Why have we committed our lives to working at Proctor? Why have our parents chosen to entrust their children to us as educators? Why did our students fall in love with this school in the first place? The answers to each of these questions find common ground in the unique way Proctor seeks to fulfill its mission: through relationships with each other.
A week from today is July 1, an uneventful turn of the calendar that marks the true start of summer for many. For all of us at Proctor, it is the start of a new fiscal year. Proctor's June 30 fiscal year end marks the end of the 2021-2022 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.
Since 1848, Proctor has transformed the lives of generations of young people. Whether it was through an off-campus program like Mountain Classroom, on a playing field, or a casual conversation with a trusted advisor on the way to a meal, the educational experience Proctor offers lasts a lifetime. Today, we embark on the 1848 Giving Challenge: 18 hours and 48 minutes dedicated to supporting a school that has and will continue to transform lives.
During the busyness of the academic year, we crave the pause afforded by Winter Break. Campus is quiet and we can refocus on the 30,000 foot perspective of why we exist as a school. We know our daily work is valuable, we see incremental progress in our students, our teaching, and our physical plant, but without moments of reflection, the "why" of this work can too easily be lost.
A seemingly uneventful turn of the calendar to July next week is actually quite significant for those of us who work on the “business” side of Proctor’s operations. Like many academic institutions, Proctor's June 30 fiscal year end marks the end of the 2020-2021 annual giving cycle. We do not 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.
Campus has been incredibly quiet this week; even quieter than our remote December provided. Meetings related to our repopulation of campus in January and end of year fundraising projects fill some of our calendars, but an opportunity to disconnect allows us to reflect on our collective work at Proctor.
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.
During the busyness of the academic year, we crave the pause offered during Winter Break where campus is quiet and we can refocus on the 30,000 foot perspective of why we exist as a school. We know our daily work is valuable, we see incremental progress toward our goals, and we see tangible student growth, but without moments of reflection, the context and "why" of this work can too easily be lost.
