Annual Report of Giving 2020–2021
Contents
Letter from the Interim Head of School and Chair of the Board of Trustees
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ECFS’s Core Tenets
4
ECFS by the Numbers
6
Donor Profiles
8
ECFS Giving Glossary
14
Volunteers
18
Donors by Giving Level
23
Parent/Guardian Giving by Grade
50
Form VI Gift
68
Alumni Giving by Class Year
70
Grandparents
82
Parents of Graduates and Friends
85
Faculty and Staff
90
Advancing Our Mission
93
Named Funds
96
Matching Gift Companies
98
Tribute Gifts
101
Felix Adler Circle
112
Ways to Give
116
This report covers the fiscal year from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. If you believe your gift has been left off this list, please accept our sincerest apologies and reach out to Sarah Wendt at 212-712-6244 or swendt@ecfs.org to let us know.
5+
Throughout this Annual Report, you will notice a numeral next to the names of the individuals who have contributed to the Orange Fund for 5+, 10+, 15+, 20+, or 25+ consecutive years.
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
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Ethical Culture Fieldston School
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Dear ECFS community, In the 2020–2021 academic year, the Ethical Culture Fieldston School community came together to reimagine the educational experience in a way that none of us could have ever envisioned. Supporting our students, faculty, and staff throughout the past year during a pandemic was no easy feat. It was challenging, yet we persevered. The power of our community, the ability to face each new challenge head-on, and the dedication to our students enabled us to achieve our goal of operating ECFS as safely and effectively as possible. Kyle Wilkie-Glass, Interim Head of School, and Kimberly Smith Spacek ’91, Chair of the Board of Trustees
Health, education, and safety became part of our daily narrative. Almost every decision we made came with a new consideration: How do we educate our students while minimizing the risk to our community? It truly took a village to accomplish this feat. Internally, we assembled the COVID-19 Response Team to ensure that all rules and policies were implemented and that we communicated them clearly and transparently. Our Facilities Team worked around the clock to keep our buildings clean, our classrooms spaced accordingly, and our students supplied with masks and hand sanitizer. And, of course, our faculty worked tirelessly to adapt to a hyflex learning environment and to create a curriculum that kept our students engaged while leaning into our progressive pedagogy to teach our students in new and awe-inspiring ways. We would not have had a successful year without our entire school community coming together. Thank you. Our community showed up as donors, volunteers, advocates, and partners. ECFS received $5,457,339 in donations this past year and broke previous records with the number of donors, gifts, and parent parti cipation to the Orange Fund. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had a record number of people volunteering their time to support our students and the School. Every donation and volunteer commitment, regardless of size and time, made an impact on our community. Your dedication helped the School continue our long-standing mission: to empower lifelong learning so that our students can change our world for the better. We are profoundly grateful for the trust that our community puts in our School and for the continued partnership as we thrive in a new academic year and plan for our exciting future.
With gratitude and deep appreciation,
Kimberly Smith Spacek ’91 Chair of the Board of Trustees
Kyle Wilkie-Glass Interim Head of School
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ECFS’s Core Tenets
ECFS’s Core Tenets Our academic program is built around 10 core tenets of progressive education. Developed by our own faculty and staff, these tenets guide us in all grades and in all areas of our curriculum.
Challenging
At every age, in developmentally appropriate ways, our educational program not only serves our students’ growth as citizens but strengthens their skills as scholars.
Ethical
We nurture our students’ capacity for morality and empathy, helping provide the framework and knowledge necessary to live an ethical life.
Playful
Play and movement are vital to our work at all ages — for us, rigor and laughter go hand in hand.
Relevant Inclusive
We seek out new voices, identify hidden assumptions, and reshape our norms accordingly — in order to create a school that truly belongs to all of us.
Our curriculum is never stagnant; our teachers are constantly updating their courses to reflect the most pressing issues of the day.
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
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Empowering
We celebrate the process more than the product — the practices and procedures students master so they can repeat their achievements again and again.
Responsive
We design courses around the changing needs of students, their reactions to world events, or even surprising new passions they might bring to light.
Experiential
Our entire curriculum is built from the ground up with hands-on, project-based, design-centered approaches. We want our students not just to see, hear, and think but to make, do, and feel.
Interdependent
Healthy
The health of our students is essential, and we work diligently to ensure a safe physical environment, robust opportunities for movement, and abundant support for social and emotional health.
We live in community, and we recognize the responsibility each of us has to the greater good. Our academic program is infused with an insistence that we care for and engage our neighbors, both in and around our campuses.
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ECFS by the Numbers
ECFS by the Numbers
$4,311,925 Total given by the ECFS community to the Orange Fund in FY21
1,954
$125
809
1,200
650
91
donors to the Orange Fund
Loyal Oaks Society members who have been giving for 5+ years
median gift to the Orange Fund
donors who have been giving for 10+ years
alumni who supported the Orange Fund
named endowed funds at ECFS
$132.7M
$18.6M
275+
4,000+
1,856
444
1,219
11,000+
total endowment
volunteers
students
families
awarded in financial aid
hours volunteered
faculty & staff
alumni
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
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Financial Update
July 1, 2020–June 30, 2021 Revenue Tuition and fees Investment income Unrestricted giving Nonrecurring revenue Related programs Total operating revenue
$73,255,326 84% 5,730,083 6% 4,311,925 5% 2,278,027 3% 1,532,629 2% $87,107,990
Expenses Instruction/pupil support $39,821,969 44% Operations (incl. capital) 15,688,070 17% Employee benefits 15,111,095 16% Administration (incl. tech) 14,018,037 15% Fiscal services 3,534,447 4% Related and auxiliary programs 2,278,027 2% Interest expense 1,581,025 2% Total operating expenses
$90,324,494
Philanthropic Giving Orange Fund Restricted giving Endowment Programmatic funds Total philanthropic giving
All numbers subject to final audit.
$4,311,925 79% 625,725 11% 460,505 9% 59,184 1% $5,457,339
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Donor Profiles At ECFS, philanthropy comes in many forms. Meet a few of our parents, faculty, alumni, and parents of graduates who give to ECFS because they believe in the mission of our School.
Donor Profiles
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
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Donor Profile
Lauren and Andrew Janian Parents of Rya J. ’32, Orange Fund donors
Why do you give to ECFS? We give to ECFS because — even though our family has only been a part of the school community for a short time — it has already given so much to us. Particularly last year, during the most uncertain time of the pandemic, we were really motivated to give back as we saw how the teachers, administrators, and staff worked tirelessly to provide students with a safe, dynamic, and joyful learning environment. To us, being part of a community means stepping up as much as you can when your community needs you.
How does ECFS inspire you? We are inspired by the School’s goal of providing a progressive education that teaches children how to think, with ethics as a core value. We have seen firsthand how ECFS focuses on the whole child, and we are so appreciative of how the educators hew closely to this mission each day. What is a favorite ECFS memory? Before Rya started at Fieldston Lower, we heard about the bird program in the 1st Grade, so we had some expectations. However, nothing could have prepared us for the constant stream of bird facts our whole family learned last year. Rya’s bird exploration will be a lasting memory not only for her but for our whole family.
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Donor Profiles
Donor Profile
Gayle White-Wallace and James Wallace Parents of Abigayle W. ’32, Orange Fund donors, Orange Fund volunteers
How does ECFS inspire you? As parents, ECFS inspires us to continue the work that happens during the day by making it a seamless transition to what happens at home. ECFS inspires us to think a lot more about ethics and advocacy. What’s happening in the classroom is teaching us to be less rigid, more open and flexible, and authentically ourselves. If Abigayle went to a different school, we’re not sure the transition would be so seamless.
Why do you give to ECFS? We give because we believe in the work of ECFS, and we’re compelled to give back when we believe in the work of an organization. ECFS is more than just a school. We, as members of the ECFS community, really understand that. It is a blessing that our daughter is afforded the opportunity to attend ECFS. When you are blessed enough to be at our incredible School and able to give your child what they need and what they deserve, you have to pay that blessing forward for someone else.
What is a favorite ECFS memory? The search for a school for Abigayle was like “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” How many school fairs, school visits, interviews, and tours did we attend? Countless. Our last interview was for Fieldston Lower. As a full-time working parent, I was so tired mentally from the runaround and I cried in the interview. I loved this place. I thought I loved other schools until we interviewed at Fieldston Lower. Coming here felt like coming home. A colleague said to me, “Don’t fall in love with a school until they fall in love with you.” When I got the acceptance email, I was shocked and my coworkers cried and celebrated with me. My colleague turned to me and said, “They still took Abigayle after you did all that crying. They must like you!” I was so happy, and we are all still so happy to be here.
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
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Donor Profile
Nancy and John Dwinell Parents of Ian Dwinell ’06 and Matthew Dwinell ’11, faculty and staff, Loyal Oaks Society members
Why do you give to ECFS? We give because we see the value of an ECFS education every day. From the strong academics to the incredible community bonds to the ethics-based learning, ECFS nurtures, cultivates, and empowers each student. Giving is a vital way to help families make this experience possible for their children and to help the School continue being a leader in progressive education.
How does ECFS inspire you? We are continually inspired by the joy in learning that we see across grades. ECFS truly lives the mission of the School. What is a favorite ECFS memory? Seeing our boys graduate brought both happy and bittersweet memories. They formed lifelong friendships and connections with students and faculty. We have had the opportunity to be part of this community in so many ways and value this school more than we could ever say.
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Donor Profiles
Donor Profile
Daniel Lederman ’06 Loyal Oaks Society member, Fieldston Alumni Network Leadership Committee
Why do you give to ECFS? Going to Fieldston directly shaped who I am through the kind of learning experiences that only Fieldston offers. Tuition alone only covers a portion of costs the School incurs to teach each student, and the rest is made up through giving. I give to make sure that the School can continue to provide the level of education that I was lucky enough to experience, and to ensure that ECFS can continue its financial aid mission that allows a diverse population of students to attend the School.
How does ECFS inspire you? I’m inspired by the School’s commitment to progressive education and to teaching students to question everything. In college, I realized that it was so special to not just be taught answers, but to know how to find answers on our own by asking the right questions. This mentality shaped me into the curious person I am today. I bring this attitude with me to work every day and believe it allows me to find creative solutions and better methods to solve dayto-day problems. What is a favorite ECFS memory? There are so many great memories to choose from, which is what happens when you spend your entire youth at a place like Fieldston! There was a class about New York history called Inventing Gotham, and we would take day trips to local sites around the city for a hands-on approach to learning about history. It was on one of those day trips that I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time, something I do a few times a year now, and it always reminds me of that day. That class sparked a lifelong obsession with New York City’s history, and I still continue to read and learn as much as I can about our amazing city.
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
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Donor Profile
Princess Prince-McCoade and Timothy McCoade Parents of Timia M. ’22, Amira M. ’27, and Zoe M. ’34, Loyal Oaks Society members, Orange Fund volunteer, P+T volunteer
How does ECFS inspire you? ECFS inspires us daily, especially during these unprecedented and ever-changing times. Observing how our community navigated and continues to adapt to challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic is awe-inspiring. The pivot to virtual and hyflex learning, as well as the continued community engagement from administration, faculty, staff, parents/guardians, and, of course, our amazing and resilient children, is quite a testament to the fundamental work that is done daily at ECFS. Why do you give to ECFS? Our family has been a part of the ECFS com munity for 13 years now. One of the primary things that drew us to ECFS was that it inherently allows our children, and therefore our family, to truly become members of a community as our children navigate their respective journeys. Giving to the Orange Fund is just one of the many ways we like to model to our children how to give back and participate as an engaged and committed community member.
What is a favorite ECFS memory? It is so hard to select just one favorite memory after 13 years filled with so many special memories! As a parent who volunteered as a Grade Chair with my oldest child and a Fieldston Lower P+T Co-chair with my middle daughter to support the Fieldston Lower Carnival when they were 5th Graders, I would have to say that the magic at that event is what often surfaces as a top memory at ECFS. The pride on the faces of the 5th Grade students who work so hard to give back to the community by way of this event speaks directly to the ECFS mission: being an ethical and responsible member of society. The joy of all of the children and families that attend the Fieldston Lower Carnival is contagious and magical — we have never missed a Carnival in 13 years!
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ECFS Giving Glossary
ECFS Giving Glossary ECFS’s vibrant and world-class progressive education is made possible by the commitment of our community. Gifts of all sizes support the important work we do today and strengthen our School’s legacy for tomorrow. Here are definitions of some of the terms used when referring to philanthropic giving.
Capital campaign: A major fundraising campaign conducted over several years. A capital campaign raises substantial funds to finance major endeavors such as construction, renovation, or financial aid. The Advancing Our Mission Capital Campaign concluded in the 2021 fiscal year. Endowment and named funds: A permanent fund that is invested to produce income. An endowed gift supports academic programs or financial aid in perpetuity. The principal of each endowed gift is preserved while the earnings benefit current students, faculty, staff, and programs. Donors can establish named funds to express their support of ECFS’s academic excellence or in support of a specific department, program, or purchase. Such funds require a minimum gift amount and are often created in honor of one’s family name, a relative, or a beloved ECFS teacher or administrator.
Form VI Gift: Traditionally given to ECFS by parents and guardians in honor of their children in the graduating class, these gifts are split between the Orange Fund and a selected fund, such as financial aid. Gifts in kind: Nonmonetary gifts that would otherwise have to be purchased by the School. These donations must be preapproved by the division heads or by the Advancement office. Matching gifts: Matching gifts help multiply the impact of money raised by matching the donation with an equal gift made by corporations, foundations, or individuals. ECFS receives approximately $150,000 in matching gifts annually. Please check with your employer to see if your company participates.
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
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Orange Fund: The Orange Fund is ECFS’s annual fundraising drive that supports the current year’s budget. It helps fund every aspect of ECFS’s operations: financial aid, facility maintenance, technology and library acquisitions, extracurricular programming, faculty and staff salaries, and health and safety. The Orange Fund helps bridge the up-to-10% gap between income from tuition and the actual cost of educating each student and running the School. We ask all parents, guardians, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends to support this fund.
Planned gifts: A vehicle for making gifts to ECFS as part of estate planning. Naming our School as a beneficiary in your will, retirement plan, IRA, or life insurance policy creates a legacy for you and your loved ones while impacting our students now and into the future.
Participation: A measure, usually expressed in percentages, of how many donors in a specific group have made gifts. At ECFS, we strive for 100% partici pation in the Orange Fund.
Tribute gifts: Gifts to ECFS can be made in memory of or in tribute to another person. Notification of these gifts is sent to the individual or family whose gift is named in their honor.
Philanthropy: The donation of time, skill, or money to support an institution or cause. At ECFS, we value and appreciate all the ways people give their time, talent, and treasure to support our School.
For questions or more information on giving to ECFS, please contact Sarah Wendt, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at swendt@ecfs.org or 212-712-6244.
Programmatic gifts: Gifts directed to support programs essential to ECFS, including enrichment programs, arts programs, community services, tutoring, and financial aid.
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Ethical Culture Fieldston School
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Ways to Give
Ways to Give Ethical Culture Fieldston School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent of the law. There are several ways to make a gift.
Online
Gifts of Appreciated Securities and Stock
Our secure online gift form (www.ecfs.org/en/support-ecfs/) enables you to support the ECFS Orange Fund or the Form VI Gift quickly and easily. You also have the option to make monthly, quarterly, or yearly payments toward your pledge to ECFS.
Neuberger Berman DTC #0226 National Financial Services LLC (NFS) Account NBJ-040061 Federal Tax ID #13-3862529
By Mail
To process and acknowledge stock and securities gifts, we need to know the number of shares and the type of stock you are donating. Please contact Sarah Wendt at swendt@ecfs.org or 212-712-6244 if you are making a gift of stock or securities.
If you would like to send a gift by mail, please address it to: Ethical Culture Fieldston School P.O. Box 1130 New York, NY 10008-1130 Checks should be made payable to Ethical Culture Fieldston School.
By Phone If you would like to make a gift to the Orange Fund over the phone, please call Gillian McSpiritt at 212-712-6260 or email gmcspiritt@ecfs.org and she will return your call.
Matching Gifts Double or triple your impact!! Check with your employer’s human resources office for more information on how to obtain a matching gift form, then send the completed form with your gift. Please contact Gillian McSpiritt at gmcspiritt@ecfs.org or 212-712-6260 with any questions.
33 Central Park West New York, NY 10023-6001 212-712-6220 3901 Fieldston Road Bronx, NY 10471-3922 718-329-7300 ecfs.org
Administrative Council 2021–2022
Board of Trustees 2021–2022
Kyle Wilkie-Glass Interim Head of School Jon Alschuler Interim Principal, Fieldston Middle Jessica L. Bagby Head of School Emerita Erin Bernstein Director of Finance/ Chief Financial Officer Lauren Coulston Director of Communications Rob Cousins Principal, Ethical Culture Jeannie Crowley Director of Technology Charles Guerrero ’89 Director of Enrollment Management Holly Manges Jones Director of Human Resources/Chief Human Resources Officer Tony Marro Interim Principal, Fieldston Upper Russell Marsh Director of Community and Inclusion Joe McCauley Principal, Fieldston Lower Gus Ornstein ’94 Director of Athletics Sarah Wendt Chief Philanthropy Officer
Susan Sarnoff Bram ’81 Advancement Co-Chair Margot Bridger Eunu Chun DEI Chair Anand Desai Akin Dorsett ’88 Andrew Holm ’01 Treasurer, Buildings & Grounds Chair, Finance Chair Tal Kaissar Nick Kaplan ’88 Fieldston Alumni Network (FAN) Chair Jesse Klausz Faculty Representative Rob Lewin Vivian Lin Meghan Mackay Vice-Chair, Academic Life Chair Seth Meisel Dhari Noel ’11 Faculty Representative Kathleen O’Connell Stan Parker Jon Roure
Jonathan M. Rozoff Governance Chair Carline Samson Faculty Representative Bree Sheahan P+T Representative Liz Singer President, Society Board (Ex-Officio) Min Young Song Faculty Representative Kim Smith Spacek ’91 Board Chair, Investment Chair Emily Tisch Sussman ’00 Krishna Veeraraghavan Vice-Chair, Audit & Risk Management Co-Chair Rielly Vlassis Josh Vlasto ’00 Stephanie Wagner Advancement Co-Chair Jeff Walker Secretary, Audit & Risk Management Co-Chair Kyle Wilkie-Glass Ex-Officio
ECFS Advancement Office Kavita Bordia Manager, Annual Giving Tom Fiorella Assistant Director, Parent Programs Isabella Hiigel Associate Director, Donor Services Toby Himmel Alumni Advisor
Gillian McSpiritt Associate, Donor Services Nancy Oti Director of Special Events Lauren Servidio Manager, Alumni Relations Rose Turshen Director of Annual Giving Sarah Wendt Chief Philanthropy Officer
