Endowment Focus Underscores Leadership Pledge

From the time their oldest child enrolled to the time their youngest will graduate, Nancy and Bruce Downing will have spent 20 years as Providence Day School parents.

While that kind of history ensures a strong family connection to the school’s past, the Downings also have their sights set firmly on the future

It was the desire to connect Providence Day’s past with its future that led the Downings to designate half of their CHARGING forward leadership gift to the school’s endowment.

“For me, the biggest need around this campaign is in the endowment piece because I feel like that is our insurance for the longevity of the school,” explained Nancy.

She readily admits to hoping that the campaign successfully concludes in time for her youngest son to have at least one year in the proposed new Academic Center.

Yet the decision to support the campaign was less about the “shiny new stuff” and more firmly rooted in a deep desire to acknowledge the school’s positive effect on their family as a whole and as individuals.

A strong mission, high-caliber teachers, and visionary leadership underscore for them how the school can continue to deliver on its longstanding partnership with families while still innovating, growing, and adapting.

Reflecting on the importance of the CHARGING forward campaign, Downing once again looks to both the past and the future.

“What this means to the school is that it will launch us forward in a lot of ways, but in a lot of ways, it will ensure that we will stay that same special community and great place that it’s always been.”

– Nancy and Bruce Downing are the proud parents of Yates ’12, Charlotte ’14, Tommy ’17 and Michael ’19