Your support helps keep this historic stable & grounds open to the community.
In a city where open land is increasingly rare, Monastery Stables offers something different: horses, green space, history, and a place to slow down. People come here to walk the grounds, spend time with the horses, connect with neighbors, and experience a space that feels far removed from the pace of daily life.
Your gift is what keeps this place accessible to everyone. When you support Monastery Stables programs, you’re supporting programs that give people hands‑on experiences with horses, time in nature, and community‑building activities that offer calm, confidence, and connection. Our programs open our gates to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to a place like this — from local youth and women rebuilding their lives to families facing hardship and neighbors seeking belonging.
You help preserve a rare piece of Philadelphia’s living history and ensure that restoration never depends on income.
Ways to Support our Community
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✽ MONTHLY GIVING
Become a monthly donor
Monthly giving is the heartbeat of what we do here.
A recurring gift — even a small one — gives us something that one-time donations cannot: stability. It means we can plan programs knowing the resources are there. It means a child who comes to the summer camp can come back again next year. It means we can make commitments to the families, veterans, youth, and communities we serve without wondering whether the funding will hold.
Monthly donors are the people this place runs on. If you believe in what we are building here, becoming a monthly donor is the most powerful way to show it. You can start, pause, or change your gift at any time.
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✽ LEGACY GIVING
Legacy giving
If this place has meant something to you — if you have stood in this barn, walked this land, or watched a horse ask something of someone you love — consider making Monastery Stables & Community Grounds part of your legacy.
A bequest in your will, a beneficiary designation, or a planned gift of any size ensures that these horses have a home, this land is cared for, and this community endures long after any of us are gone. Nearly 300 years of history have brought us here. Your legacy can help carry it forward.
To learn more about legacy giving, please contact us. We would be honored to speak with you.
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✽ DONOR ADVISED FUNDS
Giving through a Donor Advised Fund
If you give through a donor advised fund, we welcome your partnership — and we make it easy.
You can recommend a grant to Monastery Stables & Community Grounds through any DAF sponsor, including Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, or your local community foundation.
Gifts from donor advised funds can support our programs, our historic preservation work, or our general mission. If your fund advisor needs anything additional, we’re glad to assist and grateful for your support.
Monastery Stables is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations are tax‑deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Checks should be made payable to The Boarders and Stewards of the Monastery (EIN 23‑2802733), our legal name.
The official registration and financial information of The Boarders and Stewards of the Monastery may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling 1‑800‑732‑0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
Make your tax deductible gift today!
✽ OTHER WAYS TO GIVE
⌘ Tribute gifts
Make a gift in honor or in memory of someone you love. A horse, a place, a person — some things deserve to be remembered here.
⌘ Matching gifts
Many employers match charitable donations. Check with your HR department to double the impact of your gift at no extra cost to you.
⌘ Gifts of stock or securities
A gift of appreciated stock may offer significant tax advantages. Please contact us for details.
⌘ Give by check
To send a gift by mail, checks should be made payable to The Boarders and Stewards of the Monastery, the organization's registered legal name. Please mail to:
☞ BSM, PO Box 4032, Philadelphia, PA 19118.
Whether you're considering a one-time or a monthly gift, or planning a legacy contribution, contact us today to explore how you can contribute. We are here to help!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Because our barn operations are self-funding, your donations go directly to our access programs and historic preservation efforts.
We are committed to transparency and good stewardship of every contribution we receive. For more information about our growing programs and impact, contact: executivedirector@monasterystables.org.
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Yes, we gratefully accept in-kind donations of goods and services that support our mission.
Click here to view our amazon list, or reach out to us at [email/contact] before dropping anything off so we can confirm we have a current need and arrange receipt.
In-kind donations may also be tax-deductible — consult your tax advisor for details.
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Yes, and it's a meaningful way to celebrate or commemorate someone special. You can designate an honoree during the donation process on our ‘Make a Donation’ page.
If you'd like, we can also send a notification to the family or a recipient of your choosing letting them know a gift has been made in their name.
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Absolutely — we'd love to have you! We have an active volunteer program with opportunities for all interests and availability. Visit our [volunteer page link] to see current needs and sign up, or contact us at community@monasterystables.org , and we'll find the right fit for you.
Dear Donors,
Monastery Stables has stood here for nearly three centuries — a rare pocket of quiet, open land, and living history in Philadelphia. Preserving it, and keeping it accessible to everyone, is a shared act of stewardship.
Because our boarding community supports the horses, your donation goes entirely to what makes this place matter: caring for these historic barns and acres, and creating programs that welcome people who might never otherwise have access to open land, gentle animals, or a space that feels safe and grounding.
The Wissahickon has always been a place to breathe and restore. We believe that sense of refuge belongs to all of us. Your generosity helps ensure that.
Please join us today in supporting this work. Even a donation of $50 helps us care for this land and ensure it remains a place of refuge for everyone.
P.S. If your employer offers matching gifts, it’s an easy way to double your impact.