HELP FULFILL LONG-TERM GOALS
The WIS endowment plays an important role in promoting financial stability and sustainability. The endowment delivers critical near-term budget support for current students, while simultaneously serving as a vehicle for long-term growth to ensure the School will be well equipped to address future priorities and needs.
If you’d like to donate to an existing endowment fund, please CLICK HERE.
If you’re interested in establishing a new named fund, contact Gerad Teague, Associate Director of Advancement, at 202.283.1816 or gerad.teague@wis.edu. The minimum to establish a named endowed fund is $100,000.
FUND COMPOSITION & PERFORMANCE
As of June 30, 2025, the WIS endowment stands at $12 MM, and is composed of funds in the following categories:
The WIS endowment has grown from around $30,000 in 2003 to more than $12 million today. However, it remains small relative to other schools in WIS's cohort. Building a robust endowment will provide additional resources for critical investments in the best faculty and staff, a talented and diverse student body, cutting-edge facilities and technology, professional development and training for teachers and staff, service and learning opportunities, and much more.
PROGRAM FUNDS
Program funds support a diverse array of initiatives at WIS, including but not limited to: service and learning exchange opportunities, social justice and equity projects, professional development for teachers and staff, climate and environmental studies, and residency programs.
| THE BLUTINGER FAMILY FUND FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES |
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| The Blutinger Family Fund for Climate Change and Environmental Studies is intended to strengthen the study of climate change at WIS through the related fields of biology, chemistry, and physics. It seeks to raise awareness for the need to protect the environment, and to educate WIS students on ways in which they can make a difference personally and professionally. |
| THE RICHARD AND CAROL HALL community enrichment FUND |
| The Richard & Carol Hall Community Enrichment Fund honors previous Head of School Dick Hall’s commitment to ensuring a stimulating learning environment at WIS. The fund brings outside artists, speakers, and performers to enrich the WIS community through presentations or residencies. |
| THE LOUISE HARPER-SCHUCHAT MEMORIAL FUND |
| The Louise Harper-Schuchat Memorial Fund honors a beloved WIS teacher whose work championed experiential learning and anthropology. The fund supports financial aid recipients in participating in immersive cultural and service programs, with recipients expected to share their experience with the WIS community in the year that follows. |
| THE MARY MCCARTY LIBRARY MEMORIAL FUND |
| The Mary McCarty Library Memorial Fund honors the memory of Mary McCarty, who came to WIS in 1976 as the School’s librarian and retired in 2002 as the Director of Finance and Facilities. The Fund also honors the memory of Barbara B. Taft, who, with her husband William H. Taft III, was involved in the early years of WIS and served on the Board of Advisors from 2001–2004. |
| THE COMMUNITY EQUITY AND JUSTICE AWARD (CEJA) |
| The Community Equity and Justice Award (CEJA) was established by a Class of 2020 family to support social justice and equity initiatives at WIS. Each year, members of the Upper School community are invited to apply for the CEJA, which underwrites projects—particularly those which establish multi-year partnerships with local front-line groups—that raise awareness about persistent social inequities and injustices in the Washington, DC area. |
| THE MARA WILSON FUND |
| The Mara Wilson Fund honors a beloved WIS Middle School Art and Design Technology teacher whose work reflected her commitment to community and racial justice. The fund supports initiatives that increase awareness of racial inequity, challenge racism, and cultivate an environment where students of color feel safe and valued — and where every community member feels equipped and compelled to act. |
| THE Frank A. Southard Memorial Fund |
| The Frank A. Southard Memorial Fund honors the memory of Frank A. Southard, a distinguished former member and chair of the WIS Board of Trustees. The Fund supports personal and professional growth opportunities for our dedicated faculty and staff |
| sullivan language Fund |
| The Endowment for Language Teaching Innovation supports professional development programs in dual language education, including those offered by the WIS Institute for Teachers (WISIT), to benefit educators both at Washington International School and throughout the city. By providing resources such as scholarships for participation in WISIT programs and other professional development opportunities, the fund will strengthen networks of practice and advance excellence in dual language education. |
FINANCIAL AID FUNDS
Financial Aid funds supplement WIS’s annual financial aid budget, allowing the School to provide larger awards to a greater number of deserving families. WIS’s financial aid budget for FY2024-25 was $4.8 million, which provided 148 students with an average grant of $34,739.
| THE CLASS OF 2006 SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
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| The Class of 2006 Scholarship Fund was established by the parents of 2006 to honor their children through annual endowment distributions for one half-scholarship. |
| THE DMV SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| The DMV Scholarship Fund supplements WIS’s general financial aid budget to provide financial aid to students from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia who meet the School’s need-based financial aid criteria. |
| THE CLARICE R. AND HOWARD J. FELDMAN FUND |
| The Clarice R. & Howard J. Feldman Fund provides scholarships for students who could otherwise not afford to attend WIS. |
| WIS FINANCIAL AID FUND |
| The Financial Aid Endowment Fund supports tuition-independent socioeconomic diversity at WIS, helping ensure that our global education is accessible to a broad range of students. |
| THE HILL MEMORIAL FUND |
| The Hill Memorial Fund honors the life and memory of Althea Hill, whose academic achievements would not have been possible without the generosity of others. The Fund, which was established by her son Nicholas Hill and his wife Melissa Conradi Hill, supports a determined Upper School student eligible for Financial Aid based on criteria determined by the School’s Financial Aid office. |
| THE K.G. LIM MEMORIAL FUND |
| The K.G. Lim Memorial Fund sponsors an eligible Upper School student for one year at WIS. The Fund was established by an anonymous donor in honor of K.G. Lim’s longstanding desire to provide scholarships for students in need. |
| THE CLASS OF 2007 GARETH VAUGHAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| The Class of 2007 Gareth Vaughan Scholarship Fund was established by the parents and students of 2007 to honor Upper School Head Gareth Vaughan for his longstanding commitment to socioeconomic diversity at WIS and to equal educational opportunities for all children. |
| THE WIS MEMORIAL FUND |
| The WIS Memorial Fund honors the legacies of those we have lost from our community, ensuring their memory endures as part of the school's fabric. Gifts to the fund support financial aid at WIS, advancing our commitment to socioeconomic diversity and expanding opportunity for families of all means. The fund currently memorializes the following members of our community: Sam Smith (1957–2006), Jonas Weiss ‘87, (1968–2003), Johnny Hersson-Ringskog ‘98 (1979–2024), and Sean Hopkins ‘82 (1963–1990). |
| THE Larry Vincent Memorial FUND |
| The Larry Vincent Memorial Fund was established to honor Larry's legacy as a WIS music teacher from 1973 until his retirement in 2009. While he was best known for his love of music and theater, Larry also saw WIS as a welcoming community, enriched by differences — a family that he loved. In alignment with his own philanthropy, the Larry Vincent Memorial Fund supports WIS's financial aid budget to help ensure a WIS education is accessible to students from all backgrounds. |
| THE Pierre-marie lasseron Memorial FUND |
| The Pierre-Marie Lasseron Memorial Fund honors the legacy of Pierre-Marie Lasseron, who taught Primary School French at WIS for nearly 20 years. He was also the proud father of WIS graduates Sarah ’07 and Simon ’10. The Fund provides financial aid for children of WIS faculty enrolled in Preschool and/or Pre-Kindergarten and embodies Pierre-Marie’s steadfast belief that a WIS education should be accessible to any qualified student. |
EXPLORE THE POWER OF AN ENDOWMENT
Use the tool below to see how an endowed fund can grow over time and amplify the impact of your generosity. As your fund strengthens year after year, so does its ability to support students, teachers, and programs for generations to come.
