Support | Destination WIS

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WHY "DESTINATION WIS"?

Through continuous, purposeful improvement, we will ensure WIS remains a destination for families and teachers alike.

In 1966, WIS was founded on a vision to be a “pilot school for the planet.” Since then, WIS has grown in both reach and reputation, emerging as one of the top international schools in the world. But sustained excellence depends on thoughtful investments in areas of greatest need. To address these needs, we’ve created Destination WIS, the school’s most ambitious fundraising campaign to date.

Destination WIS is a five-year, $30 million comprehensive fundraising campaign, with three components: Facilities, Endowment for Financial Aid, and Annual Fund. While the campaign’s most visible feature will be a new 50,000-square-foot-structure (Le Centre Brown, opening summer 2025) on the Tregaron Campus, Destination WIS goes beyond building new facilities. The campaign aims to expand the endowment’s capacity to provide financial aid and strengthen the Annual Fund to support continued fiscal health.

Destination WIS launched in a quiet phase beginning in 2021. During this initial period, we secured commitments totaling more than $21 million—or 70 percent—of the Campaign’s $30 million overall goal. This outpouring of support was critical to building confidence and certainty for this endeavor. The launch of the public phase is a call for the community to support Destination WIS and realize what we can accomplish together.Campaign Co-Chairs, Katie Huffard and Rohit Kumar

DESTINATION WIS FAQS

How did WIS choose the Destination WIS Campaign priorities?

Our priorities derive from the School’s 2020-25 Strategic Plan, which engaged more than 700 members of the WIS community in a year-long study to inform the school’s strategic direction.

Destination WIS is a five-year comprehensive Campaign that is raising funds to upgrade our facilities, grow the financial aid endowment, and maintain a strong Annual Fund. The Campaign seeks to raise $30 million.

Campaign Initiative - Facilities
Fundraising Goal - $22,000,000 Description A new building on the Tregaron Campus, Le Centre Brown, will enhance WIS’s ability to deliver a demanding transdisciplinary education by housing Middle and Upper School science and design labs, flexible maker and gathering spaces, a gallery, and community dining facilities. The $22 million raised as part of this Campaign will be combined with other sources of funding, including funds raised during the first phase of this effort, to fulfill the $74 million needed to fund this campus transformation. The building will enhance students’ experience across disciplines and activities, allowing them to investigate, experiment, collaborate, and socialize. The substantial increase in space will also allow WIS to reimagine and renovate existing spaces across campus, both indoors and outdoors, including the AAA, Carriage House, Dacha, and pedestrian areas.
Campaign Initiative - Endowment for Financial Aid
Fundraising Goal - $3,000,000 Description WIS believes a qualified student’s access to a WIS education should not be determined by the ability to pay. The Campaign will double the size of the endowment designated for financial aid, from $3 million to $6 million (and increase the overall size of the endowment to $11.5 million). A stronger endowment will allow WIS to continue supporting students long past the conclusion of the Campaign.
Campaign Initiative - Annual Fund
Fundraising Goal - $5,000,000 Description The Annual Fund provides immediate impact and is critical for expanding access to faculty professional development opportunities, supplementing the financial aid budget, and funding technology essential for learning. Historically, WIS raises between $1 and $1.3 million each year for the Annual Fund—this goal ensures we maintain the Annual Fund at pre-existing levels throughout the Campaign to ensure that WIS has the flexibility to invest in critical areas and respond to needs as they arise.

Destination WIS will greatly enhance the space and resources available to our most valuable resource: our passionate and dedicated teachers. Destination WIS will support the day-to-day work of our current teacher community while also helping to attract and retain top-tier talent from across the globe. Like our students, our teachers will also benefit in other ways—faculty meals will be provided as part of our new dining program.

There are four funding sources for this project:

Thanks to nearly 40 generous donors, WIS raised $10 million between 2014 and 2021 as part of a first-phase effort preceding Destination WIS. This early-stage fundraising proved critical to bringing our vision to fruition.
WIS is raising $22 million in new capital funding from donors between 2021 and 2026 as part of the five-year, $30 million comprehensive campaign.
As a result of prudential stewardship by current and previous Boards of Trustees, WIS has cash reserves commensurate with best practice recommendations, and as such the Board has approved a $24 million allocation for capital investment.
WIS secured an additional $18 million in debt financing to close the remaining gap. The Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees determined this to be a responsible amount for the School to assume.

Support | Destination WIS | WIS

Destination WIS

WHY "DESTINATION WIS"?

DESTINATION WIS FAQS

Campaign Initiative - Facilities

Campaign Initiative - Endowment for Financial Aid

Campaign Initiative - Annual Fund

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