Support | Endowments

IN THIS SECTION

HELP FULFILL WIS'S LONG-TERM GOALS

The WIS endowment plays an important role in promoting financial stability and sustainability. The endowment delivers critical near-term budget support for current students, while simultaneously serving as a vehicle for long-term growth to ensure the School will be well equipped to address future priorities and needs.

Supporters can donate to existing funds, or establish a named fund as part of the WIS endowment. If you are interested in donating to an existing endowment fund, contact Associate Director of Advancement Gerad Teague at 202.283.1816 or gerad.teague@wis.edu to learn more. WIS’s minimum to establish a named endowed fund is $100,000.

FUND COMPOSITION

As of June 30, 2023, the WIS endowment stands at $8,721,947, and is composed of funds in the following categories:

PROGRAM FUNDS
Program funds support a diverse array of initiatives at WIS, including but not limited to: service and learning exchange opportunities, social justice and equity projects, professional development for teachers and staff, climate and environmental studies, and residency programs.
FINANCIAL AID FUNDS
Financial Aid funds supplement WIS’s annual financial aid budget, allowing the School to provide larger awards to a greater number of deserving families. WIS’s financial aid budget for FY2023-24 was $4.8 million, which provided 127 students with an average grant of $34,300.
UNRESTRICTED AND QUASI ENDOWMENT FUNDS
Unrestricted endowment funds can be used at the School’s discretion to support areas of greatest need. However, to promote endowment growth, income from unrestricted funds is currently being reinvested as a permanent addition to the endowment’s principal.

FUND PERFORMANCE

The WIS endowment has grown from around $30,000 in 2003 to more than $8.7 million today. However, it remains small relative to other schools in WIS's cohort. Building a robust endowment will provide additional resources for critical investments in the best faculty and staff, a talented and diverse student body, cutting-edge facilities and technology, professional development and training for teachers and staff, service and learning opportunities, and much more.

DESTINATION WIS

WIS is in year three of our five-year comprehensive campaign, Destination WIS. As a part of this campaign, we aim to double the size of our Financial Aid endowment from $3 million to $6 million, which would grow the total endowment from $8.4 million at the start of the campaign to about $11.5 million by 2026. We are pleased to report that, to date, we have already raised more than $2 million for the Financial Aid endowment. At WIS, we firmly believe access to a first-rate education should not be limited by a family’s ability to pay. As such, the School is committed to expanding both accessibility and socioeconomic diversity—a key strength of our exemplary learning community—by increasing this important source of financial aid funding.

Through the course of the campaign, we have also recently established a new financial aid fund in memory of former music teacher Larry Vincent. Larry left a generous bequest to WIS and, in accordance with his wishes, we have created the Larry Vincent Memorial Fund, which each year supports WIS's financial aid budget to help ensure a WIS education is accessible to students from all backgrounds.

PROGRAM FUNDS

THE BLUTINGER FAMILY FUND FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
The Blutinger Family Fund for Climate Change and Environmental Studies is intended to strengthen the study of climate change at WIS through the related fields of biology, chemistry, and physics. It seeks to raise awareness for the need to protect the environment, and to educate WIS students on ways in which they can make a difference personally and professionally.
THE RICHARD AND CAROL HALL RESIDENCY FUND
The Richard & Carol Hall Residency Fund honors previous head of School Dick Hall’s commitment to ensuring a stimulating learning environment at WIS. The fund underwrites an annual event, speaker, or performer to allow faculty, staff, students, and their parents from both campuses to join in exploring serious international themes and global issues.
THE LOUISE HARPER-SCHUCHAT MEMORIAL FUND
The Louise Harper-Schuchat Memorial Fund recognizes former WIS teacher Louise Harper-Schuchat’s dedication to experiential learning as a critical part of a student’s total education, and to the field of anthropology. The fund supports WIS students already receiving financial aid to participate in programs which will immerse them in unfamiliar cultures, and which may involve a service component. The recipients are expected to enrich the school community in a meaningful way in the year following the end of the program.
THE MARY MCCARTY LIBRARY MEMORIAL FUND
The Mary McCarty Library Memorial Fund honors the memory of Mary McCarty, who came to WIS in 1976 as the School’s librarian and retired in 2002 as the Director of Finance and Facilities. The Fund also honors the memory of Barbara B. Taft, who, with her husband William H. Taft III, was involved in the early years of WIS and served on the Board of Advisors from 2001–2004.
THE COMMUNITY EQUITY AND JUSTICE AWARD (CEJA)
The Community Equity and Justice Award (CEJA) was established by a Class of 2020 family to support social justice and equity initiatives at WIS. Each year, members of the Upper School community are invited to apply for the CEJA, which underwrites projects—particularly those which establish multi-year partnerships with local front-line groups—that raise awareness about persistent social inequities and injustices in the Washington, DC area.
THE MARA WILSON FUND
The Mara Wilson Fund honors the memory of Mara Wilson, a WIS Middle School Art and Design Technology Teacher and artist whose work was defined by her love for her community and her vision for a more just and equitable Washington, DC. The fund is designed to support initiatives at the School that increase awareness about racial inequities; instill a culture that directly challenges and denounces racism; and cultivate a school environment where individuals of color feel safe and confident, and where all community members are equipped to recognize racial insensitivity and feel compelled to take action against it.

FINANCIAL AID FUNDS

THE CLASS OF 2006 SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The Class of 2006 Scholarship Fund was established by the parents of 2006 to honor their children through annual endowment distributions for one half-scholarship.
THE DC SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The DC Scholarship Fund supplements WIS’s general financial aid budget to provide financial aid to students from the District of Columbia who meet nationally established poverty criteria.
THE CLARICE R. AND HOWARD J. FELDMAN FUND
The Clarice R. & Howard J. Feldman Fund provides scholarships for students who could otherwise not afford to attend WIS.
THE FINANCIAL AID ENDOWMENT FUND
The Financial Aid Endowment Fund promotes tuition-independent socioeconomic diversity among the student body, making WIS’ global education accessible to a broad range of students.
THE HILL MEMORIAL FUND
The Hill Memorial Fund honors the life and memory of Althea Hill, whose academic achievements would not have been possible without the generosity of others. The Fund, which was established by her son Nicholas Hill and his wife Melissa Conradi Hill, supports a determined Upper School student eligible for Financial Aid based on criteria determined by the School’s Financial Aid office.
THE K.G. LIM MEMORIAL FUND
The K.G. Lim Memorial Fund sponsors an eligible Upper School student for one year at WIS. The Fund was established by an anonymous donor in honor of K.G. Lim’s longstanding desire to provide scholarships for students in need.
THE CLASS OF 2007 GARETH VAUGHAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The Class of 2007 Gareth Vaughan Scholarship Fund was established by the parents and students of 2007 to honor Upper School Head Gareth Vaughan for his longstanding commitment to socioeconomic diversity at WIS and to equal educational opportunities for all children.
THE WIS MEMORIAL FUND
The WIS Memorial Fund honors the legacies of departed members of the WIS community and ensures their memories remain as indelible parts of the School. The Memorial Fund supports financial aid at WIS, and is aligned with our goal of promoting socioeconomic diversity by expanding opportunity to more families, regardless of their financial means. At present, the Fund memorializes the following late members of the WIS community: Sam Smith, 1957-2006 William P.J. “Sam” Smith was a beloved math teacher and college counselor who came to WIS in 1986. In addition to teaching and advising hundreds of students over the course of his career, Sam was involved in many theatrical productions, extracurricular activities, and community service. Anyone who crossed Sam’s path knows what a truly good person he was, how he treated his students with the respect that allowed many to feel as if he were a friend and not just a teacher. Besides numerous mathematical memories are those of a teacher who worked so hard with students who needed extra help, who came in during his vacations to write that one last college recommendation, of the actor (Mr. Cellophane, in particular!), and, of course, the Converse high tops. Jonas Weiss ‘87, 1968-2003 Jonas Weiss was a warm, compassionate friend to all, a gentle spirit who is remembered by his personal qualities and goals of promoting diplomatic leadership and general social concern. After he matriculated from WIS, Jonas later graduated from American University before taking a diplomatic post with Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He served at embassies in Belgrade and Moscow, before transferring to Amman, Jordan in 2001. Jonas’s primary area of responsibility was Iraq, and over that summer, he quickly became a familiar face on the Amman diplomatic circuit, freely sharing his observations of life in Baghdad and other parts of the then conflict-affected country. It was his special sort of genuine kindness and concern for others that made Jonas such an esteemed figure among those who knew him. Sean Hopkins ‘82, 1963-1990 Sean Patrick Hopkins was a much-loved member of the WIS community and valedictorian of his class. He went on to study at Georgetown University. Following his death, his father Robert, a career CIA officer, became an advocate in the fight against AIDS. In 1996, Robert wrote a book entitled Sean’s Legacy: An AIDS Awakening. Sean is remembered by his classmates as a gentle leader who exhibited an effusive kindness and humanity, and as a person who had a beneficial effect on others, drawing them to him through his positive outlook on life and affecting them in turn.
THE LARRY VINCENT MEMORIAL FUND
The Larry Vincent Memorial Fund was established to honor Larry's legacy as a WIS music teacher from 1973 until his retirement in 2009. While he was best known for his love of music and theater, Larry also saw WIS as a welcoming community, enriched by differences—a family that he loved. In alignment with his own philanthropy, the Larry Vincent Memorial Fund supports WIS's financial aid budget to help ensure a WIS education is accessible to students from all backgrounds.

Endowments