Support
Giving Priorities

Endowment

The endowment at Ransom Everglades School ensures the school’s long-term financial sustainability and advances its mission. The endowment is composed of gifts and bequests, with the principal kept intact in perpetuity and invested to create a growing source of income. The endowment grows through additional gifts, income and capital appreciation.
 
Gifts to support endowments provide RE with resources to support financial aid; maintain its campuses by the bay; and attract, retain and support the finest faculty.

Support RE with an endowment gift

List of 3 items.

  • Unrestricted

    Unrestricted endowments contribute to the school’s annual budget, providing a source of support for school operations. Gifts that are unrestricted afford Ransom Everglades flexibility in meeting the current and future needs of the school as they arise.
  • Financial Aid

    The financial aid program at Ransom Everglades provides students who otherwise could not attend RE the extraordinary benefits of a Ransom Everglades education. 
     
    A strong financial aid program goes beyond making an RE education possible for many students; it also enhances the educational experience for the entire student body. Diversity of background, experience and perspective enriches our entire school community. 
     
    You can transform a student’s life by creating a fund for student financial aid for current use or by establishing an endowed fund that will be invested by the school and generate financial aid funding in perpetuity.
  • Faculty Support

    To recruit, hire and retain exceptional educators, Ransom Everglades is making faculty support endowments a priority. Ransom Everglades aims to expand the endowment in part to support powerful professional and curricular development.
     
    Gifts in support of faculty can be added to existing endowments, such as the Dan Leslie Bowden Endowment in the Humanities, or used to create new fully endowed positions within the school.

Existing Endowment Funds

If you are interested in supporting any of these existing endowment funds, please contact Director of Advancement Vicki Carbonell Williamson '88.

Financial Aid

3 Sons Foundation Endowed Scholarship Fund
Established by Elaine and Jose Segrera in 2018, this scholarship fund supports financial aid for a well-rounded student who has had to overcome academic or personal challenges and who will benefit from the RE learning environment because of the skills they learn.

86th Street Scholarship Fund
Established in 2008, this scholarship fund was created by a first-year Ransom Everglades family.

African American Financial Aid Endowment Fund
This endowment fund supports financial aid for African American students.

Alumni Scholarship Fund
This fund was seeded by a grant made by The Shepard Broad Foundation to acknowledge the value that a Ransom Everglades School education had on its family members that either attended and/or graduated from RE.

The Arellano Family Endowed Scholarship Fund
The K.J. Arellano Foundation created this scholarship fund to support need-based financial aid for deserving students.

Barrack Family Scholarship Endowment Fund
Sebastian and Snjezana Barrack established this endowment in 2023 to provide financial assistance for a student who qualifies for aid according to school policies.

Olga Maria and Alberto Beeck Scholarship Endowment Fund 
Established by the Beeck family, this scholarship fund supports financial aid for selected students.

The Ronni Weksler Bermont Endowment Fund
The Bermont family established The Ronni Weksler Bermont Endowment Fund in 1997 to support financial aid with preference given to underrepresented students starting in the ninth grade. Peter Bermont created the endowment for his children, Tracy ’89 and William ’93, in memory of their mother, Ronni.

Bernstein Family Scholarship Fund
Alan Bernstein and his late wife, Jayusia, established this scholarship fund in 1998 to provide financial aid for students with demonstrated need in accordance with financial aid policy.

Bouza/Miralles Family Student Support Scholarship Fund
The Bouza/Miralles family established this fund, for general financial aid, in 2006 in memory of their first child who passed away.

The Chinese Cultural & Scholarship Endowment Fund
Established by RE parent Dr. Shanjie Li, the Chinese Cultural & Scholarship Endowment Fund provides funds to the school to support the endowment, specifically for the support of Chinese cultural programming and events and to assist students who qualify for financial aid. Income from the fund will be used to support Asian cultural events and financial aid for students.

The Class of 1990 Equitable Experience Endowment Fund
Led by Konky Arellano ’90 and James Weaver, Jr. ’90, members of the Class of 1990 came together to create this fund, the first reunion class gift of its kind. This endowment helps ensure that all students at RE, regardless of their financial circumstances, are able to participate fully in the programs and activities offered by the school, underscoring the shared commitment that RE alumni have to diversity, equity and inclusion at Ransom Everglades. The concept for the endowment originated in 2020 with the passing of beloved security guard Tammy Valdez Anthon. The school established two funds in her memory, including the Equitable Experience Endowment Fund. Inspired by the spirit of the endowment fund and its origins, the Class of 1990 adopted the fund and successfully made it a reality.

The Class of 2003 Endowed Scholarship Fund
The Class of 2003 Scholarship Endowment Fund shall consist of funds raised from the Class of 2003 in honor of their 20th reunion in 2023. The Class of 2003 Endowment Fund shall provide financial assistance to families whose students qualified for admission and financial assistance and have enrolled, according to school policies.

Everglades School for Girls Endowment Scholarship Fund
This endowment was started in 2010 to honor the first Everglades 50-Year Reunion Class, the Class of 1960. The long-term goal of this fund is to provide a full scholarship for a young woman to attend Ransom Everglades School in the name of all Everglades women.

RE Financial Aid Endowment Fund
Founded in 2002 during the Centennial Campaign, this endowment supports diversity through financial aid.

Gintel Family Scholarship Fund
The Gintel family established this fund in 1999 for scholarships for underrepresented students.

Monica and James Goldsmith Financial Aid Endowment Fund
Monica and James Goldsmith created this endowment in 2011 so that students from different socioeconomic backgrounds may have the opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of a Ransom Everglades education.

Dorothy Dooley Hector Memorial Fund
This scholarship assistance fund was established by family and friends of Dorothy Dooley Hector in honor of her memory. Mrs. Hector was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Everglades School for Girls from 1970-1973.

Horvitz Family Scholarship Fund
This fund was created in 1997-98 to support need-based financial aid.

The Knight Scholarship Fund
The Knight Foundation founded this fund in 1989 to endow scholarships for outstanding underrepresented students.

The Lustgarten Whitney Endowment Scholarship Fund
Janet Lustgarten '78 established this fund in 2016 to help talented children from a range of backgrounds experience what she did at Ransom Everglades.

Mailman Foundation Scholarship Fund
This fund was established in 1994 by Mrs. Jody Wolfe in support of financial aid.

Stanley D. Maisel '72 Endowed Scholarship Fund
This fund was established by the Maisel Family in 2017 in memory of Dr. Stanley D. Maisel ’72 (1954 - 1988). The Stanley D. Maisel ’72 Endowed Scholarship Fund at Ransom Everglades School supports need-based financial aid, awarded to a deserving student who matches Stanley’s character, drive and promise to succeed academically.

David Mogul ’77 Endowed Fund for Financial Aid
This fund was created in 2012-13 in memory of David in support of financial aid.

The Philip W. Moore, Jr. ’66 Endowment Scholarship Fund
This endowment was established in 1987 by his mother when Philip lost his short but determined fight with cancer. He is survived by his Ransom alumni brothers Tom Moore ’63 and Ned Moore ’68, and his Everglades alumna sister Jourdan Moore Houston ’62.

The Jared D. Needle ’00 Fund for Global Experiences
Established by the Needle family and friends and members of the Class of 2000, The Jared Needle '00 Fund for Global Experiences shall annually award an Upper School student who otherwise could not afford to participate in a trip but possesses the passion, curiosity and interest in participating in one during their RE experience. Students will be encouraged to apply for financial assistance to participate in a domestic or international trip as part of Ransom Everglades' effort to provide students with a global service-learning experience.

Porterfield Family Scholarship Fund
Curtis Porterfield '74 created this fund in 2008 for general financial aid.

The RE Parents’ Association (REPA) Financial Aid Endowment Fund
The RE Parents’ Association has been steadily building on their scholarship endowment fund over the years in support of financial aid.

The Sands Family Scholarship Endowment Fund
The Sands Family Scholarship Endowment Fund shall provide annual financial assistance to a student who qualifies for admission and has enrolled, and whose family qualifies for full aid, according to school policies. Specifically, this fund shall fully support a student each year who qualifies for full aid and adds to the Ransom Everglades School community not only through their scholastic achievements, but also through a particular talent in an area such as the arts, athletics and/or community service.

The Robert Segall ’82 Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund
This fund was established in November 1997 when Robert died after a year-long fight with stomach cancer. Upon his death, several friends and families from Ransom Everglades came forth to establish an endowed scholarship fund in his memory for financial aid.

The Mariita Srebnick Endowed Scholarship Fund
This fund was created by Srebnick siblings, Howard ’82, Scott ’83 and Eliza ’87, to honor their mother and provide financial aid.

Student Life Culverhouse Fund
This endowment was created by the Culverhouse family to help fund financial aid students in ways other than tuition on a need-only basis. Examples include paying for in-school club dues, books, field trips, SAT and extra-curricular activities.

Everett M. Sugarbaker ’89 Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund
This fund was established by Everett’s RE classmates and family after he passed away prematurely of malignant melanoma in 2000. Part of his legacy is this growing scholarship fund. The first Sugarbaker scholarship student entered Ransom Everglades Middle School in 2003.

The Voyager Scholarship Endowment Fund
Established by donors Jon Madorsky '91 and Steven Silverstein '77 and Cathy Raduns, the Voyager Scholarship Endowment Fund shall provide annual financial assistance and mentorship to a student who qualifies for admission and has enrolled, and whose family qualifies for full aid, according to school policies. Preference shall be given to students of color, those students whose parent(s) are immigrants and/or those who have no prior college family history.

Student Life

The Dan Leslie Bowden Endowment in the Humanities
This endowment funds fellowships, which offer an invaluable educational opportunity for select Ransom Everglades students in honor of the eponymous and legendary Ransom Everglades faculty member. For 63 years, Mr. Bowden served Ransom Everglades as an inspirational teacher of English, gifted educational administrator, valued advisor to the head of school, and most importantly, mentor to thousands of students and faculty. From his start at RE in 1955 and until his death in 2018, Mr. Bowden’s unabashed love of language and literature and his passionate advocacy for the humanities provided the intellectual foundation for generations of students. In June 2016, a generous endowment gift by Jeffrey Miller '79, who studied under Mr. Bowden, created the endowment that funds the fellowship program.
 
Douglas Vogt Dutcher '80 Fund for Equity & Justice
Darrow Dutcher Hodges ’63 created an endowment with brothers Arthur ’69 and David in memory of their sibling Douglas Vogt Dutcher ’80. Income from the fund will help to support equity and justice initiatives at Ransom Everglades, which include programs to raise awareness, develop cultural competency and celebrate diversity in all of its forms.

REACH Community Fund
Established in 2012 by the Shepard Broad Foundation, this fund provides income in support of all activities that are sponsored by Ransom Everglades' REACH (Ransom Everglades Athletes Can Help) program, with a priority interest in those activities that make use of the Aquatic Center's Broad REACH pool.

STEM Endowment Fund
Funded by a current family, the STEM Endowment Fund shall support STEM enrichment programming.

The Michael Stokes Endowment Fund for Outward Bound
Charles E. Seitz III ’73 and the James Deering Danielson Foundation laid the groundwork for many others to follow by formally establishing the Michael Stokes Endowment Fund for Outward Bound in 2012-13 on the occasion of the former faculty member’s 50th-anniversary relationship with the school, as well as the 30th anniversary of the North Carolina Outward Bound / Ransom Everglades program. It was Mr. Stokes who developed the first experiential wilderness group education program at North Carolina Outward Bound. Mr. Stokes passed away in 2021, at the age of 81. He spent 48 years at Ransom Everglades before his retirement in 2010, and his impact at Ransom Everglades School was remarkable.

Summerbridge/Douglas Joseph Weiser Endowment Fund
This endowment was established in 2002 to support the Summerbridge (now Breakthrough Miami) operations.

The Antonio Tsialas ’19 Leadership Endowment Fund
Flavia Tomasello and John Tsialas established this fund in 2021 to ensure their son’s memory would inspire generations of Ransom Everglades students and to put in place a program that would teach compassionate leadership and skills, and guide students long after they departed RE’s campuses. A generous gift from the Tsialas family along with many donations from those who loved Antonio provided funding for the endowment.

Faculty Support

Albir-Sarmiento Family Faculty Summer Study Endowment Fund
The Albir-Sarmiento family created the first faculty summer study endowment fund to provide resources for teachers to attend educationally enriching trips during summer breaks. These opportunities not only serve to expand on the teacher’s knowledge in their subject area concentration but also to bring their newly expanded knowledge and perspectives to the classroom.

Awner Family Professional Development Endowment Fund
The Awner family created a faculty professional development endowment fund to provide resources for teachers to participate in educationally enriching conferences, seminars and classes throughout the school year or during spring/summer breaks.  These opportunities not only serve to expand on the teacher’s knowledge in their subject area concentration, but in addition, they serve to bring their newly expanded knowledge and perspectives to the classroom.

Dan Leslie Bowden English Chair Endowment Fund
Thanks to the generosity of alumni and in particular the extraordinary generosity of the Ansin Foundation in 2008, the Dan Leslie Bowden English Chair Endowment Fund was established in honor of legendary English faculty member Mr. Dan Leslie Bowden. To further Mr. Bowden’s legacy and ensure that RE can continue to attract such eminent educators, former students, parents and friends established the first Ransom Everglades School faculty endowment chair. Today, it is known as the Dan Leslie Bowden English Chair and is presented to an English teacher in either the middle or upper school, as determined by the nominating committee.

Buermann-Rogers Faculty Endowment Fund
This endowment was conceived by Eric Buermann ’69, Linda Rogers Buermann ’72, Kurt Buermann ’64 and Craig H. Rogers ’77 to honor their respective parents, Dr. and Mrs. August Buermann III and Mr. and Mrs. Walter S.C. Rogers. Mr. Rogers served as a trustee of Everglades School in the 1960s. Eric Buermann served as a member of the school’s faculty from 1973-74, Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1995-98 and is a Life Trustee. The fund provides resources for faculty to enhance their professional talents through study and experiences outside the classroom.

Critt Butler Faculty Professional Development Endowment Fund
This endowment was created by the Bales-Ryan Family to honor Critt Butler, who embodied the principles of Honor and Excellence upon which Ransom Everglades School is built. A great school depends upon master teachers with a passion for their work supported by inspired leadership and resources for their continuing professional growth. The fund helps to provide those resources. Critt Butler, in his work in development, counseling, and robotics coaching, always kept faith with his students, did whatever needed to be done, and went out of his way to support those whose lives he has touched.

Chinese Faculty Endowment Fund
This endowment was established in 2010 by an anonymous donor to help underwrite the salary of a full-time Chinese teacher.

Faculty Support Endowment Fund
Founded in 2004-05 during the Centennial Campaign, this endowment supports funds for salaries, benefits and professional development.

Edward E. Ford Foundation Fund
This endowment was founded with a grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation, for faculty professional development, grades 9-12.

The Fort Family Endowed Faculty Fund for Visual Arts
The Fort Family Endowed Faculty Fund for Visual Arts shall provide annual financial assistance to one or more faculty members in the Visual Arts department (Middle and Upper Schools) who apply for and are qualified to receive professional development funding in their area of expertise. This Fund shall provide funding to Visual Arts faculty members for professional growth opportunities that will expand their knowledge and skills as educators and mentors to RE students. Additionally, funds may be used for related equipment needed in the Visual Arts department to enhance the curriculum.

The Ann Goesel Mathematics Chair Endowment Fund
Ann Goesel started as a substitute teacher at Everglades School for Girls in 1966 and used her quick mind, warm heart and dry wit to educate and nurture RE students and staff for 46 years. Ms. Goesel continues to be involved with the Ransom Everglades community as a faculty emerita. Former students, parents and friends established the first faculty chair to honor Ms. Goesel in 2007. Today, it is known as the Ann Goesel Mathematics Chair and is presented to a math teacher in either the middle or upper school, as determined by the nominating committee. In 2010 and 2018, the Dunspaugh-Dalton Foundation provided grants to help establish and fund this endowment.

Green/Grossman French Faculty Endowment Fund
Drs. John A. I. Grossman and Jacqueline Green established the Green/Grossman French Faculty Endowment Fund to strengthen Ransom Everglades’ ability to provide the highest level of instruction for this traditional liberal arts subject. This fund allows educational opportunities for Ransom Everglades students studying French and the teaching faculty both on and off campus that might not otherwise be available.

Innovation Endowment Fund
C. Ming Zhao and Liping Xu established this endowment in 2023 to support innovations by school faculty and staff that will allow RE students to be more competitive and more successful in academics and the college selection process. Innovations may be in educational programs, course and curriculum design/reform and college counseling and advisory, for example.

Patrick and Kristen McMahon Faculty Endowment Fund
Patrick and Kristen McMahon established this endowment in 2024 to provide the funds to the school to support cost of living expenses for faculty members.

Mendelson Family Endowment Fund
The Mendelson family understands the importance of supporting the faculty in any endeavor and established this endowment in 2008. With the belief that it is truly the teachers who make the difference in a student’s education, the Mendelsons created this fund to empower the faculty to inspire RE students and make a difference in the community.

John Phillip Penn Faculty Professional Development Endowment Fund
This endowment was created by his daughter Georgia Penn Noble ’74, her husband Carlos Noble and their children Rebecca ’07 and Juan Carlos to honor her father who believed that faculty should also be lifetime learners. The fund provides resources for teachers to participate in educationally enriching conferences, seminars, and classes throughout the school year or during spring/summer breaks.

Curtis Peterson History and Social Sciences Endowment Fund
In 2005, the RE community was shocked by the untimely death of beloved middle school social studies teacher Curt Peterson. The 2004-05 school year was his eighth year teaching at the school. The Gadala-Maria family, which had four children at RE during the school year, created a lasting testimonial to his exceptional teaching talents and dedication to his students with this endowment fund.
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.