ENDOWMENT REPORT
2020–2021
THE BRENDSEL FAMILY GIVES THE GIFT OF EDUCATION THROUGH ENDOWMENT
By Abi Baker ’22Mary Lee and Jon Brendsel are the parents of three Flint Hill alumni: Natalie ’13, Monica H ’15 and Stephanie H ’17. The Peter Brendsel Family Fund serves as a legacy of their gratitude for Flint Hill that continues to benefit students long after their daughters graduated.
Mary Lee was actively involved as a parent volunteer which gave her additional insight into the Flint Hill experience. As a parent, she witnessed her daughters’ academic growth and felt connected to the strong school community.
This was one reason why it was hard for the Brendsel family to leave a community they loved when they moved to London while Stephanie and Monica were Upper School students. Stephanie was a freshman and remembers “writing a multipage essay to my parents embellishing the reasons we could not move, with leaving the Flint Hill community being high on the list.” Natalie describes how her appreciation of Flint Hill grew after she graduated. She said, “In that moment, I didn’t
realize all the opportunities I had and continue to have because of Flint Hill.”
The Brendsel sisters grew up with a grandmother who was never able to attend college; thus, their grandparents “reminded [them] often how lucky [they] are to have the opportunity to have an education, nevertheless, attend a school like Flint Hill.” Those experiences in their own family were the ultimate motivator for Mary Lee and her husband Jon to establish an endowed fund at Flint Hill so that they could make a long-term investment in the education of others. Natalie says she’s grateful to her grandparents who have given her “the gift of education for a lifetime, and I feel so lucky that the gift can extend beyond my sisters and me.”
Mary Lee added, “If you can change somebody’s life, knowing that the Flint Hill mission is going to continue through them, it makes it all worth it.”
The Peter Brendsel Family Fund provides financial aid for members of the Emerging Scholars (ES) program to attend and thrive at Flint Hill. The mission of ES is “to identify and assist a diverse
group of students who, without preparation and financial aid, could not consider an independent school education. ES provides an intensive program of academic, social, and cultural enrichment; leadership, and life-skill development; as well as sustained support for the entire family.”
Thanks to the financial support provided by The Peter Brendsel Family Fund, a number of ES graduates have had the opportunity to attend Flint Hill over the years.
Headmaster John Thomas also serves on the board of the Emerging Scholars organization. During his leadership, he has experienced firsthand the Brendsels’ “generosity and commitment to providing a transformative experience for young people.”
The Brendsel family’s dedication and commitment to Flint Hill is evident through their endowment. Even years after their time on campus, Flint Hill provides them with a sense of family that they want to share with future generations. We are grateful for their continued support which allows more students the opportunity to enjoy the Flint Hill experience that inspired their generous gift.
Abi Baker is a senior at Flint Hill. She has served as an Admission student ambassador. She currently serves as president of the Young Democrats and vice president of the Model UN. In her junior year, she interviewed Katie Couric regarding feminism in the media after being inspired by a Contemporary Topics in Feminism elective course. Abi has been involved with The View student newspaper and the Yearbook. She now serves as editor-in-chief and co-editor of both publications.
Flint Hill Senior Abi Baker ’22 recently had the opportunity to speak with Alumni Parent Mary Lee Brendsel P ’13, ’15, ’17 and her family about their Flint Hill experience and endowment.“
In that moment, I didn’t realize all the opportunities I had and continue to have because ofFlint Hill. -Natalie Brendsel ’13
OUR INVESTMENT APPROACH
The endowment is overseen by Flint Hill School’s Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee. The committee is guided by its Investment Policy Statement and advised by Wells Fargo Advisors. The committee monitors endowment performance and keeps the Board apprised. Additionally, the committee is responsible for reviewing and recommending adjustments to the Investment Policy Statement.
The Investment Committee aims to pursue a general policy that will diversify investments to provide a balanced approach that will enhance total return while avoiding undue risk concentration in any single asset class or investment category. The long-term investment objective of the endowment is to maximize investment returns without exposure to undue risk. It is understood that fluctuating rates of return are characteristic of the securities markets. The greatest concern is the preservation of capital and the need for long-term asset appreciation.
2020–21 ASSET ALLOCATION
To support the School’s long-term objectives, endowments maximize investment returns without exposure to undue risk.
Currently, the Investment Committee uses the following asset allocations when determining endowment investments:
Equities 55% Fixed Income 30% Cash & Equivalents 5% Non-traditional 10%
OUR SPENDING PHILOSOPHY
It is the current policy of the School to annually distribute an amount no greater than four percent of a three-year rolling average of the endowment’s total asset value as of July 31.
5% 10% 30% 55%
FLINT HILL SCHOOL ENDOWMENT
NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIP/ FINANCIAL AID FUNDS
YEAR ESTABLISHED 7-31-21 MARKET VALUE FY 2020–21 DISTRIBUTION
Alloy Family Endowed Fund 2012 $301,908.79 $7,567.82
Carbonell Family Endowed Fund for Financial Aid 2012 $1,439,524.90 $36,083.96
Davis Family Endowed Minority Scholarship Fund 2000 $309,617.81 $7,761.06
Hunter Family Endowed Scholarship Fund 2007 $418,954.04 $10,501.74
Jasper P. Horne Jr. Endowed Memorial Scholarship 1993 $79,072.14 $1,982.07
The Lindsay Family Scholarship Fund 2017 $62,051.94 $1,354.90
The Mary and Daniel Loughran Endowed Scholarship Fund 1997 $411,047.65 $10,052.89
Parents’ Association Endowment for Financial Aid in Honor of Sally Hazel 2012 $834,447.92 $20,852.83
Peter Brendsel Family Fund 2007 $290,836.49 $4,783.62
INSTRUCTIONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDS
The Dunn Family Endowed Fund for the Advancement of Academic Excellence 1999 $101,598.18 $2,546.72
Faculty Summer Study and Enrichment Endowed Fund 2007 $179,577.15 $4,501.38
PRIZE AND AWARD FUNDS
Brody Endowed Memorial Fund 1993 $40,388.64 $1,012.40
Colonel Alan Ferguson-Warren Endowed Memorial Scholarship Fund 1993 $24,219.46 $607.10
Colonel Wilber M. Gaige Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund 1997 $95,465.96 $2,393.00
Driving Spirit Faculty Awards 2006 $234,855.65 $5,887.03
SPECIAL USE FUNDS
Anne Hazel Endowed Lecture Series Fund 2001 $60,500.54 $1,516.54
The Stephen Case Foundation Endowed Fund for Technology 1998 $95,418.25 $2,391.81
William A. Hazel Family Learning Center Endowment 1999 $472,393.57 $11,841.29
GENERAL ENDOWMENT FUNDS
General Endowment Fund 2006 $641,090.91 $16,069.95
John T. Hazel Jr. Leadership Endowed Fund 2012 $47,709.09 $1,195.90
Total 2020–21 $6,140,679.08 $150,904.01
Total 2019–20 $5,030.133.61 $141,480.80
BY ENDOWING CRITICAL RESOURCES, YOU MAKE POSSIBLE — NOW AND FOR DECADES TO COME — TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FACULTY.
To discuss supporting these endowment funds or establishing a new permanent fund please contact:
ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Meredith Cook VanDuyne 703.584.2351 mvanduyne@flinthill.org
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Leslie Hutchens 703.584.2424 lhutchens@flinthill.org
DIRECTOR OF ENGAGEMENT AND STEWARDSHIP Tiffany Parry 703.584.2364 tparry@flinthill.org
FLINT HILL ENDOWMENT HISTORY TOTAL ENDOWMENT BALANCE (All FIGURES IN MILLIONS) YEAR END 0 2 4 1 3 5 6 7 7/31/01 7/31/02 7/31/03 7/31/04 7/31/05 7/31/06 7/31/07 7/31/08 7/31/09 7/31/10 7/31/11 7/31/12 7/31/13 7/31/14 7/31/15 7/31/16 7/31/17 7/31/18 7/31/19 7/31/20 7/31/21