Largest One-Day Fundraising Event in KPS History

There was a chill in the air on March 3, but it didn’t matter. The Kent Place campus was fired up with excitement for its second-annual Founders Day.

It was a day to celebrate the school’s past, present, and future. Students arrived to balloons and banners lining the entranceways, music blaring, and their mascot, Chumley, dancing to the beat. Leadership and Advancement Team members wore Founders Day masks to open car doors for students and distribute Empower Girls. Advance the World. car magnets to families. Throughout the day, emails and social-media posts updated the community on progress toward the goal. Two Founders Day challenges offered by generous donors were announced, and parent and alumnae class leaderboards were listed on the website.

The community responded, coming together in support of Founders Day and surpassing its goal: In 24 hours the Kent Place Fund received gifts from some 800 donors and raised more than $450,000 — the largest one-day fundraising event in the school’s history. It was a spectacular testament to the school’s mission.

Founders Day is an opportunity for parents, alumnae, faculty, staff, and friends to commemorate Kent Place’s history and the inspiration of six families to open a school for girls that would offer the exceptional academics already accessible to boys. In 1894, thanks to their vision, Kent Place opened its doors for the first time. 

But it’s not only a day to look back; it’s also a day to celebrate the present. In the past 127 years, the school has grown to enroll nearly 700 students annually from more than 70 communities and is respected for its dedicated faculty, challenging curriculum, wide-ranging cocurricular activities, and signature programs. And this year in particular we had much to be proud of — from succeeding in keeping the school open during the pandemic to launching an updated Mission Statement and Strategic Plan, both thanks to the remarkable collaboration among faculty, parents, students, alumnae, school leadership, and trustees.

It’s a day to look ahead, too. Because of these efforts and many others, the school is positioned to thrive as a leader in education for generations of students to come. Most important, it’s a day to remember that all of this is made possible because of YOU. Kent Place couldn’t be the school it is today without the support of our community — THANK YOU!

This article was featured in the Report of Gifts 2021 publication.