A week from today is July 1, a seemingly uneventful turn of the calendar for most, but for Proctor it is the start of a new fiscal year. Like many academic institutions, Proctor's June 30 fiscal year end marks the end of the 2019-2020 annual giving cycle. We don't talk often about school finances, but as a 501(c)3 non-profit, Proctor relies on tax-deductible donations to meet its operating budget, a budget that unlocks a world of opportunities for our students. 

With an unrestricted annual giving goal of $1,550,000 for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the Proctor Fund represents roughly 7% of the school’s overall operating budget. As is the case with most tuition-driven independent schools (like Proctor), tuition only covers a portion of total costs required to deliver our educational model, and, in turn, we rely on the generosity and commitment of donors to bridge this gap between tuition revenue and operating expenses. As we quickly approach our fiscal year end, we make one final push to engage our alumni, parents, parents of alumni, and faculty and staff to support the Proctor Fund.

The Proctor Magic permeates every conversation a teacher has with students at extra help sessions, is present at every Sunday night dorm meeting, and inspires the pre-game pep talk each Wednesday afternoon. It’s a magic that is incredibly hard to articulate on a website or in a blog post like this, but is deeply felt when you engage in the hard work of building community alongside one another. It is also a magic that does not just "happen", but requires investment from those who believe in its power. 

Each year, we are blown away by the generosity of the greater Proctor Family. More than 1,000 individuals choose to give to Proctor; many are alumni and current parents, but parents of alumni, employees, grandparents, and friends of Proctor all give as well. They understand that the magic that takes place with our students requires an investment of time, energy, and resources. They believe that by investing in Proctor, they are investing in a future far greater than that solely of the students enrolled right now, but of those students yet to come. They see the impact Proctor alumni have in their respective communities, and understand the love and care our faculty and staff have for students as they collectively steward this school into the future. They invest in the values on which Proctor stands in an incredibly turbulent world. 

So, today we offer both a sincere thank you from all of us at Proctor (not just our Development Office, but all of us) to the 1,050 donors who have already contributed to this year’s Proctor Fund this fiscal year and encourage those who have not yet jumped in, to do so!