How the Bass Challenge Works
The Bass Challenge matches $1 for every $2 contributed of all endowment and current-use leadership gifts.
- 1:2 match
- Gifts of $50,000 and up
- Committed by December 31, 2023
- Fulfilled by December 31, 2025
Through the Bass Challenge, donors can increase the impact of their giving dramatically.
Visual art has always been an important source of inspiration and balance for COURTNEY CHURCH GOLDTHWAIT ’85 and the motivation behind her recent gift. THE COURTNEY CHURCH '85 FUND for VISUAL ARTS will provide ongoing support for the arts and is a touching tribute to the program that helped shape Goldthwait’s Govs experience.
"I'm in a creative business, I come from an artistic family, and my artistic skills were nurtured while I was at Govs," says Goldthwait of her decision to support visual arts. Today, as Founding Partner of Boston-based Corinthian Events, Courtney finds herself creating three-dimensional experiences for her clients, often drawing on the skills she developed as a Govs student.
EVAN TRENT'S ’98 three years at Governor’s changed his life. One crucial thing he found here: extraordinary adults--one of whom had an especially big impact on Trent. “Doc (Fontaine) Bradley (P'05,'07,'11, Faculty Emeritus) rewarded curiosity, exploration, and being your own person. He was so much more to me than a teacher or a dorm parent. We keep in touch to this day.”
With a voracious appetite for learning, Trent was encouraged to pursue his passions at Govs. This passion for learning shaped his entrepreneurial career. Today, he is the vice president of Strategy & Corporate Development at Adtalem Global Education. “Govs taught me that I could find joy on my own terms,” says Trent.
Trent’s gift will extend that joy to new generations of students.
“I want to support the life-changing power of Govs. And it’s exciting to write the next chapter of the school’s growth.”
Trent will honor Bradley with the naming of a seminar room in the new Alfond Center—an innovative space designed for creative exploration of the world, and a fitting tribute to a beloved teacher.
No campaign priority is more important to PAUL NARDONE ’96, P’19 than making a Govs education possible for talented and deserving students.
“I came to GDA as a financial aid kid from Revere, and found Govs to be a challenging environment that stretched me to try new things and take risks. My Govs experience built my foundation and, importantly, my confidence, which helped me succeed in college and beyond,” says Nardone. “I went on to Tufts University and Columbia Business School, and have run and sold five businesses. That courage has stayed with me, and helped me every step of the way.”
The opportunity to grow the Academy’s endowment for financial aid inspired Nardone to establish an endowed fund. In fact, it played into his entrepreneurial mindset to invest in and develop ideas for long-term success.
“I’m thrilled to be in a position to give back and help the next generation of Governor’s students experience the true meaning of the school’s motto—not for self, but for others.”
Bass Challenge Impact
The Bass Challenge has matched over $10 million in new campaign commitments.
Dates to Remember
- December 31, 2023 – Date by which Bass Challenge-eligible gifts and pledges must be committed.
- December 31, 2025 - Date by which payments on multi-year Bass Challenge-eligible pledges must be fulfilled.
THE BASS CHALLENGE will help to ensure we accomplish all that we set out to achieve in this campaign. By investing in our highest priorities, our community plays a crucial role in charting the future of the Academy.
If you wish to be in touch about the campaign or Bass Challenge, please contact Director of Advancement Leslie Dickey at 978.499.3174 or ldickey@govsacademy.org