What does the Endowment do? The Gunnery has three main sources of income to its operating budget. Tuition provides 89%. Annual support from alumni, parents, and friends provides 6%. A prudent allocation of investment income from the endowment provides the remaining operating revenue. The average rate of return on the investments in the endowment over the past five years has been 9.2%. Endowment gifts come in two main forms, restricted and unrestricted. Restricted gifts support scholarships, faculty positions, or programs, as specified by the donors. Unrestricted gifts allow the Head of School and the Board of Trustees to decide how to spend the income from the gifts and enable The Gunnery to meet the most immediate needs and invest in new opportunities and initiatives that are in the best interest of the students and the future of the school.
“ Serving on the Board and Investment Committee, I’ve seen firsthand how a gift to the endowment can mean impressive, sustainable support for the long-term—every school needs donors to this important effort. It’s the future of the school and if we can continue to build this important financial foundation, the opportunities for Gunnery students in the future are endless.”
— Jay Sheehy ’73, Board Treasurer and Investment Committee Member
What is the difference between Annual Giving and Unrestricted Giving? Gifts given to The Gunnery Fund are accepted—and spent— each year. An unrestricted gift to the endowment is typically a larger, one-time gift, which generates annual income, and is accessible to the school in perpetuity.
Why is the Endowment so important? A strong endowment allows The Gunnery faculty and administration to create and maintain unique initiatives and programs that allow our students to prepare for the future by learning that, in the words of the school motto, “Vir bonus semper discipulus est—A good man (person) is always a student.” A healthy endowment allows the school to offer programs and opportunities to faculty and students beyond what tuition alone makes possible.
SUPPORTING
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What are some examples of unique initiatives and programs? ENDOWMENT NAMING OPPORTUNITIES Faculty Support
Funding Distribution
Sabbatical Program
$1,000,000
$50,000
Department Chair
$1,000,000
$50,000
Departmental Fund for Instruction
$ 500,000
$25,000
Faculty Professional Development Fund
$ 250,000
$12,500
Faculty Summer Study/ Travel Fun
$100,000
$5,000
Community Service Fund
$1,000,000
$50,000
International Baccalaureate Fund
$1,000,000
$50,000
Global Studies Experiential Travel Fund
$500,000
$25,000
Speakers’ Fund
$100,000
$5,000
STUDENT AID Full Scholarship Fund
$1,000,000
$50,000
Brinsmade Scholar
$500,000
$25,000
Gibson Scholar
$250,000
$12,500
Highlander Scholar
$100,000
$5,000
For more information on The Gunnery’s endowment or to speak to the Alumni and Development Office about a gift, please contact Kiersten Marich, Interim Director at marichk@gunnery.org or 860-868-7334 x271.
How do donors benefit from the Endowment? Alumni, parents, and friends of the school who make endowment gifts are attracted to the opportunity to ensure that the institution, or a particular program or activity, will endure. In most cases, there is personal motivation for each endowment gift —a way for someone to say thank you for their own educational experience, honoring a beloved faculty member, or to support initiatives important to them.