Building a future as strong and enduring as the tides.

One of our campaign’s most important strategic goals is “building for our future” – ensuring the sustainability, longevity, flexibility, and long-term viability of our campus. At The Island School, we emphasize the importance of living well in a space, and we are fortunate to have The Cape as the base of our place-based educational model.Today, we look to the future and our ambitious campus master plan as we seek to provide our circle of faculty, staff, and students an unparalleled campus experience that enhances our experiential educational model, while also providing state of the art, sustainable and multifunctional spaces for learning and living. 

Gifts for our capital initiative will be both immediate and deferred, as we aim to provide long-term funding that will sustain our campus facilities in perpetuity. Our Capital Infrastructure goals will, therefore, be calculated based on current building priorities as well as endowment funds to support existing and future facilities. Capital fundraising will occur in phases, with specific goals for each project and specific strategies for stepwise plans that will not interrupt our regular programs.

To create an environment that fosters the growth and leadership development of young people to inspire positive change beyond our campus, we must make significant investments in human capital to recruit and support experienced professionals, create an inspiring and joyful work environment, offer robust professional development, and build the leadership pillars in our community. A direct result from our strategic planning process and envisioning the future of The Island School was a need to create a more livable community for our faculty and staff who dedicate themselves to remote living on the southern tip of Eleuthera. Located one mile from campus, the School aims to build a community of single and multi-family homes in response to the increased demand for family housing. More stability and housing options are essential to decrease staff turnover and support growing families during pivotal moments in their lives.

The comprehensive development plan for our faculty community, The Grove, encompasses 12 units and four designated community spaces for gardens, gathering areas, and communal amenities. The initial phase of The Grove entails the acquisition of land, site preparation, and the construction of four units within three pre-fabricated homes.

This phased approach is designed to achieve the following objectives:

• Establishment of a neighborhood co-located with the Head of School House
• Integration of community spaces within the existing area
• Provision of captivating ocean views
• Mitigation of disruptions to future development

Your support of capital initiatives will help us provide state of the art spaces that enhance learning and living in a place, Cape Eleuthera, our home. Capital projects will focus on enhancing and building faculty housing, developing a cohesive and all-inclusive campus environment, and intentionally building welcoming spaces for our visiting and local community.

Our endowment is made up of funds or assets donated to provide ongoing, long-term financial support. These assets are invested with the Foundation, a 501(c) 3 which serves as the primary grantor for The Island School, and the returns are used to fulfill the organization’s mission and to support specific programs in perpetuity. Institutions, on average, seek endowment growth (dividends plus appreciation) of 7 to 8 percent a year to keep up with inflation, cover investment management costs, and approach a 4 to 5 percent spending rate.

Our endowment provides stability, flexibility, and a degree of confidence for the future of The Island School. Currently at just over $8 million, our endowment can provide approximately $300,000 in drawdown funds annually. Building our endowment assets is a top priority because we seek to have a reliable and steady source of funding for our critical, mission-driven programs. Reliable long-term support from an endowment enables us to increase student aid, commit to and invest in our faculty, initiate pioneering research, develop stronger local programs, invest in new technologies, and maintain our buildings, laboratories, and other physical assets.

Our goal is to grow our endowment so that we can expand our ability to support the needs of The Island School, the Cape Eleuthera Institute, and the Lab School, as well as our other local programs, scholarships, and opportunities. These are broad categories within which we have specific goals like:

• Providing competitive salaries and benefits to our faculty and staff
• Ensuring long-term facility excellence
• Increasing access to our programs for all students
• Providing exceptional local programming and access for our community

Endowment gifts are comprised of any deferred gift (not intended to be used immediately, but rather invested) of cash, assets, stock, life income, and planned gifts. Funds may be directed to certain areas. We are also grateful for donors who allow us the flexibility to determine our most pressing priorities.

With sustainability at the cornerstone of The Island School’s mission and vision, our future depends on developing a plan for sustainable living on Eleuthera and on The Cape. As such, an integral part of our long-term planning includes ensuring that we have adequate resources for campus renewal and maintenance.  Over the past 25 years, we have made campus improvements, adding facilities that were necessary for the growth of the school in the service of our mission. Operational budgets cover the day-to-day expenses associated with keeping our campus safe, functional and beautiful, but as we plan for the future, we must also plan for the long-term sustainability of new and existing facilities.

Our campus renewal fund will have two components of operations funds: to enhance and elevate our existing campus and to allow for land acquisition and clearing that will pave the way for land acquisition and clearing that will pave the way for the future Phase 2 of our initiative. Our goal is to determine the need for ongoing campus maintenance and meet that need with our restricted campus renewal endowment disbursement. As the fund grows and matures, so will our ability to manage the ongoing challenge of maintaining our beautiful campus.

The annual fund is the cornerstone of The Island School’s advancement initiatives. Unrestricted annual giving provides the funds for all of our programs, from the Lab School and our Semester and Summer Term programs for students, to our internship and research programs at the Cape Eleuthera Institute. 

The generosity of our annual donors propels our work to the next level, providing opportunities for our students, faculty and staff to advance our mission: Leadership Effecting Change. Unrestricted support provides the essential resources needed to sustain our programs and initiatives, ensuring that we can adapt to emerging needs and opportunities.

Joining our annual giving program means becoming a sustaining member of our community. Your ongoing support helps us maintain stability and plan for the future, ensuring that we can continue making a meaningful impact year after year, and empowers us to pursue our mission with confidence and creativity. By providing the resources we need to innovate and grow, you play a crucial role in driving positive change in our community. Our annual scholarship investment across our residential programs and local schools is over $1.5 million, and we awarded over $878,000 in tuition assistance to students in our Semester and Summer Term programs during the 2024-2025 school year. Diversity in our circle and support for our local community has always been a cornerstone of our success.

By investing in The Island School’s annual fund, donors become partners in our mission to empower students, faculty, and staff to reach their full potential. Together, we can break down financial barriers, expand access to students of all backgrounds, and build a more inclusive and equitable learning environment. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference in the lives of our community members and strengthens the foundation of The Island School for future learners.