Major Gifts

List of 2 items.

• Endowment Growth

  The Power of Endowment

   

  According to data from the National Association of Independent Schools, a distinguishing characteristic of independent schools in the highest tier of academic excellence is a healthy endowment that is equal to or greater than the school’s operating budget.

   

  When we launched the comprehensive campaign in 2017, Norwood’s endowment was about $9.8 million and the operating budget was approximately $17 million. Thanks to our many generous campaign donors, the endowment has grown to about $16 million today!

   

  A healthy endowment:

  • Provides long-term financial security
  • Allows us to protect funds for student financial aid and faculty professional development
  • Shelters us against short-term economic fluctuations and preserves our ability to invest strategically for the future.

   

  Strategic Plan Goal: Attract and retain exceptional faculty and staff who bring rich and diverse perspectives to our community.

   

  A robust endowment is the best means of ensuring an exceptional faculty in an increasingly competitive environment. Our teachers excel at their craft — they have the training and expertise to create academic experiences where each child is stretched but not stressed and where each child is known and loved. Attracting, developing, and retaining the best of the best is a top priority for Norwood and requires significant resources dedicated to the interconnected features of our faculty and staff program: competitive salaries and benefits, a stimulating work environment, and top-quality professional development.

   

  Strategic Plan Goal: Support a healthy financial aid program that reflects our commitment to socioeconomic diversity.

   

  A stronger endowment will enable Norwood to increase its commitment to accessibility by controlling tuition growth and ensuring that qualified students continue to get the assistance they need. Today, one out of every five students receive some form of aid. However, only 3.1 percent of Norwood financial aid awards (less than $50,000) are supported by endowed funds. Adding to these funds will help ensure that students are able to receive a Norwood education regardless of need.

• New and Renovated Lower School Classrooms

  While our current Lower School has served us ably for more than 40 years, it was originally intended to serve a smaller student body in a traditional arrangement of desks in rows. Today’s teaching and learning environments are thoughtfully designed, placing an important emphasis on increased interaction among students and teachers, increased collaboration among disciplines, enhanced flexibility, and the integration of versatile community spaces.

   

  After conducting a comprehensive space audit and analysis with cox, graae + spack architects, coupled with what we know about the needs of our learners, we deemed new lower school classrooms as the top priority. The new spaces, dedicated to the important early elementary grades, will position Norwood to deliver a child-centered educational experience without compromise.

   

  Imagine new child-centered classrooms that are agile, where the space can be reconfigured on demand to engage different types of learners and activities. These rooms will accommodate flexible student groupings, differentiated and individualized instruction, opportunities for enhanced collaboration, and long-term group projects.
  
  The rooms will be large, vibrant, well-equipped, and filled with natural light. The design will integrate the latest technology, be environmentally conscious, and take full advantage of the beautiful outdoor surroundings. The new classrooms will also drive the School’s ability to initiate other facility changes and renovations and will enable increased flexibility and efficiency in scheduling.