EXCELLENCE IN EVERY ENDEAVOR A STORY OF SUCCESS, GROUNDED IN PHILANTHROPY
P R INCIPAL GIF TS
YOUR LASTING IMPACT
EXCELLENCE IN EVERY ENDEAVOR AT PACE ACADEMY A STORY OF SUCCESS, GROUNDED IN PHILANTHROPY
The story of Pace Academy began in 1958 when the Castle opened its doors as a school, welcoming 178 newly enrolled students. The first head of school, Frank D. Kaley (pictured below), sought to create a child-centered learning environment characterized by excellence. Kaley served until 1972, leaving as a legacy Pace’s coat of arms and enduring motto, ”To have the courage to strive for excellence.” Strong relationships between our early leaders, teachers and parents paved the way for a dynamic partnership between school and family, now a cornerstone of our culture. With the school-family relationship at the center, Pace promotes and celebrates the courageous pursuit of academic and extracurricular excellence and prioritizes the development and well-being of each child. The Pace story, time and again, includes a bold vision of ”what could be,” brought to life through the generous support of our school community. The extraordinary ways in which our donors have matched their philanthropic interests to opportunities for the school are apparent in chapter after chapter of our history. Capital projects ranging from the Inman Center and Fine Arts Center, built decades ago, to projects completed more recently—the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School and Kam Memar Lower School—stand on campus as testaments to the generosity of our donors. Donor-funded initiatives such as the Isdell Center for Global Leadership and the Academic Resource Center as well as endowed funds like the P.J. Garcia Financial Aid Fund and the Horowitz Athletics Leadership Endowment enrich the Pace educational experience in far-reaching ways. Through Excellence in Every Endeavor: Pace Academy’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan, we seek to enhance and expand the ways in which we educate, develop and care for our students. We invite you to explore the impactful initiatives described in the pages that follow and to consider the difference your gift could make to our students’ lives, your personal philanthropic goals and the story of Pace Academy. | 01
SIX FOCUS AREAS: ACADEMIC & INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE COMMUNITY & COMMUNICATIONS DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION ENROLLMENT GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP STUDENT LIFE & SCHOOL CULTURE 0 2 | 03
THE 2022–2027 STRATEGIC PLAN Pace Academy’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan includes six essential focus areas, each with specific initiatives. Some initiatives span focus areas and connect to broad underlying themes such as faculty development and mental health and well-being.
S T R AT E GIC PL A N
SIX FOCUS AREAS
ACADEMIC & INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE: At Pace, aca-
demic excellence is paramount, as evidenced by our focus on recruiting, retaining and developing our impressive faculty cohort with an ultimate goal of empowering them to be the best possible teachers and mentors for children. Our instructors provide each student a challenging experience that cultivates hard and soft skills, fosters critical thinking, and spurs creativity and innovation, particularly through STEAMbased opportunities. The Academic Resource Center (ARC) offers individualized academic assistance to all students, and particularly those with learning differences. Pace’s intellectually challenging yet nurturing environment prepares graduates to succeed and flourish in college, and our Office of College Counseling—with a low studentcounselor ratio—thoughtfully guides students to their post-Pace homes.
COMMUNITY & COMMUNICATIONS: Students, parents,
caregivers, faculty, staff, grandparents, alumni, parents-ofalumni, and friends make up the diverse and vibrant tapestry of the Pace community. Our many constituencies contribute to the vitality of our school, and their support and engagement ensure broad recognition of Pace as a leader among our peers. Thoughtful communications initiatives and community engagement programs promote the school to our stakeholders and the greater community, keep Knights of all ages—near and far—abreast of students’ triumphs and important developments, and enable the school to weather unforeseen challenges such as the COVID pandemic.
PRINCIPAL DONORS: LEGACY EFFECTS Today, the far-reaching impact of principal giving at Pace Academy is evident in every facet of school life. Over the course of school history, our generous principal donors have helped to advance significant projects and programs and create and sustain transformational initiatives. The following sidebar photos illustrate a small number of the ways in which principal gifts have impactfully shaped the school.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION: A diverse, equitable
and inclusive learning environment is a key component of academic excellence, and building cultural fluency and compassion is vital to creating prepared, confident citizens of the world. These fundamental values are intentionally reflected at every level of our curriculum, teaching and programming. Throughout their time at Pace, students are exposed to myriad perspectives, helping prepare them to competently engage in civil discourse when faced with different or challenging ideas. Striving for excellence includes creating a community where differences are embraced by all students, parents and faculty, thereby fostering a collective sense of belonging.
STUDENT LIFE & SCHOOL CULTURE Located in Pace Academy’s Fine Arts Center, the Zalik Theater and Lobby were named in recognition of a principal gift by the Zalik family to the Accelerate Pace capital campaign.
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S T R AT E GIC PL A N
SIX FOCUS AREAS
ENROLLMENT: Academic excellence at Pace relies upon the
school’s ability to attract and enroll students with remarkable intellectual promise and the desire to contribute to the life of the school—students who reflect the city and world in which we live and who value the essential role diverse perspectives provide in a learning community. Pace aims to mirror the socio-economic diversity of Atlanta and, as such, awards generous financial aid annually. Through need-based aid, we ensure that remarkably bright and talented students from across metro Atlanta have access to a Pace education regardless of their families' financial means.
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP: The Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) supports Pace’s mission to create prepared, confident citizens of the world by implementing a schoolwide global theme to propel collaborative, cross-divisional programming designed to help students think globally. Guided by expert faculty, Pace students explore ICGL themes through curricular, co-curricular and hands-on activities—ranging from leadership fellowships and internships to community engagement partnerships and life-changing domestic and international study tours. Community Engagement is a cornerstone program of the ICGL, offering students wide-ranging opportunities to connect with and positively impact our local and global communities. Participation expands values related to empathy, personal responsibility and action, and provides additional avenues to develop leadership skills. STUDENT LIFE & SCHOOL CULTURE: Healthy, happy students are better learners, and achieving academic excellence requires support for the whole child. Pace offers robust arts and athletics opportunities for students and in recent years has significantly expanded counseling, wellness and mental health resources and programming. Through conversation and education, the school also aims to support and engage parents and caregivers as they navigate the sometimes tumultuous waters of parenthood. Character-development programming undergirds our health and wellness efforts. To become prepared, confident citizens of the world, our students must first be good citizens—in face-to-face interactions with others and in digital spaces.
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP The Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) is foundational to the Pace Academy educational experience thanks to principal-gift support from the Isdell family.
ACADEMIC & INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE Pace Academy’s Academic Resource Center (ARC) serves students in all three divisions of the school, providing support that helps every student to thrive academically. The ARC program was created and has been sustained through generous principal gifts from many Pace families.
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BECOMING A PRINCIPAL DONOR TO PACE ACADEMY As you consider your charitable goals, we hope you will explore opportunities for a principal gift to Pace. We would be honored to hear more about your values and the aspects of the Pace experience that are most meaningful to you and your family. A principal gift to Pace is personal; each gift is tailored to the donor’s giving priorities. In the same way, recognition aligns with the individual contribution. Recognition of principal gifts at Pace often includes the naming of buildings, classrooms or other spaces, endowments, and awards according to donor wishes. Principal donors give in a wide range of ways: outright contributions; appreciated securities; donor-advised-fund grants; retirement plan distributions; matching gifts; bequests or other planned gifts; real estate; and more.
ENROLLMENT Pace Academy named the Garcia Family Middle School to celebrate a principal gift from the Garcia family creating the P.J. Garcia Financial Aid Fund. The fund, an endowment in memory of P.J. Garcia ’09, provides financial assistance for tuition to four Upper School students with demonstrated need each school year.
STUDENT LIFE & SCHOOL CULTURE The Horowitz Athletics Leadership Award recognizes two junior students at Honors Day each spring for leadership qualities and offers them leadership training and experiences. A principal gift from Pace alumnus Scott Horowitz ’84 created this endowment fund.
GIVING OPPORTUNITIES In this pocket, you'll find inserts listing specific philanthropic giving opportunities and vehicles for making principal gifts—such as outright gifts, endowment funds and planned gifts—as well as ways to recognize and celebrate philanthropic commitments. The list of specific funding opportunities will change over time. For more information, please contact Director of Advancement, Heather White at 404-240-9107 or heather.white@paceacademy.org.
PRINCIPAL GIFTS PLANNED GIVING Planned giving is the process of making provisions for a future charitable gift, most commonly in your will or estate plan. Planned gifts provide donors the benefit of not affecting current cash flow and can often be arranged to have minimal impact on total estate value. Many planned gifts provide tax-favorable benefits, and even income, to the donor and beneficiaries.
Planned gifts can be made through a variety of vehicles, including: BEQUEST Designate Pace as the beneficiary of your asset by will, trust or beneficiary designation form.
IRA ROLLOVER Contact your IRA plan administrator to make a gift from your IRA to Pace. IRA charitable rollover gifts do not qualify for a charitable deduction.
BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION GIFT You can designate Pace as a beneficiary of a retirement, investment or bank account, or of your life insurance policy. Contact the person who helps you with your account or insurance policy, such as your broker, banker or insurance agent to assist.
DONOR ADVISED FUNDS A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) allows you to make an initial, irrevocable gift of cash or stock to fund a DAF at a sponsoring organization; then, the assets in your DAF grow tax-free. You make annual recommendations on gifts to be made from your DAF.
CHARITABLE REMAINDER UNITRUST A Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) allows you to transfer cash or assets into a trust which can then sell assets tax-free. The trust is invested to pay income to you or any other beneficiaries you select for life or a term of years. Pace receives the remaining balance after all trust payments have been made.
CHARITABLE REMAINDER ANNUITY TRUST A Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust (CRAT) allows you to transfer cash or appreciated property into a trust which then sells your property tax-free and provides you with fixed income for life or a term of years. Pace receives the remaining balance after all trust payments have been made.
CHARITABLE LEAD TRUST A Charitable Lead Trust (CLT) allows you to contribute your property to fund a trust that pays Pace income for a number of years. After a period of time, your family receives the trust assets plus any additional growth value.
SALE AND UNITRUST You give a portion of your property to Pace to fund a Charitable Remainder Trust. When the property sells, you receive cash and income for life.
GIVE IT TWICE TRUST Work with your attorney to create a Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT), then complete an IRA or other retirement account beneficiary designation form, naming the CRUT as the beneficiary. The trust will pay income to your spouse, children or other individual beneficiaries for their life or term of years; then, the balance of the trust will be transferred to Pace.
LIFE ESTATE RESERVED Give your property to Pace while retaining the right to use it during your lifetime. When the property owner passes away, Pace will use the property if appropriate or sell it, using the proceeds to benefit the school. Pace must accept gifts of property on a case-by-case basis; proposed donations are reviewed by Pace’s Gift Acceptable Committee.
966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 www.paceacademy.org
PRINCIPAL GIFTS ENDOWMENTS The Pace Academy Endowment is a growing pool of funds that provides Pace a permanent monetary foundation, safeguarding its strength and stability and ensuring that it continues to grow and flourish. Donors to the endowment give directly with cash or securities, or through a variety of planned giving vehicles. These contributions, which can be unrestricted or designated for specific purposes, are invested, and their earnings supply resources for school priorities. The endowment includes a general fund as well as 32 named endowments, most created by families or foundations in tribute to loved ones or other esteemed individuals. New endowment funds may be created with donations of $100,000 or more.
Existing named endowment funds include: • Academic Resource Center Fund • Alumni Scholar Fund • Barbara and Sanford Orkin Honor Scholarship Fund • Bradley-Turner Foundation Leadership Fund • Clyde Reese III ’76 Diversity Leadership Award Endowment Fund • Coca-Cola Foundation Minority Scholarship Endowment • Crissa Hawkins Memorial Scholarship Fund • Cum Laude Society Fellowship • David, Helen and Marian Woodward Fund • Edward E. Ford Foundation Fund for Financial Aid • Fine Arts Endowment • The Goizueta Foundation Fund for STEAM Initiatives • The Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund • Hilton Kort Financial Aid Fund • Horowitz Athletics Leadership Endowment • J. B. Fuqua Debate Fund
• J. B. Fuqua Reading Resource Program • J. Robert Chambers Faculty Development Fund • Jane and Herman Hipp English Department Fellowship Fund • Jesse C. Crawford Jr. Endowment for Excellence in Teaching • Jim Wheeler Family Athletic Fund • John Anderson Excellence in Teaching Fund • John David Chambers Sr. Athletic Fund • Loridans Academic Fellowship • Michael A. Murphy Faculty Development Fund • P.J. Garcia Financial Aid Fund • Pace Academy Financial Aid Fund • Parents Club Endowment Fund for Professional Development • Parents Club Endowment Fund Honoring Lolly Hand • Richard C. Kessler Excellence in Teaching Award • Shine! Faculty Enrichment Endowment • Stahl Family Financial Aid Fund
966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 www.paceacademy.org
PRINCIPAL GIFTS RECOGNITION At Pace, we value our donors’ generosity and wish to recognize the families who go above and beyond in helping us achieve our mission of creating prepared, confident citizens of the world who honor the values of Pace Academy.
Donor recognition is matched to each gift and can include the following: LISTING IN THE ANNUAL REPORT Each year, Pace publishes an annual report which names our donors and specifies the area(s) of their gifts. The annual report is mailed to all current supporters, families and Trustees, and an electronic version is made available on the Pace website.
RECOGNITION IN THE KNIGHTTIMES The KnightTimes is published quarterly and typically includes a profile of a recent, significant contributor to the school. Examples of those profiled include Pace Fund and capital campaign leaders, Castle Circle members and those who establish endowments.
MEMBERSHIP IN KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE, THE PACE FUND’S GIVING SOCIETY The Knights of the Round Table (KORT) celebrates Pace’s most generous supporters and includes individuals and families making annual contributions of $2,500 or more. All KORT members are invited to attend an annual reception, and Knights Circle Members, donors who give $10,000 or more, enjoy an annual dinner.
NAMING OF SPACES ON CAMPUS The naming of spaces on campus is another way to honor the generosity of Pace benefactors. Naming opportunities include spaces used by students, teachers, athletes, artists and the larger Pace community, such as classrooms and community spaces in the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools and at Riverview Sports Complex. If interested, please contact the Office of Advancement at 404-240-9103 to inquire about a list of naming opportunities.
966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 www.paceacademy.org