Inspire Campaign Update: Impact on Graland
When we launched the Inspire Campaign several years ago, we had no idea how much the values embedded in the sphere system--innovation, collaboration, and leadership--would be needed in the last twelve months. We also didn’t realize how important it would be to fully value our educators and honor the importance of their craft. We are deeply grateful to those who have provided philanthropic support. To follow is an update on the campaign’s impact on Graland.
Endowment Gifts Provide Compensation Support in Perpetuity
The Graland community has come together with collective contributions totaling more than $10 million for the Inspire Campaign. This outstanding total of endowed funds assure that the new compensation structure for faculty will remain viable in perpetuity. Gifts made to the Inspire Campaign, along with tuition increases, created an average 12% salary increase for all Graland faculty for the 2019-20 school year.
A Thoughtful Pause on the Campaign, But Not Its Impact
Being sensitive to the uncertainty that began one year ago, we chose to quiet our campaign efforts. That being said, the importance of the campaign’s objective and the impact of the funds we have raised never diminished. Rather, they have proven to be perhaps even more critical through the challenges faculty have faced during the pandemic. Below is a summary of the full extent of that impact and a timeline for the conclusion of the campaign.
Inspire Campaign Highlights to Date
The Inspire Campaign was launched with three objectives:
- to increase faculty salaries to competitive levels both locally and nationally
- to provide funding for individual faculty members who take the initiative to advance
- to offer greater flexibility in order to recruit top candidates
Since the inception of the campaign, several milestones have been achieved:
- The collective funds raised to date for the Inspire Campaign have allowed Graland to increase overall compensation for all lead faculty members. Our compensation levels are now above the vast majority of local independent schools, consistent with regional public school districts and have been elevated to the 60% level, as compared to peer independent schools across the country. This latter data point is based upon the INDEX (Independent Data Exchange) consortium of schools, of which Graland is a member.
- Graland’s first set of teachers applied for and completed the initial sphere transition process in December 2019. These five second-year teachers advanced from the Professional to the Distinguished sphere.
- Four additional teachers are currently completing their sphere transition process. Their applications were accepted in January 2020 and their sphere transition determination will take place in April 2021. This process has been slightly extended due to the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020.
- Graland’s third set of teachers are currently finalizing their applications to be a part of the next cohort seeking a sphere transition. This will be finalized by the end of this month, with the culmination of their work taking place in December 2021.
- Compensation is a critical metric in recruiting and retaining the best and brightest faculty. Finally, funds raised through the Inspire Campaign have also already positioned Graland competitively to recruit new teachers, both locally and nationally. The Inspire Campaign has provided Graland the flexibility necessary to attract top candidates.
Looking Ahead: Gratitude and Celebration
We extend our most sincere thanks to Campaign Co-Chairs Amy and Peter Corrigan and Andi and John Freyer for their steadfast dedication to the Inspire Campaign, including across the past twelve months of challenge. Without their leadership, we would not have reached such heights of campaign success. We also thank them for their strategic insights and their incredible commitment to our Graland community of donors.
We are immensely grateful for the philanthropic support put forth by the Graland community. Graland faculty have persevered this year to continue to inspire their students to reach further. In the midst of volatility and uncertainty, they have committed to professional growth. This has, in turn, furthered their students’ growth.
We will celebrate the conclusion of the Inspire Campaign this spring - one year after our original intention. Our celebration may look different considering our current times, however our gratitude will be just as sincere and significant. We look forward to sharing more as we approach the end of the school year.
In conclusion, donor gifts to the campaign not only reshaped the compensation system at Graland, they made a strong statement that we value educators and their impact on children. That statement could not have come at a more important time.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
