PROVIDENCE – An all-girls middle school that educates students from low-income families received a substantial gift from an anonymous donor to help grow the school’s endowment.
Sophia Academy announced late Monday that it received a $2 million anonymous gift that will double the school’s endowment. The gift, the academy said, is the largest such donation Sophia Academy has ever received in its 20 years of operation.
The academy said the gift will also provide a “strong base of financial sustainability” to support the school’s mission to educate low-income female students in the city. The academy has approximately 60 students in grades 5-8, and had an operating budget of $1.5 million for the 2021-22 academic year, according to the academy’s website.
In a statement, Sophia Academy Head of School Maura Farrell said the gift both recognizes the success of the school’s graduates and underscores that the academy is “essential to the pursuit of educational equity and excellence in Rhode Island.”
“We are truly grateful not only for the amazing support it will provide, but for the donor’s endorsement and love for our school and students,” Farrell said.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
