Concord Academy’s 100th academic year was nothing short of historic.
Over the past year, I’ve been blessed to talk with many members of this extraordinary community to get to know our students and staffulty, parents and alums, volunteers and trustees. If there’s an overall impression I formed in my first year as head of school, it’s that CA is a process-driven institution, and that’s what leads to the impact we make in the world. CA offers a transformational education. In what can be a performative society, that is no small thing. Though we like to be humble here, from my still-fresh perspective I can tell you that a truly transformational education is rare. And it’s one of CA’s superpowers.
I’ve devoted my career to supporting students’ access to life-changing independent schools. What I’ve found so special about CA is that our mission describes how we live it: “Honoring every individual, we challenge and expand our understanding of ourselves and the world.” This is what striving for equity looks like in practice. It’s also what love of learning entails: reconsidering beliefs and assumptions, being open to multiple perspectives, allowing yourself to grow and be changed. This isn’t easy—it takes courage and can be uncomfortable. But when this kind of learning connects students and graduates across generations, it creates a profound capacity for envisioning and shaping a more just and sustainable world.
Community is also a CA superpower. We saw that, indisputably, in our 100th year. Hitting a milestone can feel transactional, but CA’s Centennial broke the mold. From the fun of the Chapel Challenge in October to the serious wisdom our alums shared at the Centennial Celebration in June, we felt the power of this community. We also experienced it through your support of the Annual Fund, which enables every aspect of CA’s daily operations, as well as the Centennial Campaign, the tool that will unlock boundless possibilities for our students.
You can’t have a transformational education without a strong community. I’m humbled to serve CA at this remarkable time and deeply moved by your generosity and belief in this school. I invite each of you to lean in as co-authors of CA’s next chapter.
Henry Fairfax
Head of School
Dresden Endowed Chair
Every gift to CA, whatever the designation, whatever the size, has a story behind it.
Across generations, donors with vision and purpose have supported the school we cherish today, inspired by their own stories. The chapter written by the CA community this year was made possible by today’s CA champions.
For the 2022–23 academic year, the Annual Fund supported 10% of CA’s planned operating budget.
Thanks to support from alums, parents, and friends near and far, we exceeded our goal for the 2022–23 Annual Fund, raising $3,244,275 in a record-breaking representation of the strength and dedication of the extended CA community.
$3,244,275
Total Raised
Exceeded $3.1 Million Goal by Nearly $150,000
1,340,981
Alums
1,219,493
Current Parents
417,031
Parents of Alums
252,208
Grandparents and Friends
14,562
Faculty, Staff, and Students
Through an outpouring of generosity from donors around the world, giving to the CA Annual Fund remained strong. Thanks to every one of you, we exceeded our $3.1 million goal, providing the support needed to nurture every student’s promise.
CA’s Centennial Campaign underscores our belief that we can transform lives. By nurturing the young change-makers of the future, we are investing in their tremendous potential to become agents of good.
Concord Academy’s Centennial Campaign represents the school’s abiding commitment to students and faculty. We know that investments today will reap vast rewards in the future. It is a commitment that we embrace with joy and enthusiasm. As we view the campaign’s finish line, we celebrate each gift as it brings us one step closer to creating a transformative experience for our students, faculty, and community. With a two-pronged focus on growing CA’s endowment and building the Centennial Arts Center, gifts to the campaign help deliver the educational promise we make to every student. Generous gifts made in 2022–23 have positioned the school for a successful capstone year. As a result, site preparations began over the summer to start construction of the Centennial Arts Center, and we are moving closer to our vision of a future in which our principles of inclusion and sustainability fuel our campus. Endowment is the key that unlocks a multitude of possibilities for CA’s next century. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Concord Academy Centennial Campaign’s steering committee and trustees, who have lent their passion, energy, and experience to all facets of the effort. These leadership volunteers provide counsel and guidance, focus our fundraising efforts, serve as the school’s ambassadors, and act as CA’s cheerleaders through personal outreach and testimony. For all of this, and so much more, CA is deeply grateful.
CA’s endowment was established in 1954 with a gift of $50,000 from a visionary donor who understood the importance of the school’s mission.
Our future success depends on a healthy endowment that supports CA’s commitment to its students and the world—allowing us to deliver excellence in our academic community and unlock new possibilities for CA’s next century of leadership.
The year of 2022–23 was marked by transition and transformation as we celebrated our Centennial.
You make this—and all the great things to come at CA—possible.