Endowment,
well invested and constantly growing, helps ensure:
Security & Stability
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A robust endowment helps fortify and secure the School's financial foundation.
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Endowment helps to ensure the School’s success over time, even during economic downturns.
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When income comes predominantly from one source—tuition—schools often are unable to spread the risk of a decline in enrollment. Tuition covers only 84% of educating each Friends student, and 58% of the operating budget covers faculty and staff salaries and benefits. The fixed costs of running a school make it difficult to cut costs if income declines. Endowment offsets the need to increase tuition by giving more stability to tuition levels and opportunities for expanding school programs.
The Friends endowment has more than doubled since 2008 through the generous support of the Friends community.
Support & Strength
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Endowed funds nurture, support and strengthen a school's most important assets: people—faculty and students.
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Endowment helps the School maintain its commitment to economic diversity through financial aid. In 2017-18, Friends budgeted $5 million in financial aid for 22% of current families.
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Endowment allows Friends to attract and retain a first-rate teaching staff and compensate them respectfully and competitively.
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Endowment signals strength. The size of a school’s endowment is one measure by which it is assessed. A strong endowment demonstrates that generous donors have chosen to invest in the School. Friends endowment per student ranks 11th out of 14 peer schools in NYC.
The growth of the endowment has meant the School now benefits from a significant contribution to the operating budget
Growth, Flexibility & Innovation
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A robust endowment fuels the School's institutional growth and provides the financial resources to create new and exciting initiatives, including expansion of language courses K-12; expansion of STEM curriculum; expansion of drama programs; and support for global and experiential education.
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Endowment provides the School with financial security to be able to respond nimbly to educational opportunities.
Constancy
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Endowment creates a consistent, reliable source of income that helps Friends sustain its commitment to excellence.
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Endowment helps Friends administrators take the long view in laying the groundwork for future academic success.
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Endowment creates a lasting legacy for the School, for generations to come.
If you would like to discuss how to you can support the Friends endowment, please contact Susan Wilen, Capital Campaign Director.