THE WATERFORD SCHOOL ENDOWMENT

Protecting and expanding the school’s financial future

The Waterford campus is clearly the school’s first endowment. A financial investment endowment is the logical next step. Waterford has traditionally depended on annual donations to support the school from year to year. This kind of annual giving will continue to be an essential part of our overall financial strategy, but as the school continues to grow, the Waterford Endowment will create exciting new educational opportunities, increase the school’s financial stability, and contribute to a more flexible and resilient financial framework.

In very simple terms, the Waterford Endowment will create a new pool of investment capital for the school. As the endowment grows and begins generating returns, it will become a reliable, ongoing source of investment income that is separate from the annual donations that meet Waterford’s day-to-day operating expenses. Income from the endowment will be used to lessen the school’s dependence on tuition and high annual increases, provide expanded professional development opportunities for the faculty, fund special programs, maintain and improve facilities and grounds, and more. The fund will be overseen by the school’s board of trustees and managed by an endowment committee that consists of three board members and three parents from the PAC. As the endowment grows, the board will release a percentage of the available investment returns to create funds that are dedicated to specific purposes.

The Waterford Endowment provides an effective new vehicle for contributing to the school’s long-term success. When you donate to the Waterford Endowment, you are making a long-term investment in the future of Waterford School. Your donations become part of a permanent, ever-expanding resource that will open new doors and provide new opportunities for Waterford students and faculty for as long as the school exists. And you help make it possible for the Waterford School to focus all of its attention on finding and educating remarkable children, rather than worrying about how to pay for them.

Making the Most of the Waterford Endowment

The Waterford Endowment opens the door to exciting new possibilities for protecting and enhancing the school’s future. These include:

Campus renewal—An endowment-funded campus renewal fund will make additional funds available to keep Waterford facilities in top condition. This includes performing periodic building renovations, replacing outdated furniture and equipment, making investments in new technology, and more.

Scholarships—A diverse student body is an essential part of Waterford’s educational mission. With an endowment-based scholarship fund, we will be able to create up to 40 full and 20 partial new scholarships for low-income and ethnically diverse students in classes VIII-XI. Current scholarships based on annual contributions will continue, but we will gradually shift the focus to more dependable, long-term scholarships that are funded by the endowment.

Professional development—Motivated, well-trained teachers are the essence of the Waterford experience, and ongoing professional development is an essential part of attracting, retaining, and training a quality faculty. The Waterford Endowment will make it possible to create a special professional development fund to facilitate new training, sabbatical, and retirement opportunities for Waterford faculty members.

Emergency operating funds—Under normal circumstances, income from the Waterford Endowment will not be used to fund the day-to-day operations of the school. However, in emergency situations a special operating fund could be used to supplement the school’s operating budget on a temporary basis.