Endowed Funds at The Summit

All endowments have a story to tell and are an important part of The Summit’s history. Endowments are made possible through the generous investments of alumni, parents and friends as an impacting way to demonstrate their support and passion for The Summit.

Endowed funds at The Summit are invested gifts that provide stable, sustained revenue to support their intended purpose. These funds may be created for a variety of purposes, including faculty support, student scholarships, curriculum innovation building and grounds enhancement. They provide ongoing, permanent support for designated funding recipients by use of interest earned on endowments, rather than the expense of the funds themselves. Specific donation amounts are required to establish an endowed fund.

Get Involved through Endowments

Awards for Summit students

Endowed Unrestricted Fund

Unrestricted endowment funds can be spent, saved, invested and distributed at the discretion of The Summit when the gift is received.

Named Scholarship Funds

Endowed scholarship can be named and designated for specific use when a fund reaches $100,000 threshold. Naming an endowed scholarship preserves a benefactor’s interest in The Summit and can honor or memorialize a loved one, friend, classmate or business. Students who receive a named scholarship are informed of the specific interests of the fund and that others share a commitment to their education through financial support.

Ragland Family Endowment Incentive Program

Established in 2019 by Nick & Marty Ragland and Nick & Joelle Ragland, this fund was created as an incentive program to encourage benefactors to establish a new endowed fund to grow the Summit Country Day’s endowment in support of the Summit’s mission and students.

  • Eligible new funds created with a commitment of $50,000 - $99,000 will receive $5,000. 
  • Eligible new funds created with a commitment of $100,000+ will receive $10,000.

Middle School Scholarship Incentive Program

Managed Endowed Accounts

Establishing a managed endowed account is done with a minimum contribution commitment of $50,000, payable over a 5-year period. Income from these funds sustain and enhance the school’s highest priorities for scholarships, faculty and student support, academic initiatives, and care of the school’s buildings and campus. Pre-named Scholarship Funds are restricted gift accounts with a valuation of $50,000 to $99,999. Named Operations Funds are restricted gift accounts for non-scholarship areas of the school. These accounts must have a current valuation of $50,000 or more. Based on the school’s endowment spending policy and procedures for managing restricted funds, income from managed funds will be joined with other endowment income to support the above objectives.

Forever Funds

Forever Funds are endowed funds where the interest is designated in support of an Annual Fund initiative. The principal will remain intact and the annual earnings will be applied to the designated initiative.

 

Endowed Hardship Fund

James Evans Hardship Fund

Florence Koetters '58 Hardship Fund

Centers of Excellence

The Centers of Excellence provide Summit students with opportunities they can't find at other schools in Cincinnati. The unique experiences found through these programs are designed to allow students to dive deeply into an area of passion -- business or science.

The Homan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Schiff Family Science Research Institute

Faculty Support Funds

Endowment funds may be restricted to provide The Summit with a significant and permanent source of financial support for The Summit’s faculty. Investment income earned by faculty endowment funds are used annually to support teaching, faculty development and research. These endowed funds free up money in the annual operating budget for other academic areas of need. 

Professional Development

Endowments for professional development fund and encourage our faculty’s intellectual curiosity, critical-thinking and learning outside of a classroom setting to spark innovation in teaching. Professional development funds also provide opportunities to bring prominent speakers to campus to spark insight, engage conversation and share knowledge within our Summit community.

Castleberry Curriculum Development Fund, established in 2015

The Theresa & Richard Davis Professional Development Institute, established in 1999

James E. Evans Teacher Institute Fund, established in 1990

Ragland Fund for Teaching Excellence, established in 2002

Campus Enhancement

These restricted funds are used to create a beautiful, state of the art campus with a focus on enhancing the educational experience, improving safety and augmenting the quality of life for our students, faculty, staff and visitors.