Ravenscroft Magazine Winter 2015 (Report on Giving)

WINTER 2015 | VOL. XVIII. NO. 3

magazine

REPORT

on giving

INSIDE: The Pugh Family |

The Sloan Family | Finley Center Renovation Gift | Parents’ Association Gift to Campaign

Because of you...

A student is inspired.

Thank You! THANKS TO YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT, the Ravenscroft Annual Fund had a record-setting year raising more than $988,000 with 80% parents and 10% alumni contributing!

An athlete excels.

Artists find their voice. magazine

REPORT FEATURES 4 Charting Our Road to The Future Fran and Watson (’38) Pugh

8 Connecting the Head and Heart of Ravenscroft Joy and Temple Sloan

12 Generous Gift Funds Finley Center Renovation 13 Parents’ Association Jump-Starts Embrace Possibility Campaign

on giving

WINTER 2015 | VOL. XVIII. NO. 3

DEPARTMENTS 2 Vision & Voice

The Embrace Possibility Campaign — Doreen Kelly, Head of School

14 Report on Giving Donor Lists 2014-2015

48 Financial Report

Statement of Activities

Ravenscroft magazine is published three times a year. Please direct suggestions or comments to Jennifer Marchi, Director of Marketing and Communications, 919-847-0900, ext 2312 or jennifer.marchi@ravenscroft.org.

The winter issue is the annual Report on Giving. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy of the listings of names, businesses and gifts. If a name is omitted or inadvertently listed incorrectly, please notify Aprille Metcalf in the Advancement Office, 919-847-0900, ext 2815 or aprille.metcalf@ravenscroft.org, for corrections.

Design by M Creative | Photography by Allie Wilson and Nate Clendenin | Written by Karen Lewis Taylor, Maggie Cohn, and Stacy Calfo

The paper used for this magazine contains fiber sourced from well-managed forests.

VISION & VOICE A message from our Head of School

This is Your Opportunity to Change the World Doreen Kelly, Head of School Possibility campaign. Embrace Possibility seeks to raise money to support four ongoing initiatives, all designed to strengthen our commitment to provide a remarkable new teaching and learning approach to any qualified, motivated child in our region — and ensure every Ravenscroft student’s success.

1. LEAD FROM HERE We will implement and maintain a new model of academic and leadership education at Ravenscroft, designed to teach children the skills and competencies they will need to thrive in — and make a significant positive impact on — an unpredictable future.

DEAR RAVENSCROFT ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS: When I think about all of the possibilities the future holds for our students, I get inspired. I am inspired by the path we have chosen as a school community to prepare our students for a future in a

world that is changing at a dizzying rate.

I am inspired by so many of you who have contributed to this path through your financial generosity. And, I am inspired because there is so much more to do.

Thank you to every person who has already committed to our Embrace

2. SUCCEED HERE We will put in place innovative programs and services to support and ensure the success of every Ravenscroft student in today’s demanding educational environment — regardless of geographic, social or economic background or need.

“Ravenscroft has always prided itself on exceptional academics. That’s great, but we can’t continue to use the same style of education to prepare kids to face this changing world. If we believe our kids are the leaders of the future, we need to act like it and do the work to get out ahead of the changes.”

— Easter Maynard ’89 and John Parker Embrace Possibility campaign co-chairs photo by Jaclyn Morgan of Jaclyn Morgan Photography

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VISION & VOICE

3. BELONG HERE

“Ravenscroft students — now and in the past — all benefited from gifts of the people coming before us.

The buildings, classrooms, and fields were all built by someone else.

The teacher training that has made Ravenscroft one of the best schools in the country was paid for with philanthropy. Don’t just grab water from the well and walk away. Dig the next well and replenish the well you’re drinking from!”

We will expand and secure our ability to increase access and socioeconomic diversity by offering financial support to families who may not otherwise be able to afford a Ravenscroft education.

4. ANNUAL FUND We will continue to support the faculty, programs, and facilities that allow us to offer excellence in academics, arts, and athletics for all students.

If you believe, as I do, that the seeds of leadership reside in every single child, then you know we are obliged to provide the nourishment and tools necessary to cultivate them.

Embracing possibility means ensuring that we can sustain and expand our ability to nurture those seeds of leadership and change. We must offer students the best trained teachers, the most innovative curricula, the most comprehensive support, and the widest possible access to a Ravenscroft education.

Our children are the citizen leaders of the future, and within them lies the power — the possibility — to change the world for the better. Your generosity is turning wonderful possibilities into certainties.

Thank you for embracing the possibility for our children and our future. I continue to be inspired by each of you.

HONORARY CO-CHAIRS Fran and Watson (’38) Pugh Joy and Temple Sloan

— Jenny and Charles (’78) Winston Embrace Possibility campaign co-chairs

CO-CHAIRS Easter Maynard ’89 and John Parker Jenny and Charles (’78) Winston

HONORARY COMMITTEE Judy and Chip (’55) Anderson Mary Grady Koonce ’81 and Vic (’74) Bell Cecelia and Mike Condrey Noel and Harold Lichtin Jane and Tom Mann Connie and James Maynard Mary and Bill (’74) Moss Flo and Charles (’47) Winston Tracy and Bob (’80) Winston Mary Brent and Bob Wright

CABINET Kevin Anderson ’82 Robert Beller Mary Bossong Elise Dorsett ’06

Caryn McNeill Michael Murphy John Parham ’84 Jennifer Ratliff ’06 Nelle Schantz ’83 Nancy ‘Pickel’ Tannenbaum Pete Tannenbaum Chuck Vitello Jim Ziperski

THANK YOU to our campaign volunteers for your support and participation. Each of you plays an important role in advancing our mission. You are truly helping us change the world!

With gratitude,

Doreen C. Kelly Head of School

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CHARTING OUR ROAD TO THE FUTURE PUGH FAMILY’S STRATEGIC GIFT TRANSFORMS PLAN FOR CAMPUS EXPANSION

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BY KAREN LEWIS TAYLOR

T

H E R E ’ S A S I G N AT R AV E N S C R O F T ’ S WINSTON ENTRANCE that says “Future Road.”

The sign is hardly the campus’s best feature — Phil Higginson, assistant head of school for institutional advancement, jokingly characterizes it as “very unattractive” — but its presence signifies much more than the school’s intention to create a new passage around the campus.

The future road, as projected in the 2008 strategic plan, makes possible an expanded campus blueprint that will transform Ravenscroft in the years to come.

That the land for that “future road” came from Watson and Fran Pugh, whose Tara Farm adjoins the school along its western border, is poetic in its significance. The Pughs have been steadfast supporters of Ravenscroft since the late 1960s, when they helped secure its North Raleigh acreage — and they have been helping chart the school’s road to the future ever since.

DECADES OF GIVING Watson Pugh, a pediatrician and Tucker Street-era alumnus, and his wife Fran are near-legendary figures in Ravenscroft circles. For decades Dr. Pugh served as the school’s doctor, doling out immunizations, maintaining student health records, and giving physicals to athletes on Ravenscroft’s sports teams. Mrs. Pugh has served on the school’s board of trustees for 47 years, providing leadership in numerous critical roles as the school has flourished.

“Fran and Watson work as a team,” says Mary Moss, a Ravenscroft alumni parent who serves as co-chair of the school’s advancement committee. “Over the years, they have given their time and talents in myriad ways. Whatever the need, the Pughs have been there for the school.” They have also opened up the grounds of their beloved horse farm for school activities and events, including an annual barbecue for new families. In their typical hands-on manner, Mrs. Pugh directs the parking and Dr. Pugh cooks the corn.

Dr. Pugh emphasizes that their relationship with Ravenscroft is a personal one.

“Ravenscroft has been our Tara Farm neighbor for over 40 years,” he notes. “Our four children all went to school there. Six of our grandchildren have gone to or are currently attending Ravenscroft. They have all received the highest-quality education.”

Mrs. Pugh puts it this way: “My passion is my family, my horses, and Ravenscroft. It’s that simple.”

A PIVOTAL MOMENT That passion has manifested itself most notably in their farsighted thinking about Ravenscroft’s future growth.

As Mrs. Pugh recalls, they considered the likelihood of ceding property to the school as early as the 1970s.

“I have always been one to have a vision for this school, and every year I just keep updating it, as everybody knows,” Mrs. Pugh says, chuckling. “Dr. Pugh and I felt, once the school moved out here and adjoined our property, well, this land was something that needed to go to the school.”

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“ IF YOU’RE GOING TO DO

SOMETHING, YOU WANT TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, NOT DOWN THE ROAD AND PIECEMEAL IT TOGETHER.”

The impetus for their eventual offer was the development of the 2008 strategic plan, which included an expansion of the Lower School.

Bill Moss ’74, who was chair of the buildings and grounds committee during this process, remembers the challenges they faced in locating a suitable campus green in the Lower School’s interior.

“A number of different proposals were discussed,” he says. “The potential for the Lower School to reach a new level, in terms of the physical plant and its surroundings, was extremely limited, especially given the location of the internal roadway.”

The Pughs’ decision to offer a 10-acre parcel along the back edge of campus transformed the plan.

“I believe Fran reached the conclusion that there were no good long-term options available to the school except through her and Doc’s generosity,” he says. “It was a visionary projection.”

Mrs. Pugh is matter-of-fact about proposing the transfer at that particular juncture.

“If you’re going to do something, you want to do it right the first time, not down the road and piecemeal it together,” she says. “We needed to push the campus out and, fortunately, there was a way to do that. Dr. Pugh and I felt like it was necessary.”

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LEADING BY EXAMPLE The Pughs’ gift — valued today at $2.5 million — was structured to allow the school to complete Phase I of the strategic plan in 2011, using one acre of the tract for the Winston entrance. The remaining 8.1 acres, which were ceded to the school this year, provide for the “future road” that will expand campus boundaries and facilitate planned growth at its core.

Bill Moss notes that it’s “both a literal expansion of boundaries but also a figurative — and very, very real — expansion of the vision for the school, both of which reflect the heart and soul of the vision Fran and Doc have for Ravenscroft.”

Higginson also emphasizes the spirit at the heart of the Pughs’ decision.

“It’s a very personal gift,” he says. “That land is where some of the Tara Farm trails are, whose terrain Mrs. Pugh believes contributes to the physical conditioning that makes her horses champions.”

“This gift of land is an extension of their recognition that Ravenscroft is part of their family, and they are part of our family,” Mary Moss adds.

For Dr. and Mrs. Pugh, it’s all about the students who will benefit from the Ravenscroft experience.

“Whatever we can do to better educate our children will pay dividends long after we’re gone,” Dr. Pugh says.

“That’s why this gift is so important.”

Mrs. Pugh agrees, noting that Ravenscroft empowers students to make the same kind of impact on their world that she and her husband have made on the school.

“Our kids can and will make a difference,” she says.

“They have this wonderful opportunity, and our faculty and staff are there to nurture them into being leaders.

So, have at it, kids! Get up and go!” R

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Temple and Joy Sloan

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BY MAGGIE COHN

connecting the head and heart of ravenscroft

T

$1 million

HE SLOANS’ transformational $1 million gift will ensure that EVERY Ravenscroft

student gets the right kind of support to succeed.

Head of School Doreen Kelly recently recalled when she was appointed to Ravenscroft’s top management position, “Thirteen years ago, the Board of Trustees charged me with connecting the head and the heart of this place. To me, this meant creating an environment in which every single child receives both the excellent academic development and the social/emotional support needed for success.”

Now, thanks to Joy and Temple Sloan and the Sloan Family Foundation that connection will be assured — today and into the future.

tive educational programs, student support services and faculty training designed to meet the development needs students may have during their time at Ravenscroft.

Consistent with the school’s mission, Ravenscroft wants to nurture the individual potential of each student.

This requires Ravenscroft to enhance our rigorous academic program with a complementary, equally important commitment to ensuring all our students have access to: > mental health counseling services, > academic coaching, > a school nurse and staff, and > the opportunity to explore and learn current health and physical education issues through a well-researched, experiential curriculum.

giving back for the next generation

The Sloans’ two boys recently graduated from Ravenscroft — one in 2011 and the other just this past spring. Temple is a senior at the US Naval Academy, and Crawford is a freshman at Wake Forest University. Both boys attribute their academic success and smooth transition to college to their Ravenscroft experience.

Parents Joy and Temple wanted to show their gratitude. “What the school did for our boys — their experience — was so positive,” says Joy. “We wanted to give back in some way, so we decided to make a financial contribution for the next generation of students that come through.”

When they learned about the school’s plans to create an integrated initiative to support PreK–12 student growth and development, including the appointment of a senior administrator to oversee these efforts, they knew right away that this is where they wanted to direct their gift from the Sloan Family Foundation.

what i like most about “ravenscroft is that it’s

succeed here

Succeed Here is one of the four cornerstones of Ravenscroft’s Embrace Possibility campaign (the other three are Lead From Here, Belong Here, and Annual Fund). It is an endowment for innova-

not just about producing students with academic accomplishments. it’s about much more — producing outstanding young adults. and that takes a lot more than great academics.”

—Temple Sloan

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children cannot “activate their true

academic potential unless they are operating in complete wholeness.”

—Doreen Kelly

Finally, Ravenscroft must offer the faculty professional development opportunities on best practices for 21st century learning; on positive, transformative faculty student relationships; and on the social emotional developmental needs of students in the school community.

The idea hit a chord with Joy and Temple.

“This program for success is so important because it addresses much more than academics,” says Temple.

“It teaches students about leadership, self-awareness, diversity. It includes counseling for every student — whether academic or social. It’s all aspects of what makes an individual successful.”

Joy and Temple have long appreciated what they refer to as Ravenscroft’s “prudent and conservative financial management,” so they are confident that their dollars will be used wisely.

Doreen Kelly and her leadership team plan to create a new position — Assistant Head of School for Student Affairs — to coordinate and oversee the Sloan Student Success Services initiative.

“The school has embraced the program so fully that they are endowing a dedicated leader for it,” says Temple. “Any time an organization starts a strategic initiative, particularly one that is transformative like this one, a key element of success is ownership.”

Doreen Kelly agrees, “Our commitment to providing outstanding faculty and staff development will be critical to the success of this initiative. This feature will further distinguish us as a sustainable community, committed to excellence.”

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meeting the needs of the whole child — every time

Providing support services to children who need them is not a new idea. So what makes the new Sloan Student Success Services initiative so unique and important?

Most schools and universities provide support services to specific minority populations that are traditionally assumed to be in need of extra help — like economically challenged families or students with learning disabilities, for example.

But unlike these programs, the new Sloan Student Success Services will integrate seamlessly with Ravenscroft’s groundbreaking Lead From Here initiative and the deep belief that leadership can be learned at any stage of a young person’s life. In today’s complex, interdependent world, virtually every child will face a disruptive emotional experience, a social issue, a health crisis, or a learning obstacle at some point. Today’s challenges are more complicated than ever before — and they are not limited to any one group.

And as Susan Perry, Assistant Head of Upper School for Faculty Development, notes, “Academic development and emotional/social development go hand in hand. How can it make sense to offer a top notch academic program without an equally powerful commitment to support social and emotional growth?”

Doreen Kelly and her leadership team have done the research to see how other independent schools are dealing with these contemporary challenges. “We’ve studied models for specific populations, but they are outdated.

This program needs to be for all students,” says Doreen.

“The Sloans are making it possible for us to take a strong, proactive stance that will provide our students with the best possible opportunity to reach their potential in all areas of their lives.”

Joy and Temple are proud to be part of an educational community that is so eager to provide their children every opportunity possible to develop all aspects of their lives.

As Temple says, “Ravenscroft is so fortunate to have so many of our families embrace these initiatives emotionally, mentally and financially. All these families should be commended and thanked for their leadership and generosity — not just us!” R

Campaign honorary co-chairs Watson (’38) and Fran Pugh with Temple and Joy Sloan

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Generous Gift Funds

FINLEY CENTER RENOVATIONS

BY STACY CALFO

A $419,000 GIFT FROM THE A.E. FINLEY FOUNDATION HAS PAVED THE WAY TO COMPLETE RENOVATIONS ON THE A.E. FINLEY ACTIVITY CENTER. As a result, phase 1 of the roof replacement project was completed this past summer.

A.E. Finley served on Ravenscroft’s Board of Trustees in the early 1970s, and in 1974, the A.E. Finley Activity Center was formerA.E. Finley ly dedicated. Mr. Finley’s support of the school continued for years after.

In carrying out the philanthropic wishes of Mr. Finley, the Foundation continues to support the activities of several organizations which were beneficiaries of Mr. Finley’s generosity during his lifetime.

“Mr. Finley always had a strong desire to help kids with education and he exceptionally believed that they all needed a great education,” says Robert Brown, president of the A.E.

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Finley Foundation. “He remembered struggling in his early days and wanted to try to make it better for others.”

“We appreciate the continued support of the A.E. Finley Foundation to our community,” said Head of School Doreen Kelly. “The history of philanthropy we so graciously received from Mr. Finley continues to impact our students today and we look forward to continuing this longstanding tradition of partnership with his foundation.”

The A.E. Finley Activity Center has served as a model student activities and athletic facility for institutions throughout North Carolina. As such, the building has to be continually enhanced to serve the changing nature of schools and their needs. Mr. Finley had remarkable insight into these potential needs and Ravenscroft is tremendously grateful for the Foundation’s ongoing support. R

Parents’ Association Jump-Starts

EMBRACE POSSIBILITY CAMPAIGN

BY MAGGIE COHN

ON MAY 14, 2015, KELLY GOULD ’90

AND RAMONA HOLDSTOCK, 2014-2015 PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION CO-PRESIDENTS,

SIGNED AN OFFICIAL AGREEMENT. The agreement stated all funds raised by the Parents’ Association will be directed to the newly established Parents’ Association Embrace Possibility Endowment Fund for the duration of the campaign, or until the Fund reaches $600,000 — whichever comes first.

When they first learned about the Embrace Possibility Campaign, Kelly and Ramona did a bit of historical research. They found that the Parents’ Association has a 20-plus year tradition of making significant donations to major Ravenscroft campaigns.

Particularly inspiring was a document they found in the files. It’s a letter from the Ravenscroft Board of Trustees to the Parents’ Association, thanking them for their pledge to the Bold Initiatives capital campaign of 1998-2001, and stating that “this historic pledge has sent a strong message of support to the entire Ravenscroft family, serving as an inspiration to volunteers for and donors to the campaign.”

Kelly and Ramona believed deeply that supporting the Embrace Possibility campaign is exactly what the Parents’ Association mission calls for — to “assist in the promotion of excellence for the Ravenscroft community through active parent/guardian involvement.”

“We wanted to make a statement to the community that this is what we, as an association, want to support.

We knew we could raise the money, and we knew our parents wanted to support it,” Ramona said. R

(left) Ramona Holdstock and Kelly Gould ’90, seated; Campaign co-chair Charles Winston ’78 and Head of School Doreen Kelly, standing.

“We wanted to make a statement to the community that this is what we, as an association, want to support. We knew we could raise the money, and we knew our parents wanted to support it.”

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FINANCIAL REPORT

Statement of Activities Year ended June 30, 2015 (with comparative financial information for the year ended June 30, 2014) PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT, REVENUE, AND INVESTMENT INCOME Tuition and Instructional Fees

2015

2014

$24,335,393

$23,892,082

Auxiliary and Summer Programs

990,261

912,277

Unrestricted Gifts

766,310

600,957

Restricted Gifts

515,918

589,833

687,892

629,800

Facility Rental

107,332

89,985

Other Income

100,330

83,377

$27,503,436

$26,798,311

$17,052,823

$16,972,303

Endowment Income

TOTAL PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT, REVENUE, AND INVESTMENT INCOME

FACULTY, PROGRAM, AND SUPPORTING SERVICES EXPENSES Salaries and Benefits Auxiliary and Summer Programs Division Expenses

468,644

439,359

1,270,157

1,053,279

Financial Assistance

3,130,809

2,939,537

General and Administrative

5,414,818

5,252,203

Fundraising TOTAL FACULTY, PROGRAM, AND SUPPORTING SERVICES EXPENSES

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS NET ASSETS BEGINNING OF YEAR NET ASSETS END OF YEAR

166,179

141,625

$27,503,430

$26,789,306

$702,523

$1,127,749

$30,269,308

$29,141,559

$30,971,831

$30,269,308

2014-2015 Philanthropic Income Annual Fund

Campaigns

Restricted

51%

33%

16%

$988,374

$629,989

$309,755

TOTAL INCOME

$1,928,118 48

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What is your Ravenscroft legacy?

A CONVERSATION WITH WILLIAM TRENT RAGLAND III ’74

W.

TRENT RAGLAND, JR’S longstanding relationship with Ravenscroft began in 1969. At that time, Snow Holding, founder of First Citizens bank and Ravenscroft advocate, asked him to join the school’s Board of Trustees. This simple request turned into a lifetime of commitment, not just to Ravenscroft, but to schools throughout the region.

On March 1, 2015 at the age of 94, Mr. Ragland passed away leaving behind a legacy of philanthropy that will last for generations to come.

Mr. Ragland’s son, William Trent Ragland III ’74, remembers fondly his dad’s love of education.

“Snow Holding asked dad to join the board at W. Trent Ragland, Jr. and Anna Ragland with Ravenscroft, and from there he began to advocate for granddaughter Suiter Ragland the support of every child to receive the best education possible,” he recalls. “I think what Snow did for dad is what he would want others to do — inspire folks to support the future of the school so children can grow and learn.”

In 2008, Mr. Ragland donated to Ravenscroft to establish the Ragland Family Endowment in honor of Snow Holding. Mr. Ragland left additional money to the endowment in his will.

“Dad believed that you have to give money to an institution so that in the long term they can have operational flexibility,” his son says.

The initial purpose of the fund was to support faculty salaries. Following Mr. Ragland’s death, his family asked the school to rethink the fund’s purpose making sure it was being used to its fullest capacity.

“Dad did not want to restrict the use of this endowment,” Ragland III explains. “He knew that the school would know best how to get the most out of the endowment fund.”

Today, the Ragland Family Endowment will be used to provide financial assistance to students and faculty for special opportunities for growth and learning at the discretion of the Head of School.

“Dad was a private fellow and would be pretty embarrassed by all of this attention,” Ragland III says.

“Dad always wanted the best for Ravenscroft, and his hope was that this endowment will last for years to come and will have a real impact on children’s lives.”

Join the Josiah Ogden Watson Society Help ensure that future generations have the same opportunities that Ravenscroft gave you. Visit www.ravenscroft.org/plannedgiving or contact Phil Higginson, Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement, or Anna White Hosea ’98, Director of Development, for a conversation about your legacy. pch@ravenscroft.org | ahosea@ravenscroft.org | 919-847-0900

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OUR MISSION

The Ravenscroft community, guided by our legacy of excellence, nurtures individual potential and prepares students to thrive in a complex and interdependent world.

MALACHI PRINCE ’16

“The Start of a Journey” is a component of Prince’s AP art concentration which depicts the journey of life told through the perspective of a wolf. The work shows a wolf, running at night, having just left home to start his way through his own life.

The colorful stars circling around him represent different emotions and events in his life. Mixed media piece using color pencils, pastels, paint pens, and markers.