3 minute read
Donor Spotlight: Sanders Family
CULTURE OF PHILANTHROPY THE SANDERS FAMILY
LINDSY, JASON, MORGAN AND JESSICA
Advertisement
“WE SHOW UP”Is there a recipe for a family to feel engaged and valued as an integral and active part of the Brandeis community? The Sanders family,
Lindsy, Jason, Morgan ‘19, and Jessica ‘22, chose some pretty spectacular ingredients during their 12+ years at the school; three parts volunteerism, three parts philanthropy, a dash of humor, and a large helping of gratitude.
Lindsy, a native San Franciscan who grew up in the East Bay, returned to the Bay Area after graduating from Colorado
College in 1999. Jason, born in New York but raised in
Florida, attended the Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania, and then moved west from Boston, meeting
Lindsy in 2000. An interfaith couple, they were deeply committed to finding a school for their young children where values were embraced, practiced, and deeply ingrained in the identity of the institution. As Lindsy explained, “Having a really solid, values-based view of the world was extremely important to us. One that was focused not just on producing well-educated students, but on raising good-hearted, civic minded young people.” Jason added, “You just have to walk in the lobby and look up at what’s written on the wall to realize that values are an integral part of the Brandeis experience.”
It was clear from the beginning that they had found a home for their family at Brandeis and that being deeply engaged here was essential to their experience. “You commit to
Brandeis for a long time, but the journey doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. It certainly evolved during our twelve years, which was reflected in the different ways we participated and gave back.” Lindsy continued, “Parents who participate in the life of the school community have a huge impact, which motivated us to keep showing up.”
Both Jason and Lindsy served on the Parents’ Association, as Treasurer and Secretary respectively, and Lindsy also volunteered as a Room Parent.
Supporting the school philanthropically was also a key element of their involvement with Brandeis. Jason financed his own college education, and understood firsthand the gap that exists between what a school charges for tuition and the full cost of educating each student. Lindsy and Jason’s financial commitment was rooted in an ethics-based vision for our school; “We didn’t want our children to be at a school that only attracts one type of family, because we know that our capacity for learning expands when we are surrounded by different kinds of people. Enabling families from across the financial spectrum to enroll at Brandeis ensures that our admissions process reflects our values, and sustains a joyful and diverse community that benefits every one of us.”
After their youngest daughter Jessica graduated in 2022, Lindsy reflected on their family’s time at Brandeis; “In retrospect, the decision to send our kids to Brandeis was one of the best we ever made. Brandeis did a great job preparing our kids for high school, teaching them what’s important, what really matters. Of course there were bumpy parts and tough moments, but it never stopped us from contributing our resources to the school. I look at the whole picture now, my children and who they have become, and I could not have imagined better humans coming out of the eighth grade. Brandeis played such a big part in their journey.”
