Office of Philanthropy

A La Jolla Country Day School education requires two funding streams: tuition and philanthropy. This has been true since our founding by Louise Balmer in 1926. As the school’s fundraising arm, the Office of Philanthropy partners with parents and grandparents of current students and alumni, as well as alumni, faculty/ staff, students and friends to raise funds to bridge what is known as “the gap” between what tuition covers and the cost of an ljcds education. Most, if not all, independent schools share this financial model, from the East Coast to the West Coast. As Torreys, we believe in the power of philanthropy at school, in the community, across the country and around the world to make real, measurable and positive change and to ensure that our students are becoming the changeagents of tomorrow.

300+

STUDENTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE AWARD-WINNING TORREY MOCK TRIAL AND TORREY MODEL UNITED NATIONS TEAMS.

175+

STUDENTS HAVE BROADENED THEIR HORIZONS BY ATTENDING EVENTS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN CITIZENSHIP’S (CEC) PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SAN DIEGO

DIPLOMACY COUNCIL. THIS INCLUDES A VISIT TO THE U.S.–MEXICO BORDER WITH BORDER ANGEL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DULCE GARCIA AND A RECEPTION WITH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE AWARDEE NAW K’NYAW PAW.

127

STUDENTS HAVE GROWN AS GLOBAL CITIZENS BY TRAVELING WITH THEIR PEERS ON CEC-SUPPORTED GLOBAL EDUCATION TRIPS TO BELIZE, BOTSWANA, CHINA, IRELAND, THE NETHERLANDS, PANAMA, PERU AND ZAMBIA.

DESIGN & INNOVATION PROGRAM

INCORPORATES COMPUTER SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, DESIGN AND BUSINESS, ALLOWING STUDENTS TO TAKE FULL-TIME D&I CLASSES YEAR AFTER YEAR.

35 INSPIRING, THOUGHTPROVOKING GUEST SPEAKERS

THE TORREY EXPLORERS FUND

LJCDS’S VENTURE CAPITAL FUND FOR DESIGN & INNOVATION.

IN 2020 ALONE, THREE LJCDS STUDENTS WON DESIGN & INNOVATION COMPETITIONS; 100% MORE THAN COMPETITOR SCHOOLS.

Philanthropy at LJCDS

Alumni, parents of alumni, current parents, grandparents, friends, faculty and staff give back to the school in a myriad of ways, furthering the unparalleled spirit of philanthropy that lies at the core of LJCDS. MARK FULLER, a lifer from the class of 1980, and his wife, Judy, showcase the generosity that defines the Torrey community.

REFLECTION BY MARK FULLER ’80 P’25

Giving back to LJCDS is my way of helping to ensure that the school has the resources to invest in the long term so that it is prepared to serve future generations of children. It has been nearly 50 years since I was first enrolled at LJCDS, and the history of the school goes back nearly twice that long.

When I attended the school, Regents Road was then a dirt road, and the land at the corner of Regents Road and Genesee Avenue wasn’t yet part of the campus. Over the years, under the stewardship of caring and capable leaders, the school has continually invested in the infrastructure necessary to grow and strengthen its foundation.

In the 1970s, the physical resources weren’t anything close to what they have today. Even as the new buildings have magnificently transformed the physical campus, I believe the faculty and administrative leadership’s commitment to each child’s well-being remains the most extraordinary feature of the LJCDS experience. I have witnessed this continuity firsthand, as one of our sons (Luke ’25) is now retracing my steps through the Middle School. All of us who care about the school and believe in its promise to “inspire greatness for a better world” are called to support the school’s leadership to help fulfill their vision of making the school a beacon for another 100 years.

When LJCDS families and alumni have the capacity to give back, it demonstrates the school’s mission of social responsibility by benefiting the whole community. My family moves in service to the world, and we believe philanthropy is one logical and deliberate vehicle toward social justice.

HELP US GROW OUR LEGACY FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS

To learn more or to make a gift, visit www.ljcds.org/giving or contact Katie Sigeti ’06, philanthropy manager of alumni programs, at ksigeti@ljcds.org.

LJCDS.ORG/GIVING

9490 Genesee Avenue La Jolla, California 92037  Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID La Jolla, CA Permit No. 3888