William Penn Charter School
T h a n k Yo u . r e p o r t o f g i f t s : 2014/2015
STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 6
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Provide for financial sustainability and support the mission of the school.
STEWARDSHIP WITHOUT BOUNDARIES The Importance of Unrestricted Gifts A Quaker, former parent and current member of the Overseers, Anne Caramanico Hon. 1689, P ’07 has a unique perspective on Penn Charter and the Friends testimony of Stewardship. Before she stepped down as Clerk of Overseers last spring, Caramanico made a major, unrestricted gift of $100,000 to Penn Charter’s endowment. The significance of the gift is two-fold: Penn Charter’s endowment – the unaudited value in September 2015 was $76 million, one of the largest among independent schools – is key to the school’s financial strength because it generates annual income and provides financial stability. Caramanico’s gift will steward the school in perpetuity. Plus, rather than stipulating how the school should spend the money, she left that decision to the discretion of school leaders. “Gifts of unrestricted endowment are the hardest for a school to raise,” Caramanico explained. “It isn’t a tangible
result; you don’t know exactly to whom or for what the money will go. I totally understand that people want to direct their gift and it is an important, powerful and wonderful way to support the school. But unrestricted endowment is vital.” Although she stepped away from the leadership position of clerk, Caramanico remains on the Overseers. She attributes her experience as an overseer and member of the board’s Finance Committee to helping her understand the critical importance of unrestricted endowment. “The reason Penn Charter is healthy is because of our endowment. We have what we have because the school is old and generations of alumni have been generous and visionary in their giving to the school. I was lucky to have the insider view to see the great care Overseers took to steward the endowment while wishing it was larger.” Chief Development Officer Jack Rogers Hon. 1689 said the gift is a testament to Caramanico’s longtime engagement with the school, her belief in the current leadership and future of Penn Charter, and her understanding that she has a responsibility to support the education of future graduates. “Anne is the perfect example of a former parent who became part of the school’s leadership, and as board chair felt that a gift of this nature was her responsibility,” Rogers said. Caramanico’s son, Tom, graduated in 2007, and she witnessed the impact PC had on him and his friends. “Penn Charter leaves a mark on its graduates. They see the world, themselves and themselves in the world differently. They realize they have responsibility to the world, even if they don’t know what that is yet. As they grow older, they learn what they can do for the world to fulfill that responsibility. OPCs get it. The world needs more people like that,” she said.
Penn Charter named one of its new quads ‘Stewardship’ in honor of Anne Caramanico Hon. 1689, P ’07. Anne Caramanico joined Michael Moulton (right) and Stephen Flemming, Class of 2017, at Undine Boat House on Boat House Row, home of PC crew’s fleet.
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
Caramanico has faith in the institution and its current and future leaders. “I won’t know Penn Charter’s future, but I expect it will be roughly the same as it has been for 325 years,” she said. “I trust Darryl Ford and his successors in the stewardship of the school. The gift is a way to fulfill my responsibility to stewarding the school for future OPCs so they can go on and do good in the world.” PC
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REPORT OF GIFTS
CASH RECEIVED, JULY 1, 2014 - JUNE 30, 2015 The Report of Gifts celebrates the commitment of more than 2,100 people who contributed to William Penn Charter School and whose philanthropy helps to shape this institution.
ANNUAL FUND
$1,741,417 (INCLUDES A $400,000 MATCHING GIFT)
FRIENDS ANNUAL FUND
ALUMNI ANNUAL FUND
$1,183,484
$42,532
PARENT ANNUAL FUND (CURRENT AND OPC PARENT)
GRANDPARENT ANNUAL FUND $46,711
$468,690
Chief Development Officer John T. Rogers Hon. 1689 directs a development office dedicated to advancing Penn Charter. For questions about the Report of Gifts or making a charitable contribution to our school, contact Jack Rogers at jarogers@penncharter.com or 215-844-3460 ext. 111.
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2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
RESTRICTED ANNUAL GIVING
$1,356,751 EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT TAX CREDIT
OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP TAX CREDIT
TEACHERS RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION
$418,450
$574,694
$298,957
ATHLETICS
COLLEGE PREP
OTHER
$4,000
$50,500
$10,150
T O TA L G I F T S T O C U R R E N T O P E R AT I O N S Annual Fund + Restricted Annual Giving
$3,098,168 CAPITAL AND ENDOWMENT
$2,524,107 FACULTY ENDOWMENT
UNRESTRICTED CAMPUS TRANSFORMATION
$199,781
SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT $979,509
$484,722
$614,365
GENERAL ENDOWMENT $245,730
ALL CHARITABLE GIVING Gifts to Current Operations + Capital and Endowment
$5,622,275 2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
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PENN CHARTER FINANCES:
AN OVERVIEW REVENUES:
$26,002,512
EXPENDITURES:
$25,973,971
SURPLUS:
$28,541
(Surplus is carried over to the following year.)
INCOME
72
%
TUITION & FEES
16
%
6
%
VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS, (Annual Fund and Pension Contribution)
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GIFTS, Funds drawn from Endowment, and Funds drawn from state tax-credit programs (see page 10)
5
%
1
%
STUDENT SERVICES that incur additional fees
MISCELLANEOUS INCOME, including summer camp, rental of Kurtz Center
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
EXPENSES
56
%
15
%
PAYROLL
BENEFITS
8
%
12
%
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts 2013-14
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
4
%
5
%
FEE-BASED STUDENT SERVICES
GENERAL STUDENT SERVICES
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WE DID IT, AGAIN! 2014-2015 Annual Fund Goal: $1,300,000 2014-2015 Annual Fund Total: $1,741,417* 2013-2014 Annual Fund Goal: $1,200,000 2013-2014 Annual Fund Total: $1,627,950**
Giving Means Taking Part
Director of Leadership and Annual Giving Tiffani Harris reported that 1,607 donors made gifts to the Annual Fund in 2014-2015.
Highlights include: • a Senior Parent Gift with 100 percent participation by families in the Class of 2015
Penn Charter completed the celebration of
• 50 percent of gifts increased
the school’s 325th anniversary on June 30
• a $400,000 matching gift (See “Matching Math” on page 9)
with an Annual Fund success that drew on every segment of our community: parents, OPCs, faculty, staff and friends. “In Penn Charter’s 325th year, we celebrated our storied history as well as the ways in which we are always innovating and reaching,” said Head of School Darryl J. Ford. “It was an extraordinary year in so many ways – and that includes the support we received for the Annual Fund.”
“Giving means taking part in our community,” Harris said. “As our community grows, we understand that the collective voice and gifts of many can make a real difference in the lives of our students.” The Annual Fund is the foremost fundraising priority at Penn Charter because it supports the people and the programming that keep Penn Charter at the forefront of independent school education. Tuition does not cover the full cost of educating a PC student. In fact, 5 percent of the school’s operating budget is covered through gifts from the Annual Fund and the Teacher’s Retirement Fund. Every gift matters. With the school’s careful stewardship of its finances, a small gift goes a long way and a large gift can be truly transformational. Every gift matters.
* includes $400,000 matching gift ** includes $300,000 matching gift
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2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
MATCHING MATH An anonymous OPC donor established a 2014-2015 Annual Fund gift challenge that won Penn Charter a $400,000 matching gift and helped compel leadership donors to even more generous giving.
Gifts to the Annual Fund promote excellence in academics, arts and athletics, for example, a student exchange program with the Martin Buber School in Buenos Aires (top); stellar performing arts opportunities; and equipment for our athletic teams, including the Inter-Ac championship softball team.
The OPC, hereafter referred to as Anonymous, agreed to match 1:1 Annual Fund gifts that advanced a donor into the next leadership giving level in the William Penn Society – and capped the match at $400,000. The effort was so successful that the total increase in leadership gifts exceeded the $400,000, yielding $623,935 in new giving. “Penn Charter is great,” Anonymous said. “I love the program, what they are doing with the kids, and that they are always looking toward the future.” Previously, in 2013-2014, Anonymous matched any increase in a donor’s Annual Fund gift: If a donor gave $1,000 in 20122013 and then $2,000 in 2013-2014, Anonymous matched the $1,000 increase. More than 800 donors increased their gifts. Penn Charter benefited from the total increase in gifts, plus the generous OPC responded with a $300,000 matching gift. The William Penn Society, named in honor of Penn Charter’s founder and honoring key leaders and milestones in the school’s history, has seven levels of giving, ranging from $1,689 to $50,000. (Read more about the society on page 12.)
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 6
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Provide for financial sustainability and support the mission of the school.
EITC / OSTC Fortify Financial Aid for PC DOES YOUR COMPANY OR EMPLOYER OPERATE IN PENNSYLVANIA AND PAY ANY OF THESE TAXES? • Corporate Net Income Tax • Capital Stock Franchise Tax • Bank and Trust Company
Shares Tax
• Title Insurance Companies
Shares Tax
• Insurance Premiums Tax • Mutual Thrift Institution Tax • Personal Income Tax If so, the business may be eligible to participate in two state tax-credit programs that make it possible to redirect tax dollars to Penn Charter for financial aid. The application process is easy, and the benefits to the school and to deserving students are significant.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
Why Not? Kirby Dixon OPC ’09, Penn ’13, now working in public relations for NBC’s USA Network in Manhattan, was not aware of the finances that made it possible for her to attend Penn Charter. Most students receiving financial aid are not. Kirby is shown above at her 2009 Penn Charter graduation. “I don’t know what occurred behind the scenes to make it happen, but I know that my mom always wanted the best-of-the-best for me. And Penn Charter was the best,” Dixon said. “I had amazing experiences, amazing teachers. I would not be who I am today without my Penn Charter experience. (continued on next page)
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2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
WHAT ARE EITC AND OSTC? Enacted by the Pennsylvania legislature in 2001, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) provides a tax credit to businesses that pay Pennsylvania’s corporate income tax for contributions to scholarship organizations that give private-school scholarships to eligible children. In August 2012, Pennsylvania created a second program – the Opportunity School Tax Credit (OSTC) – to offer further support for students whose neighborhood public school is low-achieving.
“Why participate? I think the question is why not? Education can make or break a child. This is an opportunity to change someone’s life forever.” In 2014-2015, EITC and OSTC raised $993,144 from 29 partners to support financial aid at Penn Charter. The list of the companies that contributed appears on page 70.
The EITC and OSTC programs enable a Pennsylvania business to direct up to $750,000 of its Pennsylvania state tax dollars directly to Penn Charter’s scholarship program. Tax credits are given for 75 percent of a oneyear gift and 90 percent of gifts given in two consecutive years. Last year, tax-credit gifts to PC ranged from $1,000 to $250,000.
Thank you to our partners! The support of the EITC program is critical to helping Penn Charter achieve our mission of socioeconomic diversity. For more information on the EITC program, contact Phil Consuegra, associate director of development, at 215-844-3460 ext. 172 or pconsuegra@penncharter.com.
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The William Penn Society
Connecting Current Leaders With Our Past The William Penn Society, named in honor of Penn Charter’s founder and honoring key leaders and milestones in the school’s history, recognizes leadership gifts to the Annual Fund. The William Penn Society was introduced with the 20142015 giving year, which began on July 1, 2014. Penn Charter is grateful to the many donors who became members of the William Penn Society this year. Members of the society include the entire community – parents, OPCs, parents of OPCs, grandparents and friends. See the donors to the society on page 34. “In its first year,” Philip R. Consuegra, associate director of development, said, “the William Penn Society played a major role in fundraising for the school. The society represents $1,157,581 dollars from 314 donors – 86 percent of the Annual Fund total. We wouldn’t have our special programming and projects at PC without the support of leadership donors.”
Richard Mott Jones Benefactors: $50,000+ John Flagg Gummere Patrons: $25,000-$49,999 Hannah Callowhill Penn Council: $15,000-$24,999
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head of school from 1874 to 1917, helped reorganize the school from a network of small schools into a college preparatory school for boys and initiated the move from Center City to the campus on School House Lane.
John Flagg Gummere,
known respectfully and affectionately as “the chief,” was a scholar, renowned educator and head of school from 1941 to 1968.
Hannah Callowhill Penn,
William Penn’s second wife, is credited with keeping the colony of Pennsylvania running during her husband’s ill health.
Charles Thomson,
head of school and Latin teacher from 1755 to 1760, was secretary of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.
Anthony Benezet,
Charles Thomson Circle: $10,000-$14,999
one of America’s first abolitionists, started the first school for African American students and left that school to the Overseers in his will, with a small stipend to keep it going.
Anthony Benezet Guild: $5,000-$9,999
Welcome Associates
Welcome Associates: $3,000-$4,999 1689 Founders: $1,689-$2,999
Thank you! 12
Richard Mott Jones,
William Penn’s two-month journey to America began in Deal, England, on the 150-foot ship Welcome. The Welcome landed first in what is now New Castle, Del., finally stopping in Chester, Pa., on Oct. 28 or 29, 1682.
1689 Founders
William Penn Charter School is the oldest Quaker school in the world, founded in 1689 by William Penn.
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
INTRODUCING…
The
Clock Tower Society A new leadership giving society for young OPCs within 10 years of graduation. • Network with OPC professionals • Attend regional receptions • Enjoy the Color Day luncheon and more!
OPCs 0-5 years from graduation lead with a gift of $16.89 or more, annually. OPCs 6-10 years from graduation lead with a gift of $168.90 or more, annually. To learn more or to join, contact Director of Leadership and Annual Giving Tiffani Harris at tharris@penncharter.com or 215-844-3460 ext. 276.
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 3
TEACHING
Promote excellence in teaching by supporting faculty to develop and advance their professional practice.
Honoring Our Teachers’ Incredible Work Parents of the Class of 2015 made history. For the first time, 100 percent of senior class families participated in the Senior Parent Gift. Under the exceptional leadership of parents Tripp Davis OPC ’82 and Jacqueline Brady, the 112 senior families contributed $175,835. “Tripp and Jackie are remarkably motivated people,” Director of Leadership and Annual Giving Tiffani Harris said.
importance of a gift to the school and
An impressive 26 parent volunteers joined Davis and Brady in talking with their fellow parents about the
development for faculty and staff.
the goal of 100 percent participation. As is tradition for the Senior Parent Gift, the gift will support professional The continuing education this gift facilitates makes it possible for
Parents of OPC ’15 made history with 100 percent participation in the Senior Parent Gift.
our teachers to attend workshops, conferences, take sabbaticals, and develop innovative learning experiences for our students. Davis said he and Brady knew they would make whatever dollar goal they set, but wanted to set an “audacious goal. One hundred percent should be the norm, not the exception. We wanted to let the teachers know how much we appreciate them and the work they do for our kids. This is our way to honor that incredible work.” Davis said that he and Brady were a perfect pair because they were each others’ foil and also complemented each other. “We could reach everyone together, nothing was too much to ask of either one of us. We don’t like to lose, so we just kept going,” Davis said. Brady said the Quaker testimony of Community and spirit of philanthropy drove their effort. “Penn Charter has incredible diversity of students and staff. It is an expensive endeavor to provide the sort of education that Penn Charter does in a diverse community,” Brady said. “Whether you give $1 or $1,000, it is important to support the school and especially to express our gratitude to the teachers.” Davis and Brady both expressed their deep appreciation and kudos to the volunteers who did the heavy lifting of contacting senior class parents and to the Penn Charter administrative and development staff for their supportive efforts. “We hope to see more years of 100 percent giving,” both Davis and Brady said. PC Right: Darryl Ford joins Senior Parent Gift Co-Chairs Tripp Davis OPC ’82 and Jacqueline Brady at Commencement.
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William Penn Charter School
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
“We wanted to let the teachers know how much we appreciate them and the work they do for our kids.�
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOALS 1 & 3
QUAKERISM AND TEACHING
A Gift for Faculty Honors Former Teacher by Rebecca Luzi
“There’s nothing more rewarding to me than to see the absolute joy a child gets from creating.”
When Brooke Giles stepped off a plane in Jamaica last July, her suitcase was packed not with beach gear but with art supplies. Giles, PC’s studio teacher in prekindergarten, was on a professional development mission that would enrich the lives of children, stretch her as a teacher and leave an impression on her life. Giles spent two weeks at a summer camp, called Friends of the Ridge United, in a farming community in the mountains of Jamaica. For about $5 for a four-week session, parents can send their children ages 4 to 13 to a reading camp – snack and lunch provided.
Through the Robert L. Gray Jr. OPC ‘29 Memorial Faculty Fund, Brooke Giles traveled to Jamaica to teach art at a summer program and to facilitate the permanent integration of art into the curriculum.
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The camp is part of a community center and runs on donations. Giles first went three years ago to teach reading, she said, “until they found out I was an art teacher. I had to scramble to get art supplies together. The kids just loved it. It was great, but I wasn’t prepared for it.”
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
Art education is not part of the rural Jamaican school system. “I had introduced the idea to them of having these breaks for the children,” Giles said. “A break from reading, writing, learning, but still exercising their brains. They saw how the kids loved that, needed that different stimulation.” So, last summer Giles came prepared. She brought paintbrushes, markers, colored pencils, craft supplies, printmaking supplies and watercolors. She demonstrated art techniques to the Jamaican teachers at the camp and to her assistant, a senior named Jev, so they could continue the program after she left two weeks later. And, she said, “The thought that maybe there might be some art in the Jamaican schools this coming year was really exciting to me.” The educational system in Jamaica doesn’t allow for much selfexpression, Giles said. “One teacher, rooms packed full of kids, ‘repeat after me, this is the answer.’ There’s not much room for individual imagination or creativity. It’s awesome to see the kids try something new, to see that if I paint purple, they can paint pink; they can pick any color they want. “My trip enabled the practical application of Quaker values and the Strategic Vision’s goal for deepening our identity and actions as a Friends school.”
Giving Back to His School A generous gift from Robert L. Gray III OPC ’55 in honor of his father, Robert L. Gray Jr. OPC ’29, funded Brooke Giles’ trip to Jamaica, art supplies and all. While organizing his 60th class reunion, Gray told Chief Development Officer Jack Rogers Hon. 1689 that he wanted to do something for the school that had done so much
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
When the camp day ended, Giles often gathered with students to complete their projects or to begin something new. “Their enthusiasm did not stop with the end of the school day,” she said. She and her students created both crafts, like beaded necklaces that integrated color theory and patterns, and fine arts projects like watercolors and prints.
for him. “I wanted to give a gift to the teachers,” Gray said. “That was important to me.” Rogers suggested the endowment of a faculty professional development fund for the art department, and Giles was selected as the first grant recipient. Gray was impressed by her commitment to helping children in an impoverished country experience the visual arts. Gray credits PC’s art program and his teacher Oliver “Ollie” Nuse with leading him to major in architecture at Yale and graduate school at Penn. Nuse, a much admired and longtime teacher at PC, was a successful artist in his own
right. Gray admired Nuse and upon his retirement gave a surprise dinner party for him that included several of his former students. Although Gray made a career switch to finance later in life, he has no regrets. “I believe that all students can benefit from exposure to art in order to enhance their life, regardless of vocation,” he said. “It was my pleasure to give back to Penn Charter teachers.” The Robert L. Gray Jr. OPC ’29 Memorial Faculty Fund will continue to support an art teacher, in perpetuity, for summer study, sabbatical or a special project. PC
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 1
QUAKERISM
Deepen our identity and actions as a Friends school to prepare our graduates to live lives that make a difference.
w
E. E. Ford Grant and PC Donors Advance Penn’s Purpose Impressed by the mission and early accomplishments of our Center for Public Purpose, the Edward E. Ford Foundation awarded Penn Charter a $50,000 grant – but with an exciting caveat. The grant, awarded in November 2014, was a 2:1 match that required Penn Charter to raise another $100,000 for Penn’s Purpose by December 2015. (continued on next page) PC English teacher Lisa Turner and PC Summer Service students work in the St. James School garden in August.
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2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
Director of Major Gifts Stephanie Ball led the fundraising effort and achieved the goal three months early and just in time for an exciting announcement at the opening faculty meeting for the new school year. Donors, Ball told the assembled faculty and staff, were inspired to give because of the important work of Penn’s Purpose and out of respect for its founder, Jim Ballengee Hon. 1689 (pictured).
Penn’s Purpose is part of the school’s service learning program, a nationally recognized program, built by Ballengee and others, that integrates service learning into the curriculum across divisions and disciplines. Service projects focus on issues of food insecurity, poverty and education.
Five PC students served a meal at St. Francis Inn this fall, as many others will do throughout the school year and summer.
The E. E. Ford Foundation has made grants for innovative projects that might be replicated by others or offer experiences from which others can learn. Feedback following the foundation’s site visit to PC commended the school’s longstanding commitment to service learning and the integration of service learning into the curriculum and student life.
of the center. These resources are needed to support operating expenses, endowment and facilities. The E. E. Ford grant and match will build capacity of the center by supporting the initial salary of an executive director; educational programming for our students and service partners; and critical funds for specific projects such as partnerships with nearby public and charter schools to bring STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) educational projects to local students, and the new tilapia aquaponics curriculum in seventh grade science.
Penn’s Purpose achieved its yearone goals and applied for the grant to support the future health and existence
Eventually, as a part of the campus master plan, PC hopes to create a physical space for the center that
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
would act as a main hub where students, faculty, parents, OPCs and community partners could gather for professional development, research and meetings. PC
Upper School students sign up for near-daily options for service.
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 1
QUAKERISM
Deepen our identity and actions as a Friends school to prepare our graduates to live lives that make a difference.
Grace and Full Access The Grace Fund was established in 2008 as a full-access fund designed to pay for the costs of items and events not covered by tuition, and therefore also not funded by financial aid. The cost of field trips, calculators, textbooks, musical instruments and track shoes, for example, are minor expenditures for some families. For others they are prohibitive. In the past, teachers would dig into their own pockets when they saw a student in need (and many probably still do). But having an established fund and process makes it easier for Penn Charter to help students, and easier for families to ask for help. Last year, this fullaccess fund disbursed $60,000 to PC students. The fund honors the late Grace Russell Wheeler, a Quaker and Penn Charter overseer, parent and grandparent. Wheeler guided Overseers in the thinking and discussions that led to the 1980 decision in favor of coeducation and advocated that, in addition to access for girls, a Penn Charter education should be available to students of limited means as well.
Field trips have a special role in every student’s experience and development. Depending on whether the bus travels to a museum, the nation’s capital, a theater or a campground, students are enriched by these experiences outside the traditional classroom. But the trips can be costly. Last year, in addition to many other items, the Grace Fund made it possible for PC students to experience:
2014-2015 TRIPS / STUDENTS ASSISTED
Penn Charter’s full access fund honors the late Grace Russell Wheeler, a Penn Charter overseer, parent and grandparent.
Baseball trip to Florida
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Buenos Aires exchange
2
French trip to Quebec City
8
Girls lacrosse trip to Florida 3 Quakers Dozen to Ireland
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Softball trip to Florida
6
Student Diversity Leadership Conference
3
Swimming trip to Florida
6
5th grade trip to Washington, D.C.
2
6th grade class trips
2
7th grade camping trip
6
8th grade trip to Washington, D.C.
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9th grade class retreat
7
Field trips such as this seventh grade camping trip build trusting relationships between students as well as between students and their teachers. However, the cost can be prohibitive for some families.
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2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
The Full Penn Charter Experience Since 2008, the Grace Fund has helped families with costs big and small that are not covered by tuition.
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 5
SPACE
Develop and repurpose space to serve the changing needs of the Penn Charter program and mission.
See You at the Blaine Center Jill and Sid Steinberg and daughter Leigh Steinberg OPC ’14 established a fund to honor Blaine A. Steinberg OPC ’11 and support the new fitness center that will now carry her name. The official name is the Blaine A. Steinberg OPC ’11 Center for Fitness and Performance, and the shortened name will be the “Blaine Center.” Blaine, a passionate and determined scholar-athlete, was a four-time All Inter-Ac soccer and three-time all Inter-Ac lacrosse player. She played lacrosse at Dartmouth College during her freshman year, until she was sidelined with a concussion. She died suddenly from a rare autoimmune condition in 2014. The year after her death, the Steinbergs stepped forward as the lead donors to the new Fitness Center. In the spirit of Quaker tradition and to reflect the community connections that Blaine so loved, they invited friends and family to join them in a fundraising effort to support the renovation and new equipment. And an overwhelming 157 alumni, parents and friends answered the call. “While Blaine made the most of her experience in that space, she also spent a lot of time talking about how it could be improved to reflect the excellence that is Penn Charter,” her parents wrote in a letter to friends. The new center is a first-class athletic performance center designed to reflect Blaine’s pride in Penn Charter and provide a space that enables all students to strive to be the best they can be.
DEDICATION Blaine A. Steinberg OPC ’11 Center for Fitness and Performance PC/GA Day, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Sid and Jill Steinberg participated in an Ergathon fundraiser in the new Blaine Center.
The center includes new and refurbished weights and machines, a turfed area and equipment reflecting current training and rehabilitation methods. Annual proceeds from the Blaine A. Steinberg OPC ’11 Fund will be used to support maintenance, upkeep, and overall direction of the space and equipment in perpetuity. See you at the Blaine Center! Donors to the Blaine Center are listed on page 92.
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2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 5
SPACE
Develop and repurpose space to serve the changing needs of the Penn Charter program and mission.
Photo: Mindy Bernstein, Class Record
Touchdown PC!
The fall sports season kicked off with a spectacular addition to Penn Charter’s athletic facilities: a new stadium field with a multipurpose, synthetic turf, and a new eight-lane track. The new field was complete in time for Inter-Ac League play and the 129th PC/GA Day football game.
Titan, manufactured by A-Turf. PC
and the field was completed in time
used a high-grade crumb rubber
for various girls and boys teams to
and sand mix, making the field more
practice on the new surface during
The new facility includes an expanded, eight-lane track so that PC can serve as a location for invitational track meets, which require eight lanes. The bleachers and press box were disassembled and then reassembled on the opposite side of the field.
resilient as well as a more consistent
For the track, PC selected a Beynon 1,000 surface, a product preferred by many colleges and high schools because its softer surface is more forgiving and, therefore, safer for young athletes to train on. The grass stadium field was replaced by an allpurpose, all-weather synthetic surface,
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and safer surface.
preseason. “In a 10-week period, we were able to begin and complete
Director of Athletics and Athletic
installation of a multipurpose field
Planning John Thiel said the project
that will have a tremendous positive
began on the Monday after Color Day
impact on PC athletics.” PC
Penn Charter’s girls varsity soccer team – led by co-captains Jlon Flippens and Dominique DeMarco – enjoyed the honor of playing the first official game on the new field, a nonleague contest that ended in a tie. The girls are two-time state and Inter-Ac champions and looking strong again this year. And, they’ve got that new turf under their feet!
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
GIVING STORIES: MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Songs in the Key of Life
A longtime Penn Charter family honors their parents and their alma mater. On a cold night last January, one of the warmest places in town was Timmons House. Flames from the fireplace took the chill off the first-floor rooms, friends greeted each other with hugs and handshakes, and in the corner by the windows a gleaming, nut-brown piano beckoned all to come close, to look and to listen. The occasion was the presentation by William J. McGuckin OPC ’52 of his family’s stunning Steinway baby grand piano. Pianist Jeff Torchon OPC ’06 demonstrated the warm tones of the instrument to an appreciative crowd, and McGuckin told its story to a gathering of friends, family and fellow OPCs ’52.
“My parents loved this school, and if they could have been involved in this decision, they would have wanted it this way.”
James OPC ’48 and Robert OPC ’57, entered as boys, and a second generation of McGuckins, Catherine, Jeffrey and William, followed in their footsteps. “We are so thankful that you have remembered how your family invested in you and that you have chosen to invest in your school,” Ford said. “This gift is not just about a piano, it’s about a family. And, now that it’s at Penn Charter, it’s still in the family.” Ford is a pianist, and he entertained the crowd with a spirited “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Ford said the Steinway, which was completely refurbished by the McGuckins, is “splendid.”
And here is the happy ending: The McGuckin Steinway is now in the band room of the Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts, surrounded by students and sound, and regularly used by the Upper and Middle School Jazz Bands and the Concert Band pianists. Music teacher Robert Wilson spoke enthusiastically of the instrument: “It’s a baby grand but sounds as if it’s a 7-footer. It has a beautiful tone. And, although it is not new, it looks brand new, and beautiful.” The McGuckin clan will be pleased to know that the Steinway has many young admirers, too. “Kids love to play it,” Wilson said. “There is something about a Steinway – the responsiveness of the keys – that makes it easy to play. We have several serious piano students who find time to fit playing this particular piano into their schedules because they love the way they sound when they play it.” PC
BRAVO!
His parents purchased the baby grand hoping that one of their children would master the instrument. But, McGuckin explained, the kids had no passion for piano. Nor the next generation either. For many years the Steinway was in his family’s vacation home, essentially unused. McGuckin wished that he could fulfill his parents’ loving inspiration and aspiration, he said. “I have long hoped that Penn Charter would want the piano,” he said. “My parents loved this school, and if they could have been involved in this decision, they would have wanted it this way.” Head of School Darryl J. Ford formally accepted the gift and noted that the McGuckin family history with Penn Charter dates back almost 80 years – McGuckin and his brothers
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOALS 3 & 6
TEACHING AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Perseverance and the Embroidered Pants In May of 1965, Dean of the Upper School William S. Lane wrote letters to a few parents of graduating seniors. In the letter to Warren F. Miller Jr.’s parents, he wrote about unsung students who have worked hard and been good school citizens. Lane commended Miller and his parents: “Your son Warren Jr. is, of course, one of these boys. Each year he has been here he has had to work hard to accomplish what he has, and each year he has accomplished what he has undertaken a bit more thoroughly than he did the year before. . . . By his hard work, persistence, and cooperative attitude, combined with a cheerful disposition, he has developed valuable habits and attitudes which will stay with him through life. This is what we hope for all our boys, but by no means have all done this as effectively as Warren seems to have.” Today, Miller OPC ’65 speaks openly of how difficult Penn Charter was for him. “I never really fit in at Penn Charter,” he said. “I was an outsider. I was not an athlete. We were poor. I really struggled academically. I had a few friends, but it was a very challenging situation.” With failing marks in nearly all of his classes, Miller’s mother helped him study hard for an early midterm in eighth grade, his first year at PC. “We picked one to focus on Left: Miller’s embroidered pants from 2012 Alumni Day
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and I did decently on it. That is – I passed.” He kept plugging away, and did a little better and a little better each year, very much encouraged by his family and a few teachers, like William “Fuzzy” Lane and Russell Faber. Miller, who Dean of the Upper School William “Fuzzy” received financial Lane circa 1965. aid to attend Penn Charter, worked from age 12 to contribute to the family. His father operated a funeral home, and Miller Jr. increased his hours as he got older to help cover his family’s tuition burden. “I was always going to be a funeral director, but my father told me to ‘get a ticket’ for something else. So I went to Eastern University for a degree teaching history.” Valley Forge Military Academy hired Miller as a student teacher – he credits the PC name for securing him the job. Following that, Miller taught in the Philadelphia Public School District while he earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology at Villanova University, and then went to mortuary school. Today, Miller is a funeral director, as he knew he’d become all along.
Of course, Penn Charter pants are part of his 75+ pair collection. “Occasionally, I wear them elsewhere and people ask me about them, and I tell them about Penn Charter. Or, people who attended the school notice them.” Miller’s pants are show-stoppers at OPC Weekend, but the man wearing them also has a serious side. He wore them to his 50th reunion last spring, which was when he made a reunion gift of special significance. Warren and his wife, Barbara, had a son who died at birth. For Warren’s 50th reunion they established the Bennett Tyler Miller Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of their son. The scholarship will support a new eighth grade student, preferably from the Manayunk or Roxborough area – Miller’s old neighborhood. “I am thankful for the scholarship I received and the support I got from teachers and my family. I think you need to lead by example, to dig deep into your pocket and honor those people you love and the organizations that mean much to you. I hope I will inspire others to support the school,” said Miller. PC
Sometime in his early 20s, Miller came across a pair of light blue pants embroidered with red lobsters. Now he has embroidered pants for all occasions – sometimes in several versions to suit the season. “I have pants for the local high school, for my daughter’s sorority and her alma mater, Johns Hopkins. I have University of Virginia pants, where my son went,” he said. “Now, if I don’t wear embroidered pants, people think something is wrong!”
“I think you need to lead by example, to dig deep in your pocket and honor those people you love and the organizations that mean much to you.” 2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
Miller, left, and Charles W. Huntoon OPC ‘65 chat on the front steps, waiting to assemble for the official 50th Reunion portrait.
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOALS 1 & 6
QUAKERISM AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
MALCOLM AND EDITH FORD Endowed Scholarship Fund
In honor of their parents and in acknowledgment of their generosity of spirit, PC science teacher Malcolm Ford Jr. and his wife, Kathy, and Head of School Darryl J. Ford and his wife, Gail, established an endowed scholarship at Penn Charter. The Malcolm and Edith Ford Endowed Scholarship Fund, established in 2014, is made in thanksgiving for the gift of Friends education and the benefits afforded the Ford family by William Penn Charter School. The fund will support a student with demonstrated financial need. “I was pleased the fund could be established in our parents’ lifetimes,” Darryl Ford said. Both Malcolm Sr. and Edith passed away in late 2014, within a month of each other. Science teacher Malcolm Ford Jr. said the new scholarship fund “was another way to honor them and once more have them take joy and fulfillment from helping others.”
Malcolm and Edith Ford were lifelong educators.
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Both Malcolm and Edith Ford were educators. Their college degrees, both from Shaw University, though they did not meet until after they graduated from the private liberal arts institution and historically black university in Raleigh, N.C., were in
2014-15 Annual Report of Gifts
social studies education and English education, respectively. Malcolm Sr. went on to earn his master’s degree and several certificates, which supported his work as a teacher, school principal and administrator in the Philadelphia public school system. Edith, who her sons proudly describe as a brilliant woman, started college in her mid-teens and after graduation went on to take graduate courses
in library science and education in Philadelphia. She worked for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and for the U.S. government, but also as an assistant teacher at Miquon School when Malcolm Jr. and Darryl were students there. “We are a product of our parents and their persistence” said Malcolm Jr. “Our parents were thankful for the help they received throughout their
Malcolm Jr. (left) and Darryl with their parents, circa 1973.
education. Our father spoke of the support he received to attend Shaw. The idea of helping others – that’s what our parents were. They would help with a dollar or two here and there when people asked, sometimes more. They supported people by giving their time as volunteers, or speaking at services. This is one more way of helping others.” “We established the fund in part because our parents gave us the gift of Quaker schools and we wanted to give that gift to others,” Darryl Ford said. “Penn Charter has given much to the Ford family, and we want to make that possible for other families. “Between the initial gifts from the Ford family, and additional gifts from friends’ largesse in honor of our parents, we will be ready to support a scholar with financial assistance this year,” he said. “As the fund grows toward the goal of $100,000, it can reach even more students,” Chief Development Officer Jack Rogers said. PC
Left to Right: Kathy, Malcolm Jr., Darryl and Gail speak to a gathering of family and friends in celebration of Malcolm and Edith Ford’s 59th wedding anniversary.
If you wish to make a gift to this or any other endowed scholarship fund, please contact the Development Office.
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