HISTORY IN THE MAKING: PARENTS, ALUMNI, & FRIENDS LIFTING THE TVS ANNUAL FUND TO NEW HEIGHTS

LISA GRIDER, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT & STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

The end of any school year is history making for some Trinity Valley School students. Kindergarteners get sprinkled with magic dust, miraculously becoming “graders,” and seniors cross the stage to become Trojan alumni. As the 2022-23 year winds down, the entire TVS community is poised to make history in another way – by surpassing $1 million in Annual Fund support.

According to Head of School Blair Lowry, exceeding the $1 million mark in annual financial support is an important breakthrough, as it firmly establishes TVS among the nation’s most fiscally strong independent schools. “In independentschool circles, TVS has a longstanding reputation for educational excellence. Our reputation is being further enhanced as our parents, alumni, faculty/staff, and other members of our community give so generously to ensure our excellence going forward.”

As this issue of Trojan Voice goes to press, donations to the 2022-23 Annual Fund have surpassed the previous record of $972,460 in 2020-21. Current TVS parents are leading the way with more than 66% of the entire parent body choosing to make gifts this year. This strong level of support is a testament to the dedication of 54 parent Annual Fund volunteers led by tri-chairs Adrianne Deem , Adrienne Lombardi, and Susie Ursprung.

Shortly before Spring Break, TVS’ Annual Fund parent volunteers ran March Mania, a competition to see which class could have the largest number of parents contributing to the Annual Fund. In a bit of an upset, the Class of 2024 (juniors) took the top spot with 83.2 percent of parents making gifts.

The final months of the TVS Annual Fund cycle, which ends June 30, offer the opportunity for alumni of all generations to be a part of this significant community milestone. In early April, a number of TVS alums – including those in the classes of 1974, 1989, and 2000 – challenged their classmates to support the Annual Fund by matching those gifts dollar for dollar. These anonymous challenges are part of a larger focus on increasing alumni support of the Annual Fund. Spearheading this effort is a sub-committee of the Alumni Board comprised of the following Alumni Board members: Macy Clayton ’15, Maya Jhangiani ’96, Charley McCluer ’72 , Catherine Viola Tielkemeier ’13, Grant Underwood ’14, and John Wilson ’74

TVS Director of Annual Giving Gerry Cumpiano notes that meeting and exceeding $1 million in annual support is a testament to the passion and generosity of hundreds of members of the TVS community. “This is not something that one person can make happen,” Gerry said. “This is happening because volunteers – both parents and alumni –are spreading the word and sharing the impact that this level of support will have on our school, not just next year but for years to come.”

Gerry also notes that such an unprecedented level of total support is the result of hundreds of donors making gifts of all sizes. “Some people hold back because they, mistakenly, think that their gift amount will not make a difference. Nothing is further from the truth! Every gift – regardless of amount – is valued and valuable. We want everyone in our community to be a part of this!”

If you have not yet joined in this momentous effort, use the QR code here to make your gift to the TVS Annual Fund today! You will be helping Ensure the Extraordinary for TVS and making history.