KNOWLEDGE, GOODNESS YOU&

MATTHEW BELLICO AND TRACY SWEET

he phrase is drawn from Phillips Academy’s founding constitution: knowledge and goodness. There’s assured positivity in these words—written nearly 250 years ago—and they’ve spurred generations to ever greater endeavors on Andover Hill.

For us, it’s a signal to embrace our best selves and perpetually impart those ideals to all who will follow.

That’s why, when PA sought to amplify its enduring values and forge a bright future, the Knowledge & Goodness campaign framed our ambitions. And why our global community joined us on this historic journey. In total, a record-setting $408.9 million was raised for the school’s educational mission.

Launched in September 2017, the campaign invoked the school’s Strategic Plan and set in motion vital priorities to fortify Andover’s position as a world-class institution, fulfilling a charge to:

• Create a richer intellectual experience

• Foresee new practices in education

• Respond to students’ needs in a diverse, interconnected society

Nearly 20,000 alumni, families, and friends answered the call—and their donations drove impact across every facet of the Academy.

“From the start, we felt strongly that there should be a place in this campaign for anyone who believes in Andover—its students, faculty and staff, the leadership of the school—and its renowned programs,” says Trustee President Amy C. Falls ’82, P’19, ’21, who co-chaired the campaign with Trustee Emeritus Joseph Y. Bae ’90, P’21, ’23, ’26, ’26, and Trustee President Emeritus Peter L.S. Currie ’74, P’03.

“I can’t say enough about how much we value every donor,” continues Falls. “It’s not about the size of the gift, it’s about the gift. It’s the coming together, the breadth of support, that demonstrates the strength of the Andover community.”

Momentum built quickly, with early campaign gifts establishing the Tang Institute, constructing the Rebecca M. Sykes Wellness Center, and widening the reach of health and wellness initiatives across campus. Soon after, the state-of-the-art Snyder Center debuted for squash, track, and more.

The Oliver Wendell Holmes Library, completely renovated and reimagined for 21st-century learning, then reopened with new homes for the Andover Archives and Special Collections, the Tang Institute, and The Nest makerspace.

Throughout the campaign, ensuring Andover’s facilities matched the caliber of its program was crucial. So too was financial aid. PA pioneered needblind admission at the secondary school level, and substantial investments in scholarships were needed to keep it viable—and keep welcoming students based on their promise and talents alone.

Knowledge & Goodness also strategically focused on academic innovation, faculty development, equity and inclusion initiatives, and renowned resources like the Addison Gallery of American Art and the Peabody Institute of Archaeology.

John G. Palfrey P’21, head of school when the campaign began, was integral to its formation and initial direction.

“In crafting the campaign, we aimed for a very big set of goals, bigger than we had ever set before, and imagined that Andover would step up to meet them,” says Palfrey. “Sure enough, the PA family responded in kind and with extraordinary generosity. I am so delighted by what has been accomplished together. No surprise: it is a devoted, diverse, multigenerational community connected through strong values. That is a winning combination.”

Points Of Impact

The Knowledge & Goodness campaign finished as one of the largest and most successful in independent school history, not only in terms of fundraising, but also participation.

In total, 19,996 donors from more than 80 countries made gifts of all sizes while supporting the priorities of their choice.

In addition, more than 100 donors joined the Samuel Phillips & Sarah Abbot Society by designating forward-looking commitments in their estate plans, totaling over $22.6 million.

Scholarships were at the forefront of the campaign with more than $104.8 million invested in the endowment. As a result, financial aid rose from 60 percent to approximately 80 percent endowed. A strategy critical to raising scholarship support was the Andover Financial Aid Challenge, spearheaded by Bae and a handful of leadership donors. This fund matched new endowment gifts, providing the leverage that sparked more than 70 scholarship donors to step forward.

Among the other new facilities made possible by over $120 million in campaign funding: the Pan Athletic Center, the Chase House student residence, and the future music building, Falls Hall.

Campaign donors further enhanced the student experience by widely funding equity and inclusion initiatives and those for health and wellness. The Office of Community and Multicultural Development (CAMD), the Brace Center for Gender Studies, and Sykes Wellness Center programming were among the beneficiaries. So too Learning in the World, which expanded to offer every student the opportunity to study and immerse themselves in a culture unlike their own.

Academic excellence and innovation were focal points. Donors invested nearly $35 million in supporting faculty across 19 fields and in the Tang Institute, which continues to generate interconnected learning experiences at Andover and in the wider world.

The Addison Gallery acquired numerous important works through more than $4.7 million in in-kind gifts, while seed campaign funding enabled the Peabody Institute to begin extensive renovations to preserve its exceptional collection.

The expansive lawn in front of Samuel Phillips Hall was named the Richard T. Greener Quadrangle, honoring one of the nation’s trailblazing advocates for racial equality. Greener, Class of 1865, was a leading voice for Black Americans during the Reconstruction period, serving as both dean of Howard University Law School and associate editor of Frederick Douglass’s newspaper New National Era

Knowledge & Goodness BY THE NUMBERS

When Non Sibi Spirit Met The Unexpected

New and renovated buildings, investments in faculty development and academic excellence, and the preservation of need-blind admission are all worthy headlines. That part of the school’s historic effort went according to plan.

What no one expected was that the campaign also would be an asset when Andover faced unprecedented challenges. When Head of School Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, began his tenure in July 2020, he arrived in the midst of a global pandemic and the country’s fierce racial tensions.

get, which derives nearly 10 percent of its financing from Andover Fund support. Already a campaign priority, the fund became an impromptu centerpiece of COVID relief efforts and a way to advocate for equality.

Overall, donors contributed more than $85 million to the Andover Fund and the Parent Fund. These funds enable the Academy to address its top priorities each year, closing the funding gap between the school’s operating needs and endowment resources.

Moreover, access to student scholarships became increasingly imperative. Prior to Kington’s official start, James F. Ventre ’79 served as interim head of school, with the long-serving chief of the admissions office remaining steadfast in his commitment to the campus community during these myriad challenges.

certainties rose. “We saw a wave of support that signaled confidence in the leadership of the board and the foundation established by previous administrations,” he says. “Raynard came to Andover from Grinnell College [also a need-blind school] with an appreciation of his own. He understood immediately that sustaining access for deserving students speaks to our values as a community.” gift helped sustain us through the challenges of the past few years and move the campus forward in critical ways.”

“I think because so many forces were working against us,” says Kington, “I gained a deeper appreciation for this shared belief that excellence requires perpetual reflection and a willingness to evolve. The campaign gave us a framework and the resources necessary to do both.”

The effects of both were felt deeply in the community and commanded a response that put extraordinary pressure on the operating bud -

While the learning curve would be steep for anyone coming to Andover’s top position at any time, stepping into a campaign while also navigating a pandemic added layers of complexity. The urgency of both underscored the power of PA worldwide, Kington says.

A persuasive voice for financial aid, Ventre worked tirelessly to make the case for current and future generations of students, especially as economic un$408.9 M

“Every person and every

TOTAL RAISED

The conclusion of a record-setting effort may seem an odd time to set even higher goals, but that is exactly what Andover must do, says Falls. “With any aspirational institution, there are always new mountains to climb. Excellence is not a static condition. It results from constant questioning, rigorous thinking, and evolution.”

Because of the campaign’s success, Andover is well-positioned for what comes next. With sights focused on a new peak, Falls is excited by Kington’s leadership: “Raynard brings an inquiring mind to a place that loves inquiring minds. A place that doesn’t shy away from difficult questions. A place that is willing to do what is necessary to ensure that Andover will be as powerful for the next generation of students as it was for alumni of my generation.” 

Total Donors

50 States & Donors from

36% 19,996 12,435

First-Time Supporters Campaign Gifts from PA Families

430 Leadership-Level Benefactors

Donors to Outreach Programs Raising

$11.8M

Abbot Academy Classes Represented 38 80+ Countries

2,602 100+ $22.6M in their Estate Plans

Discover more Knowledge & Goodness achievements at andover.edu/campaign.

Legacy Giving Donors Contributing