A guiding principle of good stewardship of our nearly 100 year old school is financial sustainability. Westridge's future is insured by its endowment -- the key to the innovation and flexibility that the next century will require. Endowment is invested money from which the school draws each year, at a rate designed to preserve capital and to supplement the operating income provided by tuition and gifts to the Annual Fund.

The income provided by endowment means:

• Diversity in the program we offer our students
• Competitive compensation for outstanding faculty
• Financial aid for qualified students
• Support for campus maintenance and renewal
• Financial stability in changing times and flexibility to respond to new opportunities

In short, a strong endowment equals choices for the future. Today, Westridge’s endowment stands at $15 million — significantly lower than many comparable independent schools. To ensure the future economic vitality of Westridge School, the Board of Trustees has established a goal to reach the level of $40 million in endowment by the year 2013. We are building our endowment to build our future.

Named endowment funds

The Westridge Endowment is comprised of numerous named endowment funds, many of which are established to honor family members and friends.

A minimum $50,000 gift is required to start a named endowment fund. Smaller gifts are of course welcomed and will be added to an appropriate previously established endowment fund.

If you are interested in establishing an endowment fund or contributing to an existing fund, please contact Francesca DeMarco, Director of Development, at 626.799.1053, ext. 252, e-mail, FDeMarco@westridge.org.