Private School Endowments

[Anonymous]

Episcopal HS has 300M endowment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that it’s not an accurate gauge of rigor. However, for schools that ostensibly support diversity… not just racial diversity, but economic diversity… it’s the fuel that allows that to become reality.

Not it’s not. Scholarship Funds and Endowments are typically completely separate. Endowments are typically rainy day funds, stop gaps, capital project piggy banks, collateral for LOC or other instrument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These endowments are all on the low side, even at the top of the list.

This depends on what you are comparing to, of course.

They're not low if you compare to other areas populated like the DC area (vs NY or LA, etc.). Also boarding schools are not comparable - apples to oranges. Anything 10 million plus isn't low, even 5 million plus is high when comparing nationwide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private schools are clever when it comes to fundraising. They typically announce projects then try to raise the money for them later. If you are being pitched for Giving Tuesday, or taken for tea by a development officer, or pitched to donate to a particular fund, or are just considering enrolling --you have the right to ask how much long and short term debt your school carries, how big the endowment is, what the strategic plan is etc.  It's important to understand the financial health of a school, especially if you are considering investing 8-10 years of approximately $40-60k into it. Just like any other $200k-$600k investment, it makes sense to get the full picture. 

For starters, here is a snapshot of the end of year endowment funds reported on many DC Privates’ 990’s. (Religious schools such as Sidwell, Cathedral, St Albans , do not have to report on same forms so they are not listed). While endowments don't tell a full story they are a piece of the puzzle.

Madeira $74,328,182
GDS $71,560,246
Potomac $ 62,576,002
Holton $46,683,595
Maret $24,592,423
Landon $22,079,303
Norwood $19,563,635
St Andrews $10,742,213
Bullis $9,966,287
Langley $9,566,473
WIS $8,316,938
Sheridan $5,290,001
Lowell $4,950782 
Barrie $1,607,944
Burke $1,157230  
Field $485,167

Approve the Washington Post. Sidwell’s endowment is 52 million.
https://www.iwf.org/2020/05/13/it-helps-to-have-friends-sidwell-gets-5-2-million-ppp-bailout/

Thought it'd be higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that it’s not an accurate gauge of rigor. However, for schools that ostensibly support diversity… not just racial diversity, but economic diversity… it’s the fuel that allows that to become reality.

Not it’s not. Scholarship Funds and Endowments are typically completely separate. Endowments are typically rainy day funds, stop gaps, capital project piggy banks, collateral for LOC or other instrument.

Show your work.

[Anonymous]

STA's endowment is very large. I don't know what but I've heard it's the largest in DC. It's what allows them to very generous with financial aid and to be the one DC school that is truly "need blind" for admissions. Something like 40% of the boys get aid while other schools (including NCS) are around 20%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private schools are clever when it comes to fundraising. They typically announce projects then try to raise the money for them later. If you are being pitched for Giving Tuesday, or taken for tea by a development officer, or pitched to donate to a particular fund, or are just considering enrolling --you have the right to ask how much long and short term debt your school carries, how big the endowment is, what the strategic plan is etc.  It's important to understand the financial health of a school, especially if you are considering investing 8-10 years of approximately $40-60k into it. Just like any other $200k-$600k investment, it makes sense to get the full picture. 

For starters, here is a snapshot of the end of year endowment funds reported on many DC Privates’ 990’s. (Religious schools such as Sidwell, Cathedral, St Albans , do not have to report on same forms so they are not listed). While endowments don't tell a full story they are a piece of the puzzle.

Madeira $74,328,182
GDS $71,560,246
Potomac $ 62,576,002
Holton $46,683,595
Maret $24,592,423
Landon $22,079,303
Norwood $19,563,635
St Andrews $10,742,213
Bullis $9,966,287
Langley $9,566,473
WIS $8,316,938
Sheridan $5,290,001
Lowell $4,950782 
Barrie $1,607,944
Burke $1,157230  
Field $485,167

For perspective, are you able to provide Harvard Westlake private high school in Los Angeles? Or Brentwood Academy and Campbell Hall in Los Angeles private K-12s?

Brentwood School: $25,364,290.00.00 ( https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/951426236/202321329349307492/full
HW: $180,702,907.00 ( https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/951644019/202242809349301334/full )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s directly tied to several factors:
1. The age of the school (more years of being in business = more years to raise and grow an endowment.
2. The demographics of the school and their graduates. More financially successful people tend to give more because they have the means to do that.
3. The makeup of the families. For schools that are transient or very international (like WIS), it can be a great place but Americans are unique in viewing schools philanthropically. In other words, folks from other parts of the world are not accustomed to donated to schools and their giving patterns reflect it.
4. To a lesser extent, the duration that someone is at a school is tied to affinity. In many cases, one is more likely to give to a K-12 and than a K-8. The propensity for a family to give iss higher as the kids get older.
5. Management of fund. Money grows so wise investment pays off.

Huge emphasis on the schools’ persistence and eloquence in soliciting donations; in conjunction with extremely smart management of the funds

I think a lot of it is whether wealthy people view the school as part of their family across multiple generations. If your grandparents went somewhere that you are now sending your kid, you are a lot more likely to open the checkbook and continue to do so after your kid moves on than if you came here for work and have no intention of staying long term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:STA's endowment is very large. I don't know what but I've heard it's the largest in DC. It's what allows them to very generous with financial aid and to be the one DC school that is truly "need blind" for admissions. Something like 40% of the boys get aid while other schools (including NCS) are around 20%.

Well, not quite. According to its own website it’s 31 percent, which is pretty far from 40.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private schools are clever when it comes to fundraising. They typically announce projects then try to raise the money for them later. If you are being pitched for Giving Tuesday, or taken for tea by a development officer, or pitched to donate to a particular fund, or are just considering enrolling --you have the right to ask how much long and short term debt your school carries, how big the endowment is, what the strategic plan is etc.  It's important to understand the financial health of a school, especially if you are considering investing 8-10 years of approximately $40-60k into it. Just like any other $200k-$600k investment, it makes sense to get the full picture. 

For starters, here is a snapshot of the end of year endowment funds reported on many DC Privates’ 990’s. (Religious schools such as Sidwell, Cathedral, St Albans , do not have to report on same forms so they are not listed). While endowments don't tell a full story they are a piece of the puzzle.

Madeira $74,328,182
GDS $71,560,246
Potomac $ 62,576,002
Holton $46,683,595
Maret $24,592,423
Landon $22,079,303
Norwood $19,563,635
St Andrews $10,742,213
Bullis $9,966,287
Langley $9,566,473
WIS $8,316,938
Sheridan $5,290,001
Lowell $4,950782 
Barrie $1,607,944
Burke $1,157230  
Field $485,167

The Heights School: $1,124,245
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521128002/202320949349300017/full

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:STA's endowment is very large. I don't know what but I've heard it's the largest in DC. It's what allows them to very generous with financial aid and to be the one DC school that is truly "need blind" for admissions. Something like 40% of the boys get aid while other schools (including NCS) are around 20%.

Ask not what percent of kids get aid but what percent of total revenues the school is willing to set aside for aid. That's all in the 990's too. I think Burke is more generous than most of them on that metric but could be wrong. That's a better metric for determining your school's view on aid and who gets in.

If your school wants you to give on Giving Tuesday, ask how generous are they with giving back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:STA's endowment is very large. I don't know what but I've heard it's the largest in DC. It's what allows them to very generous with financial aid and to be the one DC school that is truly "need blind" for admissions. Something like 40% of the boys get aid while other schools (including NCS) are around 20%.

Well, not quite. According to its own website it’s 31 percent, which is pretty far from 40.

"..St. Albans School is an independent boarding and college preparatory day school for boys spanning grades 4-12. Founded in 1909, it has a total of 575 students with an endowment of $45 million. "
I actually thought it'd be higher b/c of the boarding school element, the fact that its 3 - 12 and of course its well over 100 years old.
https://boardingschools.us/washington-dc/st-albans-school/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:STA's endowment is very large. I don't know what but I've heard it's the largest in DC. It's what allows them to very generous with financial aid and to be the one DC school that is truly "need blind" for admissions. Something like 40% of the boys get aid while other schools (including NCS) are around 20%.

Well, not quite. According to its own website it’s 31 percent, which is pretty far from 40.

Interesting. Our school is at 30%. Would definitely expect it to be higher at a wealthy school like STA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:STA's endowment is very large. I don't know what but I've heard it's the largest in DC. It's what allows them to very generous with financial aid and to be the one DC school that is truly "need blind" for admissions. Something like 40% of the boys get aid while other schools (including NCS) are around 20%.

Well, not quite. According to its own website it’s 31 percent, which is pretty far from 40.

Interesting. Our school is at 30%. Would definitely expect it to be higher at a wealthy school like STA.

Just another illustration of why I take virtually everything said on this website with a huge grain of salt. Folks routinely pull facts and figures out of their asses that are easily debunked by a ten second google search.

Like the poster above who says that endowments don’t support financial aid. That’s absolutely not true and again easily debunked by a quick search on Google.

[Anonymous]

Georgetown Prep (High school): $Current Endowment Amount: $20,000,000
https://www.boardingschools.com/school/georgetown-preparatory-school/