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Country School Donor Report 2024–2025

Welcome!

Your generosity helps make Country School an extraordinary place for learning, exploration, and growth. Our tradition of excellence endures not only because of our distinctive program and dedicated faculty and staff, but also because of a strong culture of philanthropy — rooted in generations of families and alumni who continue to support our mission.

Thank you for making Country School a priority in your giving. Your partnership is essential as we prepare the next generation of leaders to live lives of purpose and impact.

With gratitude,
Aaron Cooper, Head of School

Holly Donaldson Casella ’04, Director of Advancement

Annual Fund at
Country School

The Annual Fund is the cornerstone of all we do at NCCS, and our most vital source of support. The Fund provides essential resources for programs that serve the entire community and allows the school to respond to new opportunities and challenges with flexibility.

From financial aid and academic programs to technology upgrades, campus improvements, and student life, these unrestricted gifts are essential to ensuring a vibrant and engaging learning environment for every student, every day

We are deeply grateful to all who contributed to the 2024–2025 Annual Fund, with special thanks to our leadership donors whose generosity sets the pace for our entire community. This year, the average gift from school families was $4,000. As a reminder, the gap between tuition and the actual cost to educate each student here at NCCS is $7,500 — an amount that forms the foundation for leadership-level giving.

Your support helps close this gap and makes an immediate difference in the lives of our students and teachers. Thank you for investing in the heart of the Country School experience.

Our Endowment

A strong endowment is essential to sustaining the vibrant NCCS experience. Your support helps us meet evolving needs across campus and provides lasting financial stability and sustainability all while staying true to our mission. 

In the 2024–2025 academic year, NCCS endowment resources provided over $5 million in tuition assistance, helping to make a Country School education accessible to more families.

As of June 30, 2025, the school’s endowment totaled $65.3 million, with more than 50 funds supporting a range of priorities across school life.

View the full list of NCCS endowed funds here.

Albert Perry Scholarship Fund

"Mr P" started his teaching career at NCCS in 1982 and taught in the Upper School for 21 years before retiring in 2003. In 2022, he established the Albert Perry Scholarship Fund to expand access to NCCS for students who could not otherwise attend. Since then, more than 100 members of our community have supported the fund in his honor. Read more about Mr. P and his $3 million lead gift to our new campaign here:
Learn More

Speers-Stoddard Apprentice Teacher Fund

The Speers‑Stoddard Apprentice Teacher Fund honors the legacies of Sue Speers and Pat Stoddard – beloved Upper School teachers known for their visionary approach to education and deep belief in the potential of every student. Established by their families in 2022, the fund supports one of NCCS’s most enduring contributions to the field: our nationally recognized Apprentice Teacher Training Program.
Since 1953, nearly 1,000 aspiring educators have launched their teaching careers at Country School, gaining hands-on experience alongside master teachers. The Speers-Stoddard Fund helps sustain this vital program by supporting apprentice salaries, housing, and professional development, ensuring that the next generation of educators is well-prepared to carry forward the mission of joyful, purposeful learning. Special thanks to the Speers and Stoddard Families for their leadership support, and to the nearly 60 community members who have also contributed to this fund.

Learn More

2025 Casino Night &
Auction

Our Casino Night & Auction was a jackpot of fun, community spirit, and generosity. This year’s event introduced a new, more inclusive format that brought our community together like never before — making the evening not only more joyful, but even more successful.

Thanks to you — our dedicated parents, tireless volunteers, and generous sponsors — we are thrilled to share that we raised more than $500,000 in support of NCCS! Your participation helps ensure that a Country School education remains accessible to a broad and talented community of students. We are so grateful.

List of 1 items.

  • Casino Night & Auction Volunteers

    Co-Chairs
    Ali DiBiasio and Daniel DiBiasio ’92, Chair
    Alex Ewing and Rory Ewing ’95, Chair
    Jessie Katz and Jordan Katz, Chair

    Sub-Committee Chairs
    Marion Roe, Event Designer
    Abby Bangser
    Haley Bise
    Amanda Ghory
    Polly Grube
    Daphne Herlihy
    Diana Holdtman
    Megan Hudson
    Eleanor Lasko
    Emily O’Donovan
    Stephanie van Sice
    Candy Willcocks  

    Committee Members
    Liz Ballantyne
    Margy Blackford
    Caroline Buffin
    Dasha Burns
    Dominique Cime
    Marisa DiBiasio
    Heather Dickinson
    Adie Edenbach
    Kim Flowers
    Danielle Gaglio
    Kay Garrett
    Bridget Kelley
    Ashley Kennedy
    Stephanie Kramer
    Ellen Lundquist
    Jennifer MacLear
    Whitney Mallozzi
    Megan Mancosh
    Melissa Merrill
    Natalia Milla
    Enciso Cara Ott
    Sheba Peart
    Sebastian Raatz
    Lacey Ramsey
    Molly Reich
    Dasha Rettew
    Mary Beth Rockwell
    Allie Jordan Stinchcomb ’98
    Cindy Thom
    Sarah Tisdale
    Devin VanderMaas
    Kathryn Walker
    Jessie Wheeler
    Mallory Wiedemann
    Kathryn Winokur

Looking Ahead:
A New Campaign for NCCS

As we look to the future, we are excited to launch a new capital campaign focused on two enduring Country School priorities: strengthening our endowment and enhancing our outdoor learning spaces.

This campaign will help ensure long-term financial sustainability and expand access to the exceptional people, programs, and places that define a Country School education. From inspiring outdoor classrooms and gathering spaces to lasting support for financial aid and faculty excellence, this next chapter is about doubling down on what we have believed for more than 100 years — for today’s students and for generations to come. 

Thank you to our early Leadership Phase donors, and we look forward to sharing more about this exciting community-wide campaign in the months and years ahead.

A Final Thank You!

We are deeply grateful for your involvement in the Country School community. Whether you are a current or past parent, alumni, faculty or staff member, grandparent, or friend, your participation makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our students and teachers every day. Each contribution — of time, talent, or resources — helps nurture the warm, vibrant environment that defines NCCS.

Your generous financial support strengthens our programs and reflects the values at the heart of our mission: joyful learning, community, and giving back. Thank you for your continued commitment.

To view our donor lists, please use the password provided in the September 2025 email from the Advancement Office, or contact us at advancement@countryschool.net or (203) 801-5600  for the password. Then, click the links below to explore the various categories of supporters who make this work possible.

LEADERSHIP TEAM  |  BOARD OF TRUSTEES  |  ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE
ALUMNI COUNCIL  |  VOLUNTEERS

Donor Lists: 


DISCLAIMER: This report gratefully acknowledges gifts received between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this listing. If you notice an error or omission, please accept our sincere apologies and contact the Advancement Office at advancement@countryschool.net or (203) 801-5600 so we can make the correction right away. Thank you for your generous support and partnership! 

New Canaan Country School

635 Frogtown Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
Phone: (203) 972-0771

Links & Resources

Accreditations

New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.