Each year, gifts to the Amici Fund from alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends of the school support the heart of Woodberry’s mission. From the first step into the dining hall for breakfast to the game of ping-pong after study hall, Amici gifts underwrite the daily rhythm of the school, ensuring students are known, challenged, and loved in every setting. This year, that spirit of shared commitment reached unprecedented heights as Tiger Nation raised an all-time record of $4.57 million for the Amici Fund.
At Woodberry, broad participation matters just as much as total dollars given, and achieving both is what makes this community extraordinary. Overall alumni participation reached 65.2 percent, ranking third-highest in school history and marking an eleventh consecutive year exceeding 60 percent. Sixteen classes set or matched participation records, while twenty-five set or matched dollar records. Eight classes topped 90 percent participation, led by the class of 1960 at a remarkable 97 percent, followed by 1969, 1954, 1975, 1967, 1982, 1964, and 1951. The class of 1964 set records in both dollars and participation, a dual-record feat matched by 1979, 2010, 2011, and 2024. The class of 1969 marked its sixteenth consecutive year above 85 percent.
Continuing an eleven-year streak, the class of 1963 led all classes in total giving, contributing over $150,000 under the leadership of Bill Caler ’63. In a first for the school, five classes surpassed $100,000: 1963, 1964, 1966, 1988, and 1996. Young alumni proved that the tradition of giving takes root early, as the class of 2025 won the college-aged Caler Challenge.
What makes the Woodberry story so compelling is that giving back is not left solely to alumni; it is a trait shared deeply by the families who trust the school with their sons, both past and present. More than 99.5 percent of current parents made a gift. The class of 2026 parents reached an unprecedented school record with four consecutive years at 100 percent participation. Current parents contributed more than $450,000 for the sixth-straight year, while parents of alumni raised over $100,000 through the matched Kendall Challenge.
None of this happens on its own. Current and former faculty and staff, friends of the school, and grandparents added to the total in what was, in every sense, a true community effort. Hundreds of volunteers — trustees, advisory council members, class volunteers, regional chapter volunteers, and parent committee volunteers — gave countless hours to reach their peers, one conversation at a time. Every gift, however it was made, strengthens the Forest for the boys who call it home today and for those who will in the years ahead.