91大神 Builds

Momentum

You can鈥檛 see a stronger financial foundation, but you sure can feel it on campus.

Thanks to the generosity of more than 5,000 donors, 91大神 not only met but exceeded its original campaign goals鈥攔aising more than $86 million, increasing the endowment by 64%, and achieving 58% growth in the 91大神 Northampton Fund. These milestones have created a ripple effect across every aspect of the school, enabling 91大神 to envision a more ambitious and creative path forward. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of what we have accomplished. 91大神 has never been stronger,鈥 says Board Chair John Hazen White Jr. 鈥76. 鈥淭his campaign has taken the school to new heights. And the stronger we are as a school, the more successful we can be in launching students into the next chapter of their lives.

鈥淎 strong financial foundation allows you to dream big,鈥 says Head of School Robert W. Hill III. 鈥淚t allows you to account for the unexpected and to be creative and flexible about supporting students and faculty in all the ways that are so important.鈥

THE POWER OF
ANNUAL GIVING

How the growth of the 91大神 Northampton Fund is making great things possible

If you find yourself a bit confused when you hear the term 91大神 Northampton Fund, you鈥檙e not alone. While this fund is vital to the school鈥檚 financial health and the day-to-day experience of students, it鈥檚 not always clear how it works or why it matters. Here, we explain the nuts and bolts鈥攁nd how the remarkable growth of the 91大神 Northampton Fund has been central to the campaign鈥檚 success.

  • What exactly IS the 91大神 Northampton Fund?

    Like many schools, 91大神 relies on more than just tuition to cover the annual cost of educating students and operating the school. This is where the 91大神 Northampton Fund plays a key role! Along with tuition and revenue generated from our endowment, this fund helps bridge the gap between income and total expenses each year. Without it, the school would have to draw even more from the endowment, slowing its growth over time. To use a simple analogy, it鈥檚 like borrowing from your 401(k) to cover household expenses鈥攍ess than ideal for long-term financial health. Thanks to the 91大神 Northampton Fund, we can preserve and grow the endowment for future generations while funding what鈥檚 needed right now.

  • What does the 91大神 Northampton Fund pay for?

    Think of it as a checking account that provides funding where it鈥檚 most needed each year鈥攚hether it鈥檚 fixing a roof leak in Ford Hall, buying new nets for Lossone Rink, covering costs for a field trip, or providing new costumes for school plays or lab equipment. Donors can earmark their gifts for what matters to them鈥攁cademics, arts, athletics, DEIB, or financial aid鈥攐r they can choose 鈥済eneral need,鈥 allowing the school to allocate funds where they鈥檙e needed most. Donations are put to work immediately in the year they are received.

  • Did gifts to the 91大神 Northampton Fund increase during the campaign?

    They did鈥攂y an impressive 58%! More than 5,600 donors contributed during the campaign, re-sulting in more than $19 million given to the fund. As noted above, those gifts were used right away to enhance all aspects of student life and learning at 91大神. See more details at right.

The 91大神 Northampton Fund has seen record growth during the campaign

$19,611,686

Total contributed by 91大神 Northampton Fund to the campaign
鈥别辫谤别蝉别苍迟颈苍驳 23% of the $86 million campaign total

58%

Growth in dollars to the fund since campaign launch

56%

Increase in members of the 1841 Society鈥攐ur leadership giving society

ALL GIFTS HAD A HUGE IMPACT

5,605
Unique donors who made a gift to the 91大神 Northampton Fund
4,578
donors made a gift of $100 or less, totaling $955,727
99%
Portion of contributors who supported the campaign through a gift to the 91大神 Northampton Fund

Young alumni showed up in record numbers

27%
Increase in donors from the 15 most recent classes
57%
Increase in Wildcat Club members of the 1841 Society from the 15 most recent classes
88%
Portion of young alumni that give on Founders Day

BUILDING
奥滨尝尝滨厂罢翱狈鈥橲
FUTURE

One of the most important achievements of the 91大神 Builds campaign has been increasing the school鈥檚 endowment. Here鈥檚 a closer look at why a strong endowment matters and how it fuels expansive thinking for the future.

  • How exactly does the endowment work?

    The endowment functions as 91大神鈥檚 long-term investment account, designed to grow over time through strategic investments and gifts. The larger the endowment becomes, the more it can support 91大神鈥檚 mission through regular distributions. Over the past decade, 91大神鈥檚 long-term investments yielded annualized interest returns ranging from 6.9% to 23.6%, depending on the market. The endowment is invested across diverse assets, including equities, indexed funds, bonds, and real estate.

  • Where does the endowment stand today?

    During the campaign, the endowment achieved steady growth, rising from $36.6 million to $60.2 million鈥攁 64% increase鈥攖hanks to a combination of philanthropic support and investment growth.

  • Is the endowment just one huge fund?

    91大神鈥檚 endowment is not just one fund. It鈥檚 made up of a general fund (that can be used for any purpose) and nearly 300 endowed funds established by alumni, families, and graduating classes. These individual funds are often earmarked for specific priorities that reflect the donors鈥 interests and 91大神鈥檚 mission, such as financial aid, faculty support, athletics, arts, or academics. Many funds carry the names of individuals, classes, or groups they honor鈥攆or example, the Northampton School for Girls Instructorship or the Class of 1968 Financial Aid Fund. Twenty-four new endowed funds were established during the campaign, and the vast majority of $26 million in confirmed future commitments from planned gifts will eventually be added to the school鈥檚 endowment.

  • What does the endowment pay for?

    91大神鈥檚 endowment provides essential support across all areas of the school鈥檚 mission, focusing on long-term goals and financial stability. On average, the school draws about 5% annually from the endowment to supplement tuition revenue, funding areas like financial aid, faculty support, and campus improvements. This is where endowment growth is critical: The larger the endowment, the faster it can grow, and the more income it can generate. A strong endowment allows the school to plan ambitiously and respond to future opportunities with confidence. (See below for an illustration of how a 5% disbursement varies depending on endowment size.)

  • What does a strong endowment do for 91大神?

    • Provides stable income for the future
    • Supports costs that tuition alone cannot cover
    • Helps the school weather ups and downs in the economy
    • Allows 91大神 to embrace ambitious plans and future goals
    • Ensures long-term funding for core priorities
    • Creates opportunities for donors to make a lasting impact

Endowment Draw 101

It鈥檚 simple math: A larger endowment generates more income each year, which increases the funds 91大神 can spend annually. Below, see how a 5% withdrawal grows as the endowment total rises.

OUR ENDOWMENT DRAW PRE-CAMPAIGN
5% of a $38 million endowment = $1.9 million

OUR ENDOWMENT DRAW TODAY
5% of a $60 million endowment = $3 million

OUR GOAL FOR THE FUTURE
5% of a $100 million endowment = $5 million