Annual Report: Philanthropic Support

Please let me start by saying thank you. Thank you to everyone in our community who has given back to Darlington over the past year—by volunteering your time, attending events, making connections through Darlington Connects, supporting our parent organizations, sharing our school’s story, and giving generously to support our students and teachers. Each of you helps make Darlington the special place it is.

I feel very fortunate to have experienced the full circle of Darlington philanthropy. My husband, grandfather, brother, and I all graduated from Darlington. As a four-year boarding student in the 1990s, I had an amazing experience made possible by the generosity of those who came before me. I often think about the plaque outside the Head of School’s office honoring former Darlington President Gordon E. Bondurant, which reads, “You will drink from wells that you did not dig…”

After I graduated, my dad made sure I understood the importance of giving back. He encouraged me to support The Darlington Fund each year and even made gifts in my name in those early years to help establish that tradition.

When I returned to Darlington to work in the Advancement Office in 2007, I began experiencing that generosity from a new perspective. Since then, I have witnessed the remarkable ways this community shows up for our school. Today, as the parent of two Darlington students in eighth and eleventh grades, I see that generosity come full circle once again through the opportunities my children enjoy.

During my time here, I have helped bring a transformational capital campaign to completion, watched The Darlington Fund grow, seen participation in the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program expand, and gotten to know so many wonderful people connected to Darlington. Now, through the Ever Forward Campaign, we are building on that foundation and helping shape Darlington’s future.

For me, Ever Forward is a meaningful expression of the same generosity that shaped my own Darlington experience. It is our opportunity to dig wells for the students and teachers who will follow us—to ensure that future generations find the opportunities, relationships, and sense of belonging that have meant so much to my family.

Throughout 2025-2026, members of our community have put that commitment into action through gifts to the Ever Forward Campaign and The Darlington Fund, the creation of new endowments for our students and teachers, and the inclusion of Darlington in their estate plans. Each gift carries a personal story and a shared belief in what this school makes possible.

I hope you are inspired by the generosity reflected in this Annual Report. Thank you for believing in Darlington and for making a lasting difference in the lives and futures of our students.

Ever Forward,

Julie W. Lucas ’97
Chief Advancement Officer