Advancement

The 2019-2020 year was extremely successful philanthropically. Not only did George School raise $15,119,603 in total commitments, but we saw increases in numbers of donors, parent participation, and gifts for the Great Green Give as well as significant new gifts for faculty support and to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit.

Development

The foundation of giving is the George School Fund. In many ways, this annual fund acts as our living endowment, as gifts from alumni, past and current parents, grandparents, and friends underwrite our current operations and new educational initiatives. Both unrestricted and restricted funds, directed to financial aid, faculty support, and a variety of educational programs, assist in maintaining the high quality of the George School experience.

The highlight of the past winter was the Great Green Give, the annual day of giving at George School. The spirit demonstrated that day by the trustee, parent, Interim Director of Development Mike Perry alumni, and student volunteers—not to mention generous donors—was palpable, as more than 1,000 gifts flowed into the school for a total of $257,133.

Participation in the Educational Improvement and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs also rose to $182,956. These important, tax-wise vehicles enable alumni and friends who live in Pennsylvania to make gifts to George School (as businesses and individuals) in exchange for tax credits.

Planned gifts are playing an increasingly significant role, too. Through realized bequests, we received $807,148, which was added to the endowment to benefit the school for years to come. We also heard from numerous individuals that they have included George School in their estate plans. One particularly generous donor designated George School as the beneficiary of their 401(k) to establish a series of distinguished faculty chairs. In addition to underwriting a significant part of a chairholder’s salary, the endowment will provide a $5,000 stipend. What a thoughtful commitment of support that recognizes our faculty in perpetuity.

Gifts to endowment, including the Barbara Dodd Anderson Trust, totaled $5,024,663. Like the value of the endowment itself, the impact of these gifts continues to grow. Board-approved spending from the endowment is approximately 5 percent. Combined with what is raised by the George School Fund, this represents 22 percent of the operating budget, a remarkable testimony to the loyalty and devotion of the George School family and an important countermeasure to tuition growth.

Alumni and Parent Relations

The Advancement Office does far more than fundraise, however. With the move to distance learning this spring, Alumni Relations had to adjust programming, postponing Alumni Weekend while connecting reunion classes through Zoom. Some classes have enjoyed their online meetings so much that they have continued them. Open mics and coffeehouses streamed online through the George School Alumni and Friends Facebook page also proved popular. We continue to look for new and creative ways to engage with alumni, and we welcome suggestions. Perhaps the strongest endorsement of the school is the significant increase in parent participation in the George School Fund. Parents—in the form of the Parents Association (PA)—also played a critical role in keeping their fellow parents connected to evolving events, especially when classes shifted online. Thanks to the phenomenal work of the PA, parents were kept informed and engaged during spring 2020 and on into the 2020-2021 school year.

Indeed, George School has a lot to be grateful for this year. Alumni, parents, and friends rallied in support of the school, often asking, “What can I do to help?” For all you have done and continue to do for George School, we remain very grateful.