HEAD OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP DONOR REPORT • FALL 2020
Dear Leadership Donors, I have always relished the start of the school year. As a student growing up I couldn’t wait to be back among my friends and teachers, and as the faculty began to return to their classrooms in mid-August, my excitement for the arrival of our students was palpable. This year, however, amid tents being erected on the quad, and the installation of sanitizing stations and plexiglass barriers, our faculty’s return gave me a renewed sense of purpose. Their dedication to our students is astounding. They are focused and fully committed to providing our students with a safe, fun, challenging, and supportive year at Berwick. Their dedication is at the heart of our community. As we all navigate the uncertainty of this pandemic, the commitment of this School to provide an exceptional educational experience could not be stronger. While I could not see the smiles of our students’ smiles under their masks when they arrived on campus, I could see the sheer enthusiasm in their eyes. Bulldogs, young and old, are thrilled to be together with their friends and teachers. The start of the school year could not feel more meaningful. When Berwick was compelled to move to a remote program this past March, and as we watched the shutdown affect businesses across the country, we worried what this would mean for philanthropy at Berwick. Our leadership donors reached out in many ways, by making a gift, or even an additional gift if they were able, and simply checking in to see what and how we were doing. It is clear that you, our leadership donors, care deeply about Berwick and your support has made all the difference. As we look ahead, we know that Berwick will emerge as an even stronger school. We are about to launch this year’s Berwick Fund that will support necessary facility adjustments, emergency financial aid for families hit hardest by the pandemic, and the everimportant professional development that allows our faculty to do their best work. The need has never been greater.
The Board of Trustees continues to move forward in our strategic planning. Areas of focus have been identified as creating a long term strategic financial model, developing partnerships in the Seacoast, environmental sustainability programming, and facility work and planning for auxiliary programs that would utilize our incredible campus for summer programming. Our NEASC accreditation process has been appropriately delayed to allow us to focus on our students at this time. Our visit will now be in October of 2021. We also continue to move forward in planning for Berwick’s next capital campaign. We will enter into a feasibility study this fall. Our partners, CCS, will be speaking with many of you about your hopes for Berwick’s future as we envision what a comprehensive campaign could mean for Berwick. Most importantly, I want to thank you for your generosity and partnership. It is humbling to see the impact of your philanthropic commitment to Berwick. Sincerely,
Jim Hamilton Head of School
LEADERSHIP DONOR REPORT 2019–2020 1
FINANCIALS
Total Berwick Revenue & Expenses FY19-20
Total Berwick Assets & Liabilities FY19-20
Tuition (gross) 88% $20,904,238
TOTAL REVENUE $23,578,084
Other Income 4% $867,476 Endowment Draw 3% $700,000
Property & Equipment 41% $19,942,998
TOTAL ASSETS $48,765,722
Contribution Revenue 5% $1,106,370
Compensation with Benefits 54% $12,345,531
TOTAL EXPENSES $22,943,354
Program: Instructional, Auxiliaries, Food Service, Transportation 8% $1,833,512 Debt Service 1% $263,680
Receivables & Prepaid Expenses 3% $1,509,033 Cash & Investments 56% $27,313,691
Notes Payable 76% $11,586,476
TOTAL LIABILITIES $15,261,144
Payables & Accrued Expenses 10% $1,560,714 Prepaid Revenue 14% $2,113,954
Administration & Facilities 16% $3,785,911 Tuition Assistance 21% $4,714,720
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LEADERSHIP DONOR REPORT 2019–2020 3
2019–2020
Your Investment at Work
$1,010,814
Though the pandemic impacted all of us, we are amazed by the tenacity and support of our students, faculty, families, and the entire Berwick community. At Berwick, leadership giving starts at $1,000. The generosity and dedication of you, our leadership donors, is critically important for the School and supports not only The Berwick Fund, but also supports projects and programs through specific endowed and restricted current-use funds. Unrestricted support of The Berwick Fund addresses the most pressing needs of the community so we can be agile and responsive to the needs of our students. This year, leadership support fueled The Berwick Fund and accounted for 92% of funds raised. Thank you for your generosity this year.
$927,092
87%
THE BERWICK FUND - TOTAL
FACULTY AND STAFF PARTICIPATION
$786,847
THE BERWICK FUND - UNRESTRICTED GIFTS
$140,245
GIFTS TO THE BERWICK FUND
$725,012 98 LEADERSHIP GIVING
THE BERWICK FUND - RESTRICTED GIFTS
ONE BERWICK On Thursday, May 21 we held our third annual day of giving, One Berwick. Originally planned for earlier in the spring, this day was carefully reimagined to consider the impact of the pandemic on our community. We were amazed and inspired by the way in which our entire community came together. Each year on One Berwick, donors have more than doubled the dollars raised for The Berwick Fund, starting at $50,000 in its first year and growing to $128,000 this year. Leadership support was critical to the success of the day, creating matching gifts and challenges to inspire gifts of all sizes. With our leadership donors paving the way, One Berwick was a celebration exhibiting how this community supports one another.
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600
LEADERSHIP DONORS
What Your Leadership Support Made Possible
Personal Protective Equipment iPads and Styluses
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he Berwick Fund provides the support that is necessary for our programs, faculty and staff professional development, and the ability to offer the depth and experience that defines a Berwick education. While The Berwick Fund always allows for the School to respond to unanticipated situations, this year the scale and scope of those expenses were different. The School was agile, assessing the needs of remote learning and reallocating unrestricted funds to purchase additional technology resources including iPads and Zoom subscriptions. Personal Protective Equipment and other sanitizing supplies were bought to protect our staff and to clean the campus and facilities. Due to the continued support of our generous leadership donors this year, Berwick is equipped to respond to the impact of the pandemic, and to quickly and effectively provide the materials to bring the Berwick experience home, so the School can continue to focus on supporting students, families, and faculty.
Chromebooks
Subscriptions
Faculty Professional Development
LEADERSHIP DONOR REPORT 2019–2020 5
INNOVATION
Planning for the Future—Preparing for a Capital Campaign
E ND OW M E N T
Berwick’s Endowment– Providing Long-Term Sustainability
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erwick continued to maintain strong financial growth of its endowment as demonstrated by the average annual returns of over 8% the past three calendar years. The market value of Berwick’s endowment as of June 30, 2020 was $19 million. Berwick’s endowment provides long-term financial sustainability, allowing the School to be less dependent on other sources of revenue, such as tuition. For donors, endowment giving provides an opportunity to create a meaningful legacy at the School while ensuring support for generations to come. Fundraising goals at Berwick Academy are established by the Board of Trustees and are intended to enhance the School’s operating resources, support capital expansions and renovations, and grow Berwick’s endowment. As the School looks to embark on its next comprehensive capital campaign, endowment support will be an important area of focus.
Faculty Support 40%
Program 11%
DISTRIBUTION OF ENDOWED FUNDS Unrestricted 28%
Facilities 6% Other 3% Financial Assistance 12%
24.62%
International Equity
36.59% Domestic Equity
24.94%
Domestic Fixed Income
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
8.62%
International Fixed Income
5.23%
Short Term Reserves
EQUITY An equity investment is money that is invested in a company by purchasing shares of that company in the stock market with the expectation that they’ll rise in value in the form of capital gains, and/or generate capital dividends.
FIXED INCOME broadly refers to those types of investment security that pay investors fixed
interest or dividend payments until its maturity date. Government and corporate bonds are the most common types of fixed-income products.
SHORT TERM RESERVES Savings and investments that are expected to be liquidated
in less than one calendar year. Examples of short-term reserves include deposits in banks, U.S. Treasury bills, and short-term certificates of deposit. 6 BERWICK ACADEMY
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hilanthropy at Berwick Academy continues to grow and impact our community in many positive ways. From financial aid and professional development, to technology and campus infrastructure, the foresight and generosity of donors, like you, continues to strengthen the School. In 2019, we partnered with CCS Fundraising, a strategic fundraising consulting firm that works with schools to help set the framework for capital campaigns. In late 2019, CCS conducted an advancement assessment to analyze the School’s fundraising operations and performance. The assessment was conducted through a series of one-on-one interviews with Berwick donors, trustees, parents, administrators, and staff. The results of the advancement assessment were encouraging and reflected a very positive perception of Berwick by participants who also understood the case for growing the School’s philanthropic efforts. Areas identified as opportunities for growth included: adding infrastructure to the office to increase alumni engagement and continuing the work around diversity and inclusion. As we continue to move forward in our work with CCS, the next step will be strategic conversations with you, our closest stakeholders. These conversations will be candid in nature and will discuss your general knowledge of Berwick, with CCS providing an overview of the School’s fundraising priorities, and seeking your advice on the multiple campaign opportunities. Berwick is at an exciting and pivotal time. Your continued support will play a key role in enabling our students to thrive now and in the future.
THE BILL AND KATHRYN MATTHEWS MEMORIAL FUND In 2016, through a partnership with Whittier Falls, an entity of the Dover New Hampshire Housing Authority, Berwick created the Dover Community Scholar program. The program admits a resident of Whittier Falls into the fourth grade each academic year. Berwick’s need-based financial aid program covers our four current student scholars’ tuition and will follow them, and all future recipients, through graduation. Alumnus Dick Shafner ’65, and his wife, Janet Eustis, recognize the importance of need-based financial aid and the positive impact an independent school education can have on a young person. In 2018, Dick and Jan pledged a $25,000 match for funds raised, dollar for dollar, to establish an endowed fund to support the Dover Community Scholars. The match was successful and inspired Dick and Jan to offer a second match in 2019. As of June 30, the value of the fund was approximately $95,000. The fund was named in honor of Bill and Kathryn Matthews. Bill Matthews Sr. came to Berwick in 1963 and served the school in a variety of teaching and administrative roles during his 16-year tenure.
THE RUTH RIOUX AWARD Created in 2011 as a restricted fund, The Ruth E. Rioux Award is presented each year to a faculty member who is chosen by their peers as someone who went above and beyond for the School. The award was established to honor Ruth’s service and deep dedication as a teacher in the Lower School, Director, and Assistant Head of School. This year, two anonymous donors stepped forward with gifts to permanently endow The Ruth E. Rioux Award. Past recipients include Tammy Britton, Colleen Meader, Dana Clinton, Christine Bessette, Lucy Pollard, Liz Anne Platt, Bill Clapp, Wendy Harrington, and Polly Davie. The 2019-2020 winner was Seth Hurd, Director of Information Systems, recognized for his countless hours and patience moving the Berwick classrooms to a virtual space and helping faculty deliver their vision and the school’s mission at a distance. The endowment of this fund enables Berwick to honor both Ruth’s legacy and the dedicated faculty.
LEADERSHIP DONOR REPORT 2019–2020 7
A D M I S S IO N S
Newly enrolled families who relocated came from Massachusetts, New York City, California, Connecticut, Tennessee, and countries abroad. The July announcement of Berwick’s Return to School Plan, with students returning to campus for in-person instruction, was marketed and shared with the families in varying stages of the admission process. The following tactics were utilized to communicate both the success of our remote program and Return to School planning: • Targeted social media ads and posts • Virtual events featuring teachers, students, administrators, and information about our remote program and Return to School Plan • Communication to inquiries using our inbound marketing tool • Outbound marketing via Seacoast United partners’ newsletter • Digital marketing via Google and Niche.com
Sharing Berwick Virtually
116
NEW STUDENTS 2020-2021
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he admission cycle for the 2020-2021 school year presented challenges and opportunities as Berwick and towns in our catchment area shifted to remote learning this past March. The Admission Team quickly pivoted and made modifications to the work of retaining and admitting new families in the virtual space. As the pandemic impacted our current families in a multitude of ways, supporting returning students was highly individualized and included work across the faculty from Divisions Directors, Deans, teachers, and advisors. The additional support of the COVID-19 emergency financial aid provided temporary support for our families who were deeply impacted by the pandemic. With campus closed at the height of our enrollment cycle, traditional tools were replaced by Zoom interviews with prospective students and parents, targeted online admission events and social
• Facebook live interview with Seacoast Moms Blog media outreach, virtual synchronous class visits, and many virtual interactions with our teachers in the spring and summer months. All of this proved to be a success with 116 new students enrolled by the first day of school on September 2. The announcements in late summer that many school districts were opening remotely or via a hybrid model provided an additional boost in interest. Many families who engaged in the admission process sought Berwick for the rigor, individualization, and overall depth of the academic experience, including the exceptional remote program that was delivered this past spring. The Admission Team worked with a large number of families in the spring and summer who relocated to the Seacoast. Thirteen families, for a total of nineteen students, enrolled due to a relocation. Many of these families were motivated to leave larger cities in the Northeast and beyond due to COVID-19.
• Mailing the Berwick Today magazine with a letter to families who own second homes in the Seacoast
The Return to School Plan, in addition to our community’s excellent communication of our planning and implementation for this school year, resulted in very positive receptions from families who chose to engage in the admission process. This boost in interest, which helped us to rebound from lower inquiries, official visits, and applications in April and May across each division, resulted in increases in the same categories across the whole school year to date in the months of June, July, and August. In July and August, 29 new students enrolled in all three divisions. The success of late summer enrollment illustrates the community-wide efforts and outreach to prospective families from faculty, staff, and Berwick parents and students alike. As the Admission Team plans for the 2021-2022 enrollment cycle, there is awareness that both the admission processes, experiences, and enrollment timelines for families will continue to look different than in the past and will thus continue to require creative solutions, programming, and approaches. The Admission Team will be expanding upon virtual events from this past spring and continuing the highly personalized structure as we move through this new enrollment cycle.
PLANS FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR INCLUDE: • partnering with feeder schools; • holding a virtual event for Seacoast Realtors; • launching a page within our website specifically for families who are considering a relocation to our catchment area. • i n c o r p o r a t i n g v i d e o a n d specifically-crafted Zoom presentations of students, Head Tour Guides, Division Directors, teachers, and administrators; • re-branding the Berwick in Action on-campus events to virtual #BABulldog; • using the new platform ThankView to send personalized videos; and • updating the Virtual Admission Guide online.
FINANCIAL AID WHEN MOST NEEDED
$125,000
AWARDED TO SUPPORT 23 STUDENTS
Berwick Academy is committed to providing access so that students who embody the core values of excellence, balance, integrity, and stretching through engagement are able to join the community. For the past three years, approximately 40% of students received financial assistance. In preparation for the start of the 2020-2021 academic year, the School continues our commitment to our families, providing additional support to those whose financial circumstances were impacted by the pandemic. Emergency COVID-19 financial aid has been awarded and will continue to be available for the upcoming school year as challenges continue to arise. Unrestricted support to The Berwick Fund fuels the school’s support of all of our families who have found themselves in need of this emergency funding.
LEADERSHIP DONOR REPORT 2019–2020 9
Preparing for the Year Ahead
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s spring break came to a close and states began to shut down, the plans for our final trimester had to quickly shift. The Berwick administration, faculty and staff, students, and families changed course and adapted to our remote learning environment. With little time to prepare, Berwick came together and rose to the myriad challenges presented by the pandemic. At the close of the 2019-2020 school year, the administrative team, faculty, and staff immediately began planning and preparing for the upcoming
academic year. To accommodate the changing nature of the pandemic, the School’s leadership, and a newly appointed Return to School Committee, focused on creating three plans: one that would bring the students and faculty back to campus together, one that relied on a lower density model on campus, and one that involved a more robust learning experience. The focus, however, has been to figure out how to best support the return of the community to campus safely.
$500,000
INCLUDING: • Personal Protective Equipment • iPads • Chromebooks • Emergency COVID-19 Financial Aid
TO PREPARE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR
Investments for the 2020-2021 academic year have spanned from facility adjustments, emergency financial aid, additional faculty and staff, professional development for the faculty, and technology resources. Berwick has spent approximately $500,000 preparing to offer a robust educational experience with proper social distancing and necessary educational tools. We have started this year informed by the experience of last spring, with structure and procedures in place to support the community and navigate the year ahead.
• Faculty Professional Development • OWL Cameras • 35,000 square feet of tent space
LEADERSHIP DONOR REPORT 2019–2020 11
The Berwick Fund In Action This Year
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2020-2021
2020-2021
James Jalbert, President Paula Williamson-Reid, Vice President
Personal Protective Equipment
Barbara R. O’Connor, Treasurer
Tents
James Lawson, Secretary Alice E. Bentley Stephen Boyle
iPads and Chromebooks
Lesli R. Friel Lisa M. Goulemas James Hamilton Eric S. Katz ’84 Kennett R. Kendall, Jr. Jason P. Kroll Dr. Arul Mahadevan Holly A. Malloy
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o continue to offer the strongest academic program for our students, support has been primarily focused on increased faculty and staff and their professional development, facility upgrades, and more robust technological resources. As enrollment was solidified, the Lower School staff was increased to accommodate additional classes and social distancing regulations. With medical needs and the daily health assessments and care during the pandemic, an additional nurse was hired. Facilities staff members have also been added to accommodate the many cleaning needs. All of Berwick’s faculty and staff are supporting the student experience on campus—from greeting and directing arrival and dismissal by car or bus, to delivering lunch and cleaning tables. The entire community on campus is working together to support one another.
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Preparedness while the pandemic continues, coupled with the climate surrounding social justice, equity, and race, has created an environment that emphasizes the need for Berwick’s faculty to continue their own education. Professional Development and learning opportunities were undertaken over the summer and continue into the school year. Faculty are evolving Berwick’s program to adapt to the changing nature of this year and beyond. Berwick’s existing classrooms and buildings needed adjustments to provide the appropriate spaces for social distancing. Plexiglass was installed in the Lower School so that our youngest learners maintain space, but are able to learn together. 35,000 square feet of tent space was erected before the start of the school year. The main tents (the 25,000 square foot Hilltopper and Hilltopper, Jr.) provide space for in-person community time and outdoor classes, as well as Middle and Upper School lunch.
While some technology was purchased in the spring, additional resources have been purchased for faculty to enable a greater distanced learning experience, if necessary. OWL cameras have been installed in classrooms across all three divisions. These smart video conference cameras automatically highlight and shift focus to different people in the room when they speak to support students learning from home. Supplemental screens also provide flexibility and increased connection between the community on the Hilltop and afar. Classrooms can extend far beyond the campus with a greater depth of technological sophistication.
Suzanne Miller
Subscriptions
Clare O’Brien Catherine L. Stevens Powell ’80
Innovation
Malcolm E. Smith, III Patrick D. Spearman Kelly A. McGowan, Ex-officio Natalee Ohayon Martin ’01, Ex-officio
Financial Aid OWL Cameras
Faculty Professional Development
Through the support of our leadership donors and the entire community, the gifts to The Berwick Fund allow our students to continue to experience the Berwick education full of depth, challenge, individual encouragement, and authenticity.
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