Frequently Asked Questions

This year, we will host the Bennett Scholars Breakfast on Thursday, March 24, in-person at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Palo Alto, and broadcast the event live on Zoom. You must register for either event online. 

If you are attending in-person, please use this link.

If you are attending the live broadcast, please use this link.

Individual tickets to the Breakfast cost $200. If you are able, we invite you to become a Breakfast Sponsor at one of the levels below. Each sponsorship comes with an eight-seat table with priority seating and a mention in the program.

Table Sponsorships
Celebration Leadership   $10,000
Founders                         $7,500
Entrepreneurs                 $5,500
Start Ups                         $3,500

This year we are again welcoming people to attend the live-broadcast of the Breakfast on Zoom without purchasing a ticket.

Selling tickets and tables to the Breakfast does not raise the entire $1.2 million we need to enroll ten new Bennett Scholars in the GMS Class of 2025. Please consider making an additional contribution to the Bennett Scholars Program today. Our families support the Bennett Scholars Program at gifts ranging in size from $25 to $220,000. Every gift makes a difference in the lives of our extraordinary girls. You can mail us a check, donate online using a credit card or make a pledge today and pay later. Check out our How to Give page for details on more options such as stock or bank transfers. 

Individual tickets cost $200. Of that ticket price, $150 is a donation to the Bennett Scholars program and fully tax deductible. The cost of the breakfast and expense equals $50 per ticket therefore is not tax deductible.

Most attendees of the Breakfast dress in business or business casual attire.

A sit-down breakfast is served.. There is plenty of coffee beginning at 8:00 a.m. Registration officially opens at 8:15.

Complimentary valet parking will be available starting at 8:00 am

Yes, anyone attending the in-person event must be up-to-date with their vaccinations. Please refer to the CDC’s website for more information and to find out if you are considered “up-to-date” with your vaccination status. 

If you are a current parent and your updated COVID-19 Vaccination Record is on file with Magnus Health, then you do not need to show proof of vaccination status the day of the event. All others will need to bring their vaccination card, digital card, or a photo of the card to the registration table on the day of the event.

Yes, unless you are actively eating or drinking, masks must be worn at all times. We will provide backup masks if needed.

• Venue size. The Bennett Scholars Breakfast will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Palo Alto. Registration and coffee will be held in the entryway to the ballroom and the adjacent outside courtyard. The program and breakfast will be held in the ballroom which is very large with high ceilings and significant airflow. 
• Limited attendance. We are limiting attendance to less than half of the venue capacity to allow for a safe distance between tables. 

Table seating. When guests register for the in-person event, they are offered the option to list the names of others with whom to be seated. This allows guests to sit together with friends, family, and in-class groups. In addition, guests per table are limited to eight (rather than 10 in previous years.)

Selling tickets and tables to the Breakfast does not raise the entire $1.2 million we need to enroll ten new Bennett Scholars in the GMS Class of 2025. Please consider making an additional contribution to the Bennett Scholars Program today. Our families support the Bennett Scholars Program at gifts ranging in size from $25 to $220,000. Every gift makes a difference in the lives of our extraordinary girls. You can mail us a check, donate online using a credit card or make a pledge today and pay later. Check out our How to Give page for details on more options such as stock or bank transfers.

Yes! When you register for the in-person Breakfast, you will be prompted to include a seating preference. You can list specific people who are also buying individual tickets to the breakfast, or you can say, "please seat me with other Class of 2017 families." We do our best to honor seating requests.

Thursday, March 24, will be a regular school day for all GMS students. Students will be greeted at school that day with their very own breakfast treats and then will attend the live-broadcast in their classes. Students will be registered by their classes and do not need to do anything to attend virtually. 

The only current GMS students who will attend the in-person Breakfast at the Crowne Plaza are our student Breakfast Ambassadors. Students will be invited to apply to be a Breakfast Ambassador through the school in February. We will prioritize eighth-grade applicants. 

Please note, GMS parents/guardians can drop their students at GMS beginning at 7:50 on Thursday, March 24 and then have the time to drive directly to the Crowne Plaza and attend the Breakfast.

Students will learn about our speakers and the Breakfast in February. We’ll have guided discussions and activities during Advisory prior to the Breakfast and plan to showcase student work and questions during the Breakfast.

Everyone! The Bennett Scholars Breakfast is a community-wide event. We encourage you to invite family members, friends, colleagues – anyone who supports empowering girls and celebrating women leaders.  We encourage people in the Bay Area to attend the in-person Breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, as they are able. And the best part of the live-broadcast on Zoom is that people can join from anywhere in the world! Just have them register at this link.

Thank you for sponsoring the Breakfast! Along with your sponsorship, you receive an eight-person table with priority seating. This is a wonderful way of supporting the Bennett Scholars mission while building community. 

• Invite friends, colleagues, and guests to join you at your table. When you register for your sponsorship, we will send you digital invitations to share. 
• If you do not fill your entire eight-seat table, let us know and we can seat a faculty member or additional guest at your table. 

Consider donating your table. If you are unable to attend the Breakfast in person, but would still like to sponsor a table, please let us know by emailing advancement@girlsms.org. We can fill your table with Bennett Scholar Families, honored guests, faculty and staff, or transfer your table to a direct donation.

GMS raises approximately $1.2 million every year to fully fund this comprehensive scholarship program. This is in addition to the approximately $800,000 we raise every year through The GMS Fund in support of our annual operating budget. Whether you attend the Breakfast or are unable to, please consider making a gift to the Bennett Scholars Program. We invite you to support the program at a donation level that you are able.

As many as can comfortably sit around your computer! There is no limit to how many people can watch from your registration link.

You can mail us a check, donate online using a credit card or make a pledge today and pay later. Check out our How to Give page for details on more options such as stock or bank transfers.