wish List and provide our students with opportunities to use their imagination and creativity.
Click here to get started.
2024 VIP Day
2023 VIP Day
Volunteer at the Learning Center for the Deaf
When you volunteer with us, you gain the opportunity to see first-hand your impact here in our community. Opportunities for individuals and groups new to American Sign Language or learning American Sign Language.
- Wrapping gifts for Walden School students for holidays and celebrations
- Beautifying the campus for special events
- Organizing special fundraising events, such as the annual Ben Hollingsworth Memorial Ride
- Gathering silent auction gifts for our fall gala
Opportunities for individuals who are fluent in ASL
- Supporting learning in the classroom or library
- Helping the day of our special events
Confidentiality and Donor Privacy
The Learning Center for the Deaf considers all donor information highly confidential. Donor information is solely used for TLC mailings (publications, correspondence, invitations and solicitations). TLC never shares donor information with other organizations and never sells its mailing list. The Learning Center for the Deaf is a non-profit, non-sectarian day and residential school organized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.