Leslie King
ABOVE: The 2017 benefit auction leadership team (from left) of Kristin Teer, Parents Association president Jennifer Riley, Ashley Freedman, Harriet Putman and Jennifer Garr helped raise a record-breaking $220,000.
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urham Academy hosted its most successful benefit auction ever on April 7, raising $220,000. The auction is Parents Association’s largest fundraiser and funds approximately 85 percent of its budget each year. The benefit auction has evolved from an attendance-only event to a fundraiser with additional bidding via mobile app, which enables an increasing number of people to participate remotely along with those attending the gala. One-third of silent auction items in the 2017 auction were purchased by bidders who were not present at the event, and half of the student art projects were purchased by mobile bidders. This trend has been extremely beneficial to the auction, with the average net proceeds increasing by more than 30 percent over the last five years. The move to remote bidding, paired with concern about event fatigue among many regular auction donors and attendees, led the Executive Committee of Parents Council and the Development Office to make a strategic decision to hold the auction gala every other year, with an online-only auction during the off years. It is anticipated that over the course of two years this will actually raise more money than continuing with the auction gala every year. The decision was made and publicized prior to this year’s auction, and the event saw an increase in attendance, donations and bidding as the DA community anticipated an onlineonly auction next year. Next year’s online auction will feature student art projects, teacher 64
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2017 Benefit Auction Raises a Record $220,000 By Leslie Holdsworth, Director of Development
treasures, the class gift effort and class baskets, a raffle and the fund-a-need initiative. In 2019, Durham Academy will host its 40th auction gala. The benefit auction’s fund-a-need effort raises funds for the Parents Association Endowment Fund for Faculty Salaries, which was established in 2016. It is the first endowed fund at Durham Academy that supports teacher salaries. This year’s effort raised more than $44,000 for the endowed fund. Parents Association allocates the money it raises from the auction and other fundraising events in several key ways. Funding is focused on student enrichment, school-wide programs, special initiatives and capital campaigns. The annual allocations process takes place with the direction of and in collaboration with the school’s administration. Student enrichment funding supports each school director’s budget for student life, assemblies and visiting authors and artists, including events such as Preschool International Night and Upper School International Day, as well as funding for wellness activities in all four school divisions. An important part of Parents Association’s mission is to promote and build community for the school. Funding for school-wide programs is key, supporting community-building events such as the All-School Picnic, the Turkey Trot and welcoming events for new parents in each school division. These funds are also used in various ways to thank and honor faculty by presenting |
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books to faculty and staff for years of service and providing an end-of-year luncheon for all faculty and staff. One of Parents Association’s favorite initiatives is funding the Faculty Wish List. Faculty are invited to make requests for items or events that would enhance their regular curriculum. The wish list funds are distributed equally among the divisions. Parents Association is continuing its proud history of providing leadership support for the school’s capital campaigns. Thanks to the enormous success of the 2017 benefit auction, Parents Association was able to complete the last installment of its $500,000 commitment to The Evergreen Campaign, which funded the construction of the Upper School Learning Commons and Kirby Gymnasium. Parents Association was among the top five donors to The Evergreen Campaign. Parents Association annually makes a $5,000 gift to the Parents Association Endowment Fund, which is part of DA’s unrestricted endowment, and also continues its annual support of Rise Against Hunger, DA’s annual meal-packaging service event held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Parents Association funding impacts students and faculty across all divisions, in immediate and tangible ways. In addition, Parents Association is helping to secure the school’s future by strategically investing in endowed funds and capital projects. Durham Academy is grateful for all of the important ways Parents Association provides support for the school and to the many members of the school community who participate in all of its initiatives.