Expanding the Burroughs Annual Fund

Our Annual Fund is our primary fundraising campaign between July 1 and June 30 every year. It is a critical source of unrestricted operating revenue and provides more than 12% of our annual operating income. Our goal for 2022-23 is $2,864,500. Donors who give $1,923 or more are members of our Blue & Gold Society. These donors collectively donate over 80% of all dollars given to Burroughs each year. Donors who give between $1 and $1,922 are members of our Burr Oak Society, which collectively donates 70% of all gifts to the Burroughs Annual Fund — over $500,000 annually. Every gift really does matter. Bequests can also support the Burroughs Annual Fund, and bequests that endow a donor’s annual giving are especially helpful. Click here to make your commitment, or contact Lauren Stuart with questions. Thank you!

Funding Tuition Aid and Controlling Tuition Increases

Burroughs requires an endowment of a value large enough to reduce our dependence on tuition income and to keep annual tuition increases manageable. Gifts of any amount can support an existing endowed scholarship, and gifts of $200,000 or more can establish a new endowed scholarship. Irrevocable estate gifts can also be directed to establish an endowed scholarship. If year-to-year giving is preferred, donors may direct their annual gift to underwrite tuition aid. For the 2022-23 school year, we have awarded $4 million in tuition aid to 165 students — 25% of our total enrollment and our largest allocation of tuition aid in school history. Currently, our endowed scholarships underwrite approximately 20%, or $800,000, of what we awarded to families for this school year. The first endowed scholarships were established in 1947, and we now have 76. We hope to receive commitments for at least 24 more between now and June 30, 2026, so we can close out our Centennial Campaign with 100 endowed scholarships for Burroughs’ 100th anniversary. Please contact Ginger Imster or Amy Greenwood Dunaway ’92 if you would like to explore how you could support financial aid at Burroughs.

Hear from some of our alumni scholarship recipients.

Designing for Our Future

Our Brauer Building is Burroughs’ original school building. It underwent renovations in the early 1990s, and improvements are needed to benefit our academic support and counseling & wellness departments. In addition, we need to make gentle renovations to our iconic dining room and substantial upgrades to our kitchen. We will continue to make ongoing improvements to our athletic facilities (including our tennis courts) as members of our community are willing to partner with us. All of these projects are just beginning. If one or more of these is of interest to you, we invite you to consider making your gift a challenge gift to encourage others to also support these much-needed renovations. Please contact Ginger Imster or Amy Greenwood Dunaway ’92 if you would like to explore how you could support facility enhancements at Burroughs.

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

In our first century, we have had some of the most qualified faculty in their fields of study. As we enter our second century, many of our senior faculty are anticipating retirement. Planning for succession is more challenging today because fewer people are entering the teaching profession; enrollment in teacher-education programs declined by almost a third over 10 years. Competition for top teaching talent is fierce. We are hopeful our Centennial Campaign will inspire gifts to support existing and establish new endowed chairs and directorships; we currently have 10 that collectively underwrite approximately $400,000 for teacher salaries. These endowed funds help make Burroughs a destination for the very best teachers. Gifts of any amount can support an existing chair or directorship, and gifts of $100,000 or more can help establish a new chair or directorship. Irrevocable estate gifts can also be impactful.  Please contact Ginger Imster or Amy Greenwood Dunaway ’92 if you would like to explore how you could support talent attraction and retention at Burroughs.

Endowing the Burroughs Core

Our academic core is grounded in the arts, athletics/health & wellness, cultural competency & global studies, humanities, service & sustainability, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Investment income from all existing endowed funds to support the Burroughs core underwrites approximately 1 percent of our annual program expenses. Our Centennial Campaign is an opportunity to endow new and existing funds to invest in our core and broaden the base of endowed funds that support the programs that matter most to you. Annual gifts of $10,000 or more can support specific programs. Gifts of $100,000 or more can be directed to an existing or to establish a new endowed fund for programmatic support. Irrevocable estate gifts can also be impactful.  Please contact Ginger Imster or Amy Greenwood Dunaway ’92 if you would like to explore how you could support the Burroughs Core.

Preserving Our Enduring Commitment to Service and Collaboration

Student-led service projects, including the Montgomery Plan and May Projects, are hallmarks of the Burroughs experience. In addition, Burroughs was among the first independent secondary schools to establish an Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity & Engagement (DEI&E); ours was established in 1995, and it is a center of excellence through its collaboration with peer schools to address issues of student stress, school climate, and inclusion. We hope that our Centennial Campaign will inspire donors to come together to endow our service programs and our DEI&E Office to ensure they are made permanent. Gifts of $100,000 or more can help endow these invaluable programs. Annual gifts can also be directed to support specific student-led and DEI&E initiatives. Irrevocable estate gifts can also be impactful. Please contact Ginger Imster or Amy Greenwood Dunaway ’92 if you would like to explore how you could support service and collaboration at Burroughs.