The Andover Fund is the vehicle for annual giving at Phillips Academy and provides approximately 9% of the operating budget.  This year’s [FY08] Andover Fund goal is $8.3 million with 43% participation by alumni.

Purpose:
The Andover Fund supports every student every day by providing the Academy with the resources necessary to fund its highest priorities: financial aid ($2.5+ million), faculty support ($2+ million), technology ($1.1+ million) and campus renewal (2.+ million).  The fund also enables the Academy to respond to special needs that come up during the year.   Many of these dollars are received as unrestricted and are applied to these priorities; Andover encourages its alumni and parents to “voice their choice” and direct their gifts to one of these priorities or another budget offset item.

Financial aid: it’s about the community of scholars and athletes, musicians and dancers.  Every year, Andover was unable to accept qualified students because it faces a shortfall in its financial aid budget [currently the budget is over $10 million].  Closing that gap and reaching further is a major priority; our goal is to be able to maintain 40% of students on aid.  You can help with a gift of any size.

Faculty support: foster excellence in teaching, coaching, mentoring and living everyday
Andover’s faculty devotes their lives to the Academy and its students.  They are scholars, who are intellectually stimulating, appreciate the challenges of adolescents and are willing to commit their talents to the most formative years in the life of young people. Andover is committed to investing in its faculty and retaining them in a very competitive environment.  Your current support is critical to that effort.

Technology: Feeding the quiet mouth at the table and watching it grow.  Fifteen years ago we had not heard of the web; today it is central to almost everything we do – whether it is communication, faculty or student research, recruitment of new students or solicitation of our alumni and parents.  Fifteen years ago technology was not a line item in the budget; today it is about 10% of the operating budget.  Alumni support is critical in keeping up with everything that is moving so fast.

Campus renewal:  Fifteen years ago the campus renewal line item was $500,000 for a campus of 500 acres and more than 150 buildings, including the Abbot campus, Addison Gallery, the Oliver Wendell Homes Library and the Peabody Museum.  There are about 560 dorm rooms, faculty housing, 95 classrooms, a video and electronic imaging center, language and music labs, a radio station, a new science center, a bird sanctuary, art and music studios, a theatre, athletic facilities, a pool, tennis courts, playing fields and a new hockey rink.  Today, the campus renewal budget is about 10% of the operating budget.  Abbot alumnae are able to designate their AF gift to Abbot campus renewal if they wish.

As you remember your time in this place, it is the alumni who give back to Andover who make this community and all that happens here possible.  Thank you.