2019–2020 REPORT ON PHILANTHROPY
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Our purpose is to create a supportive and caring community that cherishes love of learning, creativity, and individuality, and that provides teachers and students with both support and freedom to take risks in order to reach their full potential. Implicit in our philosophy is the goal of bringing students to their highest level of academic and personal competency, both for their present and in preparation for their future education. In addition, we share a much larger purpose. We see Far Brook’s mission as a desire to use and to adapt the principles of progressive education and its philosophy of pragmatism for a changing world, and while valuing academic excellence and respect for nature, to instill a creative response to learning with great art, drama, music, and literature as models. Our approach to education demands that both students and teachers be active participants in a reciprocal learning experience. We recognize the role of metaphor, ritual, and tradition in children’s lives and the power of the arts in the learning process. Our curriculum is unified by interdisciplinary studies of thematic units and great historical eras, which allow children to relate themselves to the universe and to the history of mankind. A Far Brook education takes place in an environment of natural beauty and intimacy, where character and citizenship are valued as much as achievement, process as much as product. It is our desire to touch the lives of children so they may live life wisely and with great joy.
Dear Members of the Far Brook Community, We are pleased to share Far Brook’s 2019-2020 Report on Philanthropy. This annual report serves as a reflection of the year that has passed and allows us to share the accomplishments, successes, and even challenges of the School. The collective dedication of this community to our students is inspiring. We are proud of Far Brook’s progressive roots, high academic standards, rich curriculum, inclusive community, and deeply rooted commitment to equity and social justice. Our students continue to impress us with their intellectual curiosity, self-reliance, empathy, resilience, and good humor. In March, Far Brook was reimagined to Far Brook@ Home. We transitioned to distance learning, came together, and adapted in ways we could have never anticipated. The extraordinary faculty delivered curriculum with new technology and inspired and innovative teaching and thinking. Zoom Class trips were planned, the Orchestra was recreated virtually, and students participated in Mini Master Classes, to name a few. Even A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Eighth Grade’s graduation gift to the School, was beautifully reimagined into a recorded masterpiece. We continue to be inspired and encouraged by our community’s outpouring of generosity and support. The philanthropic spirit of this community remains strong, and we are incredibly grateful. As we move
forward, these ongoing investments in the School are critical to our success. PHILANTHROPY 2019-2020 Giving: Thanks to the generosity of the Far Brook community, we received donations of $1,234,035, which includes The Far Brook Fund, the Wraparound Relief Fund, restricted gifts, events, and campaign gifts and pledge payments. Strength In Community, Far Brook’s Initiative for Students and Faculty: This major gifts effort began in 2018 to raise funds for Tuition Assistance, Scholarship, Faculty Endowment, and the newly created Faculty Endowment Fund. As of June 30, 2020, we had close to $1,895,000 in paid and pledged commitments. We look forward to continuing our work and hope to complete this campaign by December 2021. Endowment Growth: Due to the continued prudent financial oversight from the Board’s Finance Committee and the Business Office, the fair market value of Far Brook’s Endowment, as of June 30, 2020, was $7,468,193, an increase of close to 4.5% from the close of last fiscal year. As is common in all independent schools, the money raised during the past year played a critical role in funding the operating budget of the School and enabling Far Brook to transition to Far Brook@Home, maintaining its academic rigor and commitment to tuition assistance. In addition, the generous donations
enabled the School to provide unique educational opportunities for the community that are described below. We remain on firm financial ground and the state of the School is strong. We thank our entire community for your generosity of spirit and your ongoing commitment to Far Brook School. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Our diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives continue to expand with opportunities for all community members to learn and collaborate - whether in person or at a distance. Highlights included: • Far Brook’s fourth annual diversity conference, Widening the Lens, took on the topic of socioeconomic diversity and featured keynote speaker Anthony Jack, a Harvard Professor and author of The Privileged Poor. • A school-wide celebration of peace and racial equality for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday included students sharing poetry, artwork, and songs. • Student and faculty participation in the GLSEN Day of Silence, gathering as a community on Zoom to break the silence together to honor LGBTQ community members and affirm our commitment to inclusion. • Recognition of the brutal killings and racial profiling that led to an awakening around racial justice in our country and all over the world.
At Far Brook, we joined in solidarity. A special Morning Meeting was held with a shared moment of silence, words of reflection, Kwame Alexander’s powerful children’s book, The Undefeated, and singing. It was so important for our community to come together during this difficult and painful time. Our work continues with courageous conversations, enhanced curriculum, and a renewed institutional commitment to anti-racism. • P reparing for the implementation of Pollyanna’s racial literacy curriculum, faculty read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, and participated in a series of conversations and affinity groups. •A n inspiring and informative talk on the history of racism in America, by Kennedy School of Government professor Khalil G. Muhammad, was presented to the extended Far Brook community. • S tudent participation in Affinity groups, Spectrum, an afterschool social justice conversation group, and numerous classroom lessons and activities created by teachers. Enrollment Management and Marketing: The 2019-2020 year was spent examining and revamping an applicant’s experience from inquiry to acceptance. We worked to create new, meaningful touchpoints that served as a way to get to know families better and as an essential marketing tool to recruit missionappropriate families and students. Events included: •A workshop hosted in our Schoolyard Wetlands Habitat in partnership with the South Mountain Nature School;
•A n on-campus winter celebration for applicants; •A parent-only “craft & sip” party and coffees hosted by current parents; •A Head of School coffee featuring an alumni panel. Inbound marketing strategies continue to be utilized to recruit prospective families, and we collaborated with various community groups and blogs to expand our word of mouth. When COVID-19 hit, the Enrollment Management team quickly recreated many parts of the admissions process to respond to Far Brook’s high volume of interest. A virtual admissions experience was developed, complete with a video tour of campus and an interactive campus map; new one-on-one applicant testing that could be administered via Zoom; and reimagined virtual onboarding events for new families. Once again, we relied on inbound marketing to spread the word about Far Brook’s reopening and hired a digital advertising consultant to assist with these efforts. Placement: This was another strong year for high school placement. The Class of 2020 cast a wide net, resulting in our talented alumni enrolling in a wide array of schools from independent day schools in New Jersey and New York to boarding schools in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Please see the Enrollment Management and Placement page list that includes the colleges and universities where our Class of 2016 alumni are enrolled.
Facilities and Operations: Ongoing maintenance of the campus and buildings is always a priority. New roofs were installed on the Segal Family Library and the Administration Building. The area between the Lower School and the Junior High had a complete makeover with a grass courtyard installation. We replaced a significant retaining wall outside the Middle School, updated the parking lot and parking spaces, and made plans to install air conditioning in Moore Hall and the Annex. When COVID-19 hit, the School responded with new technology and devices, a number of health and wellness initiatives, and professional development - all to support students, faculty, and families. We began to focus on our September reopening with a plan to invest in a number of areas including PPE, updating classroom spaces with physical distancing in mind, installing new air filtration systems, and building additional outdoor classrooms. This past fiscal year has been one that none of us will soon forget. We are so appreciative of the partnership that our community has with Far Brook and your commitment to Far Brook’s mission. With deepest gratitude,
Amy Ziebarth Head of School
Marc Schwartz Chair, Board of Trustees
FINANCIAL REPORT We are pleased to report that Far Brook School’s financial position remains strong. Below is a summary of the 2019-2020 year.
Operating Revenue and Other Support
82%
Tuition and Application Fees, Net of Tuition Assistance and Tuition Remission
Operating Expenses
69%
Program Services
12%
Contributions
25%
General and Administrative
4%
Interest and Dividend Income
2%
Other Income
6%
Fundraising
SUMMARY OF PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT We are profoundly grateful to our community of current parents, alumni, alumni parents, trustees, grandparents, faculty, administration, and friends who continue to give thoughtfully and generously to the School. Thank you for making the Far Brook experience possible for each and every student. Below is a summary of philanthropic support for 2019-2020.
$416,225
Strength In Community: Far Brook's Initiative for Students and Faculty
$364,693
The Far Brook Fund 2019-2020
Tuition Assistance (not part of Strength In Community)
$40,215
The Wraparound Relief Fund
$28,302
Additional gifts to: Endowment, Chamber Music and Chocolates, Music and Instrument Fund, 2020 Class Gift, and Special Projects
$5,000
Widening the Lens Diversity Conference Corporate Sponsorship
Imagine The Possibilities Capital Campaign payments:
$301,800
Total Dollars Received:
$1,234,035
ENDOWMENT Far Brook’s Endowment totaled $7,468,193 as of June 30, 2020, representing an endowment per student of $34,416. Our Endowment provides regular income, through smart investing and prudent management, for School programs, scholarships, tuition assistance, faculty development, facilities, and general needs. It ensures Far Brook’s long-term security and sustainability by creating support for future ventures and opportunities. A donor may add to these funds at any time. $8M
$12,726
$202,722
$1,806,699
$4,317,936
$5,264,847
$6,738,468
$7,468,193
1980
1990
2000
2010
2016
2018
2020
$7M $6M $5M $4M $3M $2M $1M $0
DESIGNATED ENDOWMENT FUNDS Arts Endowment Funds Kramer Art Fund Fredda S. Leff Special Projects Endowment Polly S. Niebling Drama Fund
Building Endowment Funds Milton H. Stern Endowment Fund The Ruth and Max Segal Family Library Endowment Fund
Faculty Endowment Funds The Elliott Averett Family Fund for Teacher Benefits Faculty Endowment Fund Faculty Opportunity Fund Endowment for Teacher Benefits Moore Faculty Benefit Fund
Scholarship Endowment Funds Mary Adams Scholarship for Mathematics and Science Edwin A. Finckel Scholarship for the Arts The Founding Families Scholarship Endowment Fund The George Bartol Scholarship The Hite Scholarship The James E. and Elizabeth Hughes Scholarship Endowment Fund William R. Johnson Scholarship for the Arts Barbara Jordan Endowment Scholarship The Koven Family Scholarship The Paula Levin Lower School Scholarship Fund Marks Student Scholarships The Opportunity Scholarship Fund for Excellence The Caroline Pfohl and Damien Ho Scholarship Carol Silver Endowment for Student Scholarships
THE FAR BROOK FUND The Far Brook Fund has always been the anchor and mainstay of philanthropy at Far Brook. Money raised is used immediately and not saved for future needs. This was important during the 2019-2020 year and the support generated played a critical role in our response to COVID-19. Because annual giving provides flexibility, we were able to navigate the emerging priorities. GIFTS TO THE FAR BROOK FUND HELPED TO PROVIDE: 10 Meeting Owl Pro Cameras 80 iPads 7 new or renovated outdoor classroom spaces 8 Elkay water bottle filling stations 135 Plexiglass table shields and so much more We prioritized the Wraparound Relief Fund in the Spring and took a gentler approach to asking for Far Brook Fund support. This meant our final results looked different than in years past. However, 360 donors made more than 900 gifts, for a total of $364,693, every dollar of which made a difference.
WRAPAROUND RELIEF FUND Knowing our community would inevitably be impacted by the uncertainty and challenges of COVID-19, Head of School Amy Ziebarth quickly created the Wraparound Relief Fund. This Fund gave us the ability to provide assistance in real-time to those affected by COVID-19. There was immediate support, and it was clear how much members of the Far Brook community care for one another. Close to 80 gifts totaling $40,215 quickly came in from a committed group, including current families, alumni, alumni parents, faculty, administrators, and trustees – with some families giving multiple times. Going forward, this type of support remains a priority and the Wraparound Relief Fund is part of The Far Brook Fund.
FAR BROOK, FAMILY, AND PHILANTHROPY
The Lalla Family Shares Why They Choose to Give to Far Brook
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Ten years ago, we discovered Far Brook School and could not have found a better community to help raise our children. We attribute this to the amazing strength of the Far Brook faculty. It is rare to find a school that encourages a deep connection between students and faculty, fosters reciprocal learning experiences, and recognizes the unique gifts and abilities of each child. This is why we choose to show our gratitude each year by making Far Brook School a philanthropic priority.
Far Brook is a community of shared values with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of school life. The School launched Strength In Community (SIC) to raise funds to support our students and faculty – the most critical investment we can make. This major gifts campaign, fully aligned with the School’s recent Strategic Plan, supports Tuition Assistance, Scholarship and Faculty Endowment, and the Faculty Fund for Innovation. It quietly began with the Board of Trustees and key stakeholders in 2018 and went public in 2019. We are happy to report that as of June 30, 2020 we have raised close to $1,895,000 from more than 50 donors. We believe that making a Far Brook education possible for the most qualified and engaged students, regardless of financial concerns, will enrich the Far Brook experience for every student. Along with our students, Far Brook’s strength lies in our faculty who are lifelong learners, dedicated to their students and their teaching. This important work continues through 2021.
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT AND PLACEMENT Number of students...........................217 New students.....................................43 Number of families............................163 New families.......................................35 Communities......................................28 Students of color................................52% Secondary schools attended by the Class of 2020: Deerfield Academy Dwight-Englewood School George School The Hudson School Kent Place School Little Red School House/Elisabeth Irwin High School (LREI) Morristown-Beard School Newark Academy Phillips Andover Academy St. Benedict’s Preparatory School
Far Brook’s Class of 2016 are freshman at the following colleges and universities: Babson College Columbia University Emerson College Emory University Kenyon College Lafayette College Miami University, Ohio Michigan State University Northeastern University Penn State University Rutgers University Syracuse University Temple University The New School Trinity College University of St. Andrews, Scotland University of Vermont University of Virginia Vassar College Wake Forest University William Paterson University
2019-2020 VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP Board of Trustees Marc Schwartz, Chair Carmine Fanelle, Vice-Chair Chris Burns, Treasurer Doak Sergent, Secretary Amy Ziebarth, Head of School Diane Bakst Greg Hoffman Bob Kelly Leah Kronthal Krissy Mannello Tanya Nicholson Miller Rob Olazagasti Elyse Post ’78 Harsh Sule Renee Sekino Wolfe Amy Yin The Far Brook Fund Chair Amy Yin
The Far Brook Fund Ambassadors Jyoti Ananth Lauri Baker Dan Cogan-Drew Thea Cogan-Drew Moona Elsevier John Fulbrook Chuck Gray Beth Jeffrey Katharine Larsen Ash Prithipaul Rebecca Wildman Repetti ’93 John Randall Brian Sieger Mark Unferth Jonathan Wolfe ’90 Parent Community Connection (PCC) Chairs Katy Burns Brad Jones
Class of 2020 presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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