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The Gift of Education
Director of Development Sharon Hurt explains how giving to education is an investment in the potential and promise of the next generation.
In 2018, Americans gave $427.71 billion to charity, representing the second highest level ever. Giving to education represents 14% of last year’s total contributions, second only to religion, which represents the largest piece of the pie at 29%. The number one reason people give is that they want to have an impact. They want to make a difference in the world. The gift of education transforms lives, not only for the student, but also for the family, community, and beyond. The Global Partnership for Education asserts that “education is the most important investment a country can make in its people and future.”
The Bush School was built on a premise that every child has a right to a quality education. Helen Taylor Bush opened the school in 1924 to six Kindergarten students. Historic records show that by 1933, eighty-one students were enrolled; fourteen paid half tuition, eleven attended for free. In 1948, the Bush Alumni Association established a scholarship fund. In 1953, the “Mother’s Club” followed suit by raising money for scholarships specifically supporting Ninth Grade students in Seattle. In 1967, the scholarship endowment was valued at $15,000, and it provided financial aid to seven students annually.
The commitment to making The Bush School accessible to as many students as possible in Seattle was established in the earliest days, and it remains a core value today. Last year, $3.7 million in need-based financial aid was made available to Seattle area families to enroll their children at The Bush School. Celebrate Bush raised a record breaking $563,000 for financial aid, and approximately $4.3 million of the endowment supports need-based aid in the form of permanently restricted funds. The first of these funds was established in 1948.
The values that were first established by Helen Taylor Bush and The Bush School community remain true today. Last year, over 1,000 donors to The Bush School gave the gift of education. Thank you for your generosity and for sustaining a legacy of transforming lives.
The Bush School was built on a premise that every child has a right to a quality education. Helen Taylor Bush opened the school in 1924 to six Kindergarten students. Historic records show that by 1933, eighty-one students were enrolled; fourteen paid half tuition, eleven attended for free. In 1948, the Bush Alumni Association established a scholarship fund. In 1953, the “Mother’s Club” followed suit by raising money for scholarships specifically supporting Ninth Grade students in Seattle. In 1967, the scholarship endowment was valued at $15,000, and it provided financial aid to seven students annually.
The commitment to making The Bush School accessible to as many students as possible in Seattle was established in the earliest days, and it remains a core value today. Last year, $3.7 million in need-based financial aid was made available to Seattle area families to enroll their children at The Bush School. Celebrate Bush raised a record breaking $563,000 for financial aid, and approximately $4.3 million of the endowment supports need-based aid in the form of permanently restricted funds. The first of these funds was established in 1948.
The values that were first established by Helen Taylor Bush and The Bush School community remain true today. Last year, over 1,000 donors to The Bush School gave the gift of education. Thank you for your generosity and for sustaining a legacy of transforming lives.
The Bush School is an independent, coeducational day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 715 students in grades K–12. The mission of The Bush School is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities.
3400 East Harrison Street, Seattle WA 98112 (206) 322-7978
The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment, recruitment, admissions, or administration of any of its programs on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. In addition, The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment on the basis of age or marital status.