Learn Why Allen O’Neil ’92 Supports The Burgundy Fund

In the letter below Allen O’Neil, Burgundy Class of 1992, shares the importance of supporting The Burgundy Fund each year. Allen and his wife Preston are current parents to three Burgundy students. Allen also serves as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees.

Spring is here and with it comes so many wonderful developments – the leaves are returning to the trees, the rain is refreshing rather than bone-chilling, and our houses may be a little quieter at times as we are finally able to send our children outside for some of that fresh spring air. Spring also brings forth our annual call to support the Burgundy Fund.

As a parent of three Burgundy students, I can fully appreciate those who may be questioning the need to contribute to the Burgundy Fund when we are all already paying tuition. What many may not realize, including me prior to becoming immersed in the financial aspects of the school, is tuition does not cover the full cost of our children’s education. The school relies on several other income sources to help keep the cost of tuition down by supplementing a portion of every student’s tuition and to ensure sufficient funds are available to provide additional financial aid for qualifying families. We rely on income from gym rentals, summer camps, fall fairs, and, yes, financial support in the form of donations. Not surprisingly, Covid-19 has had a substantial impact on the revenue that our school typically sees from all of these sources of supplemental income.

The financial health of our school is not only critical to keeping any future increases in tuition to a manageable level, but is also vital to being able to thank the faculty, staff, and administrative team by ensuring we are able to provide compensation at a level that is competitive and reflective of how much we appreciate their dedication to our families. Whether we were on campus or remote this school year, these heroes worked tirelessly and under incredible stress to ensure that our children continued to receive an education in a safe and effective manner. It can be hard enough getting kids to listen in the best of times, let alone comply with a host of mitigation measures. I will forever be grateful to the facility for supporting my three boys in their general education as well as helping to bring some normalcy to their lives during these challenging times.

So here is my ask, when you receive your link to donate to the Burgundy Fund this spring, please give as much as you can, whether it is $5 or $5,000 – donations of all sizes are valued and appreciated. It would be amazing if after a year of a virus that had kept us more apart than together, we could unite as a community to support a Burgundy that means so much to all of us. Just imagine the message it would send to all those individuals that went above and beyond for our children if 100% of Burgundy families were to contribute to the Burgundy Fund this year. I challenge us to do it and, by doing so, send a unified message we are supporting the wonderful school that supports our kids.