On November 18, Lake Forest Academy held its first-ever Giving Day: an event dedicated to raising funds to support the school community. The money will go towards the Academy Fund, which is the fund necessary to keep the school running efficiently each year. Giving Day takes pressure off of tuition and endowment revenue.
This event was planned by the Advancement and Communications departments, both of which worked to promote the day of giving. Clips were posted to social media of LFA students sharing their favorite parts of being a Caxy, encouraging donors to participate in giving back to the community. Signs were also posted around campus to promote the event, and emails were sent to parents and alumni to share the value of Giving Day.
Head of School Tom Johnson handed out coffee to families at the car line to celebrate the event. “It was nice to see people in the morning and wish them a happy Giving Day,” Johnson said. The cups displayed a QR code linked to LFA’s Giving Day website.
The page provided easy access to gifting donations, as well as a tracker for the money raised throughout the day. Giving Day raised 383,438 dollars from 296 donors, with the greatest participation coming from parents of the class of 2029 and alumni from the class of 2021. Teachers also generously contributed to the cause, demonstrating their appreciation for the LFA community.
Johnson shared that a goal of his is to strengthen LFA’s culture of giving back. “LFA is a great place, and we have a lot to be really proud of. We would love to encourage people to regularly pay it forward,” he explained. The event was intentionally timed right before Thanksgiving, drawing on the gratitude of the season and support for LFA.
LFA plans to continue the tradition of Giving Day in the future due to its success, as it raised nearly $200,000 over its target for donations. Giving Day brought forth the reengagement of people with the Academy who had previously not been as connected to the school.
Johnson expressed his appreciation for the faculty who made this event possible: “It was a lot of work that went into it, but I think it really paid off.” Donors were thanked for their contributions, and a wall in the Student Union was dedicated to displaying donors’ names on paper frogs, representing the Caxy spirit.
From teachers to students, alumni to parents and all those who have had the privilege to engage with LFA, Giving Day is an excellent opportunity to express gratitude.