Giving

Next 50 Years Phase II

To accomplish our Phase Two future goals, Athens Academy seeks to raise $7M toward capital campaign building enhancements and $7M toward endowment to maintain accessibility for our families and enhance faculty compensation. Additionally, we look to raise an additional $7M in planned gift commitments, for an overall goal of $21M.  In coordination with this campaign goal, Annual Excellence Fund efforts will continue to offset annual operating expenses, and the Georgia Tuition Tax Credit allows families to shift tax liability to the school in support of our need-based financial aid program. Click here to read the Athens Academy Case Statement in its entirety.

INFRASTRUCTURE ($7M)

Provide facilities that inspire each of our students to learn, grow and prepare for college and life with first-rate, passionate faculty and coaches leading them.
 
  • ($500,000) Upgrades to the Tillman Center for our Middle and Upper School students and faculty. With 650 people using the Tillman Center daily, this project offers updates to the facility and enhancements to food service including improved food prep, serving options, and overall dining experience. (Photo 1)

  • ($2.3M) Campus-wide renovations to include: a new playing surface for the Harrison Center playground; technological infrastructure advancements and renovations in multiple locations; updates for the Old Gym floor, locker rooms and bathrooms; improvements to campus roadways and security systems; and upgrades to HVAC systems campus wide. (Photo 2)

  • ($1.35M) Complete renovation of Erwin Hall, home to our Lower School classrooms and teaching spaces.  We want this building to be welcoming and comfortable for Grades 2, 3 and 4. This renovation can be accomplished over the course of a summer, and we want to make this a reality for our community in the summer of 2023 or 2024. (Photo 3)

  • ($1.3M) Our tennis program is one of our most successful athletic programs in school history, with 35th consecutive boys’ region titles. New tennis courts have provided an updated playing surface with new LED lights. A tennis pavilion with permanent bathrooms, storage, locker rooms, a coaching space, and tiered spectator seating. (Photo 4)

  • ($1.3M) Additional instructional and physical education space adjacent to the Sinkwich Spartan Center, which will be utilized by students in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools for a variety of programming.

  • ($250,000) New outdoor teaching and meeting space adjacent to the lake and the Middle and Upper Schools, where students can learn from teachers or gather with cohorts for outdoor active learning opportunities.

ENDOWMENT ($14M)

Gifts, one-time or multi-year, and estate gifts are vital to maintaining our exceptional independent learning opportunities and securing the future of Athens Academy. Our hope is to realize $7M of this in current gifts and pledges and the other $7M in future estate gifts.

Endowment funds support our teachers with competitive compensation, provide opportunities for professional growth, increase need-based financial aid for qualified students, and help mitigate tuition increases for all.  When completed, Athens Academy will have more than $25,000 per student in our endowment.  This results in tremendous positive momentum for our present and future. Currently, Athens Academy’s endowment is valued at $14.9M (as of December 2023).  
Thank you for considering the future of Athens Academy and our students! Make a tangible difference with a gift, multi-year capital pledge, and/or estate gift.  Please contact the Development Team or John Thorsen to speak further about matching your passions with Athens Academy’s people, program, and future.  
John Thorsen, Head of School | Email | 706.549.9225
DeDe Guest, Director of Development | Email | 706.433.2415
Josh Alexander, Development Officer | Email | 706.433.2420

Cress and Spence Johnson, parents of Read ’25 and Wells ‘27

"Athens Academy is more than a school for our children – it’s a community. We view our support as investments in that community, and we make them with confidence that leadership and the Board of Trustees will be good stewards of those investments. The dividends are obvious every time we set foot on campus."
Athens Academy is an independent, co-educational school for students in K3 through 12th grade, located on a beautiful 152-acre campus in Northeast Georgia. For over 50 years, Athens Academy has pursued its mission of Excellence with Honor through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership.