The Wellington Fund 2024-2025
The Wellington Fund 2024-25
Your Giving in Action
Dear Wellington Community,
Your investment in Wellington’s students and educators through gifts to The Wellington Fund reflects your belief in our mission and your confidence in our future. Annual giving fuels the innovative, student-centered experiences that define a Wellington education and ensure our continued impact.
Thanks to your generosity, we raised $896,211 during the 2024–25 school year, the highest recorded total in Wellington’s history, and achieved 57% participation among parents and caregivers. I am proud of these results and grateful for the collective momentum they represent.
Thank you for supporting Wellington’s students, educators, and future.
Eliza McLaren, Head of School
The Wellington Fund Volunteers
The Wellington Fund Committee, co-chaired by Amber Merl P ’29 ’31 ’34 and Gretchen Roginson P ’31 ’32, is a group of dedicated advocates for philanthropy at Wellington, connecting the community with philanthropic opportunities, especially The Wellington Fund Day of Giving last November. Thank you for elevating Wellington through your advocacy.
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Amber Merl P ’29 ’31 ’34, co-chair
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Gretchen Roginson P ’31 ’32, co-chair
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Gerrie Brand P ’33
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Erica Braswell P ’25 ’28
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Jimmy Conroy P ’31
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Jeff Danziger P ’35 ’37
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Lisa Evans P ’22 ’25
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Jennifer Farmer P ’35
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Georgina Flower P ’34 ’34 ’34
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Brendan Healy P ’34 ’34 ’34
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Manouchka Henderson P ’32 ’34 ’39
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Marty Jones P ’27
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Wendy (Anandajeya) Kirkland ’02 P ’33 ’35
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Orie Kristel P ’22 ’25
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Jodi Kushins P ’29
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Jenny Logan P ’31 ’35
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Andrew Lynch P ’36 ’37
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Amy McNabb P ’26 ’35
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Urvi Patel P ’34 ’37
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Idin Pirasteh ’97
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Jo Ann Quinif P ’27 ’29 ’32
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DeAnna Raffel P ’34 ’38
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Sabrina Singh P ’33 ’35
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Dan Spurgeon P ’29
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Janet Swarthout P ’28 ’29
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Rachel Yantis P ’31
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Elizabeth Zimmerman ’13
The Resource Committee of the Board of Trustees, chaired by Mary Augsburger P ’31, is responsible for overseeing the strategic planning of philanthropy at Wellington. This committee ambitiously drives progress and provides a vision for what Wellington can achieve with the support of its community. Thank you for guiding Wellington through your leadership.
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Mary Augsburger P ’31, chair
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J.J. Bain ’06
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Jim Croft P ’17 ’20 ’22
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Lisa Edwards P ’11 ’14 ’18 ’26
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Elissa Francis P ’40
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Stan Lan P ’30
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Eliza McLaren P ’31 ’36
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Amber Merl P ’29 ’31 ’34
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Jim Mermis P ’32 ’34 ’36 ’39
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Idin Pirasteh ’97
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Gretchen Roginson P ’31 ’32
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Laurie Beth Sweeney
Giving at a Glance
The 2024-25 school year marked the most successful year for annual giving in Wellington’s history. Annual giving to The Wellington Fund includes gifts made to the 2024-25 funding priorities (General Mission Support, Civic Engagement, Athletic Training and Middle School Locker Rooms, Tuition Assistance, and Kindergarten of the Future), as well as transformational gifts, restricted gifts, gifts to Wellington’s Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO), contributions to the endowment, and planned gifts.
In total, 70% of gifts made last year supported the 2024-25 funding priorities. While tuition covers essential day-to-day expenses, these priorities elevate a Wellington education, providing constant innovation and continuous advancement. The remaining 30% of gifts not directed to the funding priorities were distributed among transformational giving, restricted giving, planned giving, contributions to the endowment, and gifts to the Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO).
Your 2024-25 Impact
Kindergarten of the Future
Your support of the Kindergarten of the Future project brought The Croft Family Kindergarten Wing to life this summer. A purpose-built home for kindergarten students to thrive as they prepare to transition from early childhood to lower school, The Croft Family Kindergarten Wing was designed in collaboration with Wellington’s kindergarten educators to emphasize four foundational elements that foster learning and growth: flexible spaces, child-centered design, outdoor exploration, and a home-like atmosphere.
View photos of the KinderWing in actionNew Athletic Spaces
Our newly refurbished Athletic Training and Middle School Locker Rooms are ready for fall sports to take full advantage of the new spaces. Wellington Athletic Trainer Dom Davis P ’14’ 19 is looking forward to what the new training room will offer the 80% of Wellington students who participate in athletics. “I'll be able to accommodate more student athletes in a more efficient manner, with a quicker response time when injuries do occur,” Davis shared.
Civic Engagement
Gifts in support of Civic Engagement created more opportunities to integrate civics into the Wellington experience through Project-Based Learning (PBL) training that equipped educators them to design learning experiences that empower students to engage meaningfully with the world around them. The Wellington Fund also helped support a student trip to Alabama to learn about the U.S. Civil Rights Movement firsthand as part of a new summer course.
Explore a website created by students in the Marching Toward Justice classTuition Assistance
Your support for Tuition Assistance made Wellington more accessible, ensuring that no family’s Wellington experience was interrupted due to financial hardship. In the 2024-25 school year, hardship assistance was provided to 32 Wellington families.
Well-being and Belonging
This year, we also built on our Well-being and Belonging funding—established during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years—through a grant from the Taco Bell Foundation. From teaching the health benefits of gymnastics and yoga, to celebrating identity through the Girls of Color Symposium and Pride Parade, these funds have enabled programming that promotes student well-being while uplifting the Wellington core values of Be Yourself and Be Responsible.
Wellington Societies
The Legacy Society represents individuals who have made a planned gift to Wellington. This support ensures that tomorrow’s students will have continued access to world-class faculty and innovative curriculum in an environment that welcomes curiosity and stirs passion for learning. All planned gifts will go toward The Wellington School Endowment Fund unless otherwise designated.
The Founders Society is a recognition society for the school's top annual investors - families contributing $10,000 or more to The Wellington Annual Fund. Members of the Founders Society make the biggest impact on Wellington program by providing important funding. This group of investors represents a substantial portion of funds raised.
The Leadership Society recognizes those donors who invest an annual gift of at least $2,500 per year, and for Alumni who contribute $1,000 or more. Members of the Leadership Society have long recognized the opportunity to lead, and in so doing, help set the bar higher for what our school can accomplish. While every gift is appreciated and we encourage families to give within their comfort level, Leadership gifts account for a substantial portion of funds raised.