Make A Difference
The Campaign for Saint James School

Make A Difference. The opportunity to support Saint James School, our students, and our faculty is what inspired so many in our community to raise a record-setting $50.4 million through a 10-year comprehensive capital campaign.

The Make A Difference Campaign has already and will continue to transform the campus and enhance the student experience in every way. The campaign focused on three main components essential to ensuring the School’s ability to perform its mission for years to come: the Annual Fund ($14.3 million), the Endowment ($12.3 million), and Capital Projects ($23.7 million), which include the Pohanka Fine Arts Center, Turner Athletic Center, Rocca and Young Townhomes, renovations in the Cotton Building, and Dunnan Hall boys’ dormitory.

We are grateful that gifts from nearly 3,000 alumni, past parents, current parents, grandparents, faculty/staff, and friends helped us surpass our $50 million goal. We are also excited to announce that in addition to more than $50 million in gifts and pledges, we have received $23 million in new bequests, which also will be added to the endowment in the future as those gifts are realized.

The SJS Board of Directors officially closed this milestone campaign at its January 2024 meeting.

read the full announcement

In This Section

Gratitude for our community

Making a Difference,

Together

The success of the Make A Difference Campaign exceeded expectations thanks to the faithful commitment of nearly 3,000 donors in the Saint James community. That a school of our size has been able to raise more than $50 million is a testament to your generosity. Your love for the School will ensure that we are able to uphold our mission of building leaders for good in the world for years to come. We are humbled and so very grateful for your support.

Raised for capital projects:

$23.7M Goal: $24.5M

Raised for the Annual Fund:

$14.3M Goal: $13.5M

Raised for the Endowment:

$12.3M Goal: $12M

Campaign Total:

$50.4M Goal: $50M

State-of-the-Art facilities:

Arts, Athletics, & Housing

Through the Make A Difference Campaign, we have expanded and renovated the School's facilities to meet the needs of our growing student body. The Pohanka Fine Arts Center and Faculty Townhouses are already making a difference, and soon we will add the Turner Athletic Center, renovate the Cotton Building with the Young Fab Lab, and build the Dunnan Hall Boys' Dormitory.

Learn More About Capital Projects

"Supporting the Turner Athletic Center was an easy decision for our family. There is no doubt our son has a more well-rounded, team-first attitude because of the excellent coaching and teaching Saint James offers. It is only appropriate that Saint James has a facility which matches the other excellent resources the school offers."

David & Connie Lees (parents of Brady '23)

Make A Difference

Strengthening Our

Endowment

Another major emphasis of the campaign was increasing the School’s endowment, which will provide Saint James with long-term, secure funding for many of its ongoing needs, including student financial aid and faculty salaries and benefits.

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Dunnan Fund for Financial Aid

In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of his appointment as Headmaster, the Board of Trustees created the Dunnan Endowment Fund for Financial Aid.

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"The generosity of the Saint James community throughout the 10 years of this campaign was truly remarkable, and we are proud to see the impact it has had on campus. This campaign has always been about making a difference for our students so that they can be leaders for good in the world."

Ann & John Davis, Campaign Co-Chairs

Capital projects

The Make A Difference Campaign has transformed the Saint James campus.

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Annual Fund

The Annual Fund is the cornerstone of giving at Saint James and an important component of the campaign

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Meet our donors

We thank all of the members of our community who supported the Make A Difference Campaign.

View the list