Support our mission.

Whether learning to sail in the Penobscot Bay or fairing a hull in the shop, our programs offer unique and transformative educational opportunities. We engage students with the physical world in meaningful ways that build skill, independence, confidence, and resilience. With centuries of maritime history as precedent for what is possible, students are encouraged to push themselves to new levels of achievement. In the process, beautiful boats and able sailors are built, along with a deeper sense of personal empowerment.

We are so thankful that you share a commitment to this work—we could not do it without you.

 To donate by check, make payable to:

Apprenticeshop, 655 Main Street, Rockland, ME 04841

Other ways to support us

 GIVE A GIFT OF STOCK

We welcome gifts of stock.  If you choose to give stock, please follow the instructions below.

1) The Maine Community Foundation will receive stock gifts on behalf of the Appprenticeshop.  Please follow the banking instructions from MCF here.

2) Please contact Liz Sullivan at liz@apprenticeshop.org once the transfer has been initiated. She will let The Maine Community Foundation know to be on the lookout for the transfer.

3) Please email the information below to MCF at securities@mainecf.org and the Apprenticeshop at liz@apprenticeshop.org:

• Stock Name & symbol

• # of shares you will be sending

• Donor name

• Donor address

• Donor email

• Donor phone (please list if home or cell)

 MAKE A GIFT USING YOUR IRA

The IRA Charitable Rollover (or Qualified Charitable Distribution - QCD) is a great tool for qualified individuals to make a lasting impact on the Apprenticeshop—tax free! Upon reaching retirement, individuals may find that they have saved more than enough. The IRA Charitable Rollover is one of the most efficient ways to give back. Passed into permanent law in 2015, the IRA Charitable Rollover allows taxpayers age 70 ½ or older to transfer funds from their IRA accounts directly to charity—without first having to recognize the distribution as income. If you are age 73 or older and must take a Required Minimum Distribution RMD, a QCD gift can satisfy your RMD without increasing your income taxes.

IRA Charitable Rollover limitations:

• The donor must be age 70½ or older.

• The cap on annual IRA rollovers in 2026 is $111,000 per donor.

• The contribution must be a direct gift to a charity.

• The distribution must be made directly or postmarked to the charity by December 31.

• Donors cannot take tax-deductions from these gifts, as these gifts are not taxed.

To make an IRA Charitable Rollover, contact your IRA administrator to request a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA to the Apprenticeshop.

 PLANNED GIVING

Planned gifts play a vital role in ensuring the long-term success of the Apprenticeshop. These gifts allow you to take care of your family, provide for gifts to loved ones, and include a charitable gift for the Apprenticeshop. We can help you find the best way to make your gift, and perhaps help you to make a larger gift than you thought possible.

Here are some ways you can support the Apprenticeshop with a planned gift. If you would like to discuss any of these, or other, options with us, please contact Isabella Feracci at director@apprenticeshop.org or (207) 594-1800.  We encourage you to consult with your financial and legal advisors to establish a planned gift to the Apprenticeshop.

Gifts by will or trust

Create a vibrant future for the Apprenticeshop with a gift by will or trust. Explore the power of simple, flexible commitment that will help you leave your personal legacy and at the same time help the Apprenticeshop serve future generations. A gift by will or trust – often called a bequest – is established by a will, trust, or other estate plan enacted at the end of your life. 

A gift by will or trust will enable you to:

• Establish a future gift for the Apprenticeshop.

• Retain control of your assets during your lifetime.

• Maintain flexibility in case your plans change.

• Enjoy potential estate tax savings.

Design a gift by will or trust that’s right for you. 

• You can make a gift of a specific amount, a particular asset, a percentage of your estate, or a contingency if a potential heir does not survive you. Bequests are fully revocable and can be changed if your plans change. They may also help you reduce or avoid estate taxes. 

• To set up a bequest, please consult your financial and legal advisors for information specific to your situation. 

Make an Impact on the future of the Apprenticeshop.

• Your gift provides essential resources to sustain and strengthen the Apprenticeshop mission, meet unforeseen challenges, and plan for the future. 

• Please consider making an unrestricted bequest, so that the Apprenticeshop can direct your donation where it is needed most.

• Best of all, by including the Apprenticeshop in your plans, you will become part of our Legacy Circle, leading the way to a brighter future, and inspiring other members of the Apprenticeshop community to follow your lead.

Every bequest is appreciated, no matter the amount.

Here is some sample language to include in your will to make  bequest:  “I give to the Apprenticeshop, 655 Main Street, Rockland, Maine 04841, a Maine nonprofit organization, or its successor, Employer Identification Number is 22-3132234 [insert here the exact dollar amount or percentage of the estate you wish to give]. Please keep in mind that this bequest may be changed at any time as circumstances require.

Naming the Apprenticeshop as a beneficiary of an Asset 

One of the simplest ways to make a gift to the Apprenticeshop is to designate us as a beneficiary of one of your assets at the end of your lifetime. Beneficiary designations are an option for giving many kinds of assets including checking accounts, other bank accounts, commercial annuities, retirement accounts, and life insurance policies. You can specify all or a percentage of the assets you want each beneficiary to receive. Often, it's as easy as filling out a form. Note: Always consult with your financial and legal advisors before naming the beneficiaries of your retirement assets.

Retirement Plans

You may wish to designate the Apprenticeshop as the beneficiary of all or part of your retirement plan assets and set aside other assets for family and friends. As a tax-exempt organization, the Apprenticeshop will generally receive the full amount of the plan’s value, unlike the benefits received by children or non-spouse, non-charitable legatees, who receive only a portion of the stated value of the plan, inasmuch as such inherited assets of retirement plans are subject to income taxes and estate taxes.

 APPRENTICESHOP LEGACY CIRCLE

The Apprenticeshop Legacy Circle honors those who have made arrangements for a planned gift to the Apprenticeshop, and helps them connect to the Apprenticeshop with special invitations to events and other opportunities. We hope you will consider adding your name to the Apprenticeshop Legacy Circle to show your support for the Apprenticeshop and to inspire other community members to follow your lead. If you prefer, you may remain anonymous. 

Rocky’s Story

When the time came for Rocky Adriance ’74 to make his estate plans, he had an idea.  Remembering his life-changing Apprenticeshop experience, he decided to include the Apprenticeshop in his estate. 

Rocky came to the Apprenticeshop fresh out of Vietnam in 1973. He spent 18 months in the then-nascent apprenticeship program learning the craft of wooden boatbuilding and so much more. “The Apprenticeshop fundamentally redirected my life,” said Rocky. “When I came, I had never built anything before, but I was very curious and wanted to learn.  I was part of a team, and we figured it out together.  The spirit of jumping in and trusting the process stayed with me for 50 years. When I left, I knew I could figure out how to build just about anything.” One of Rocky’s favorite projects at the Apprenticeshop was building an interactive display of built-to-scale models of different boat designs. He built two 24” boat models and tested them in water tanks to see how various design changes impacted the way boats moved. That experience led directly to Rocky’s career building interactive museum displays all over the world.  

“My experience at the Apprenticeshop was life-changing, and I wanted to do what I could to make sure that others could have similar experiences, so I talked to my financial advisor about making a gift to the ‘Shop through my estate.”

“I was surprised to learn from my financial advisor that I could make a significant gift now using my retirement assets. I didn’t have to wait. My gift could make a difference right away. That meant a lot to me because I know the ‘Shop really needs support now as well as in the future.”

Rocky’s $400,000 gift, the largest the Apprenticeshop has ever received, helped buoy the Apprenticeshop to its most successful fundraising year ever in 2025. With the incredible support from Rocky and many others, we were able to invest in two new staff positions to strengthen our sailing and apprenticeship programs. We were also able to invest in our marketing efforts to help spread the word about the impactful work the Apprenticeshop does year-round. 

Rocky understands that the Apprenticeshop relies on donations to meet its budget year after year, so he continues to give to the annual fund every year to help meet current needs. And, yes, Rocky has also included the Apprenticeshop in his estate to help ensure that we remain strong for another 50 years and beyond.  

When asked why he chooses to make giving to the Apprenticeshop a priority, Rocky says, “It’s tremendously rewarding to me to be able to give back to the place that gave me so much.”  

We recently created the Apprenticeshop Legacy Circle to honor Rocky and other donors who have included the Apprenticeshop in their estate plans. These generous supporters are helping to secure the future of the Apprenticeshop for generations to come.