Thank you for making 2023-24 an extraordinary year for the Taft Fund: 3,548 Taft alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends from 50 countries, 49 states, and the District of Columbia joined forces to make fiscal year 2023-24 one for the record books, raising an astounding total of $6,265,950 with 34% of alumni and 90% of current parents participating.

The Taft Fund plays a crucial role in delivering the full spectrum of the Taft School experience. By bridging the gap between tuition and the true cost of educating each student, the fund ensures that we continue to offer advanced, innovative, and dynamic academic programs; attract and retain top-tier faculty; provide outstanding opportunities in athletics and the arts; and cultivate a vibrant community on our beautiful, historic campus.

Taft Fund Co-chairs Charlie Watson ’88, P’21,’24,’26 and Tamara Sinclair ’05 mobilized 558 alumni class agents during the year-long initiative, which added $2,689,983 to the Taft Fund, including the best Day of Giving campaign to date (1,100 individual donors gave an extraordinary grand total of $1,752,282 on April 18). While Hotchkiss won the annual November Young Alumni Participation Challenge with a participation rate of 21%, Tafties put up a good fight, with 18% participating.

Parents’ Fund Co-chairs Jane and Chris Hentemann, P’19,’21,’24, spearheaded the current parent appeal with support from 60 Parents’ Fund Committee families. They achieved 90% parent participation, ensuring that our remarkable 30-plus-year streak of 90% or more participation remained unbroken. Their efforts also added $3,101,991 to the 2023-24 Taft Fund total. And, finally, Grandparent Chair Sam Crocker ’60, P’89, GP’25,’27 and Former Parent Chair Leslie Herrlinger Lanahan ’73, P’08 did an incredible job in guiding grandparents, former parents, and Taft friends toward an additional $473,976 in total gifts to the school. We are immensely grateful to all of the dedicated class agents and parent volunteers for their leadership and hard work.

Participation in the Taft Fund is a cornerstone of our support, directly benefiting our students, faculty, and the entire school community. Each and every gift, no matter the size, plays an important role in creating pathways toward the future for all Taft students. We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who supported the Taft Fund this year. Thank you, and go BIG RED!