Message from the Director

Dear Members of the Cate Community,

"Happiness Comes to People Who Give, Study Finds!" reads the headline of an article in a recent issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. A study published in Science Magazine found that "people who (spend) a higher percentage on 'prosocial activities' like giving money to nonprofit groups, were significantly happier with their decisions than people who only paid bills or splurged on themselves." This confirms the belief that by giving we receive. Armed with this information, we are delighted for the 1,600 donors who annually elect to give to Cate for the benefit of others!

I can readily assure you that your happiness in giving is more than matched by the excitement of the students who attend Cate and the faculty members who teach here. Over the decades, hundreds upon hundreds of you chose to fund financial assistance for talented students and to raise endowment to attract and retain master teachers. You have also made possible teaching and residential facilities to forward Cate's mission of scholarship. Mr. Cate knew that purposefully building philanthropy into the economic foundation of Cate fostered a community with a shared mission: to provide Cate students with a world-class education, thus developing the next generation of leaders.

I hope, though, as you consider your philanthropy, that you will continue to place Cate at the top of your list. If anything, the process of studying Cate's needs and priorities, in advance of our Centennial Campaign, has only heightened our aspiration to be the best residential school in the country.

Thank You,

Meg Bradley, Assistant Headmaster External Affairs