Donors
Thank You!
It is with appreciation and gratitude that we thank the following families for their commitment to progress and their investment in the Innovation Campaign and the future of Windward School.
The Milken Family
What we thought would be an easy decision during our school searches was never that, for all five of our children. It is why finding Windward has been such a gift for our family.
The Milken Family
What we thought would be an easy decision during our school searches was never that, for all five of our children. There are so many great private schools in Los Angeles, and Gregory in particular, wanted to see every preschool, elementary and middle school. It is why finding Windward has been such a gift for our family.
Partnering with a great middle school was critical in our parenting plan. After a solid foundation was set for our kids through their wonderful preschool and elementary schools, we felt it was essential to find a school that our teenagers would love and embrace as their own. We knew we were entering into a phase where we risked losing their interest because matters of intellectual curiosity would compete with newfound freedom. We were seeking a school where students were intrinsically motivated and happily engaged. On our tours, we immediately felt we found the right place. Windward teachers and administrators were so enthusiastic and experts in their respective subjects, and there were so many varying interests that our very different children could explore. The community was also warm and welcoming.
The rising costs of education, facilities, and programs makes it so difficult to maintain a status of excellence without continual investment. Our philanthropic work has entirely been focused on education, so we have seen first-hand how expensive it is to simply remain competitive with peer schools. We have been thankful that our children have been able to attend top-tier schools, like Windward, and like all of you, we make it a priority to pay our gratitude forward by helping in any way that the school needs.
As we witnessed the overall Innovation Campaign plans, it became obvious that the project teams have thoroughly vetted and taken best practices from other institutions and crafted flexible facilities that make the most use of the limited space we have in Los Angeles. When we heard about the plans for the Community Gathering Plaza, in between the bridges built by generous families, we knew it was the perfect area for us to help fund… an outdoor area for learning and performing, and a natural remedy to difficult semesters that everyone has bravely worked through during this challenging pandemic. The renderings showcased a bright and joyous space that everyone would use together, between new and existing buildings. We could easily see our current Windward students Bailey and Ari learning and enjoying the space, as well as Hayden, Kylie and Stella who are not yet at the school, growing and performing in the future as well.
All of the well-designed facilities that are part of the Innovation Campaign bring hope and wonder to our current students and those yet to come. To the administration, faculty and staff, and many families before us who have already been so generous and given to the school, whether it be working, volunteering, giving, and building… All of us in the Milken family want to thank you for creating such a special environment.
EJ & Gregory Milken
Bailey ’25, Ari ’27, Hayden (10), Kylie (9) and Stella (4
The Rosenthal Family
To be able to be a part of this campaign and contribute to Windward’s future is so important.
The Rosenthal Family
Parents of Brooke '15, Miles '18, and Tess '19
The Schwartzberg Family
It took just one visit to Windward for our family to know it was exactly where they needed to be.
The Schwartzberg Family
The Kaplan Family
Your gift to the Innovation Campaign will be a source of pride as you consider the ways in which you have made the world better.
The Kaplan Family
When making charitable gifts to an organization, there are two important ingredients, Jordan says: stable, effective leadership and a track record of efficiently and successfully deploying the donations. The fact that both elements were firmly in place at Windward led Jordan and his wife, Christine—parents of Claire ’19 and Jace ‘25—to make an early gift to the School’s Innovation Campaign. “This is not an act of blind trust,” Jordan explains. “It is trust that we have in the cultural incubator Windward provides to shepherd our children to young adulthood.” The campaign will comprise two parts: Part 1 will include an Academic Hub and Student Support Center, along with a renovated Performing Arts Wing; Part 2 will feature an Arts & Innovation Center that will offer presentation and performance spaces that are on-par with university and professional venues.
The fact that Claire, as an Alumni, will not be able to make full use of the new program-driven facilities is not only irrelevant, Jordan says, but a motivating factor in making their gift. “What we have at Windward is the result of parents, who almost 50 years ago made a commitment to create a valuable community asset that can be passed on for the benefit of others,” he says. “They made substantial contributions to an extended capital campaign that transformed the School. What makes that so remarkable is that their kids would never benefit from the transformation. That is the kind of selfless act that establishes the culture of a society and sets an example for our children.”
Jordan and Christine’s own children— sons Skyler and Jace and daughter Claire—have seen their parents make philanthropy a focus of their life. The Kaplans have given generously to many local causes, including Palisades High School, the UCLA Foundation, St. John’s Health Center, LA Waterkeeper, and Sound Mind Sound Body, a UCLA charity dedicated to fighting childhood obesity. Jordan encourages others to make a campaign gift and support what he calls “the best-run school in the Los Angeles metro area.” He says: “Your gift to the Innovation Campaign will be a source of pride as you consider the ways in which you have made the world better.”
The Factor Family
There is no finer educational institute than Windward, so it is our honor to be a part of its continued growth, expansion, and success.
The Factor Family
Our family has chosen to invest in Windward because it is likewise an investment in our family. The relationship we are building with the school by donating towards its future is a legacy we hope to foster in many generations to come. There is no finer educational institute than Windward, so it is our honor to be a part of its continued growth, expansion, and success. We are inspired by and passionate about the Innovation Campaign that will allow Windward to provide many new modern and exciting curriculums, projects, and facilities that will incubate, nurture and launch students' creativity, performance and ideas. Thank you, Windward!
Shannon and Dean Factor
Parents of Claire '22 and Alex '25
The Cayton Family
We recognize the benevolence of others before us that created Windward School and its unique programs.
The Cayton Family
The Crotty Family
Our charitable giving begins with contributing to organizations that directly touch our family—and it doesn't get any closer to home than supporting our children’s education.
The Crotty Family
Our charitable giving begins with contributing to organizations that directly touch our family—and it doesn't get any closer to home than supporting our children’s education.
As a family at the beginning of our Windward journey, we are thrilled to support the School’s mission of “achieving excellence in a nurturing and inclusive community.” This ideal reflects our values as parents and sets all of our children up for lifelong academic, social, and professional success.
With the spotlight on the Innovation Campaign, we feel now is the time to support Windward and its promise of excellence long into the future. This commitment to educational innovations in STEAM, Visual and Media Arts, and Entrepreneurship is critical in preparing the next generation of job creators and leaders, and its integration of the arts and technology into more traditional education is on the forefront of creative thinking in today’s classrooms.
Phyllis and Kevin Crotty
Parents of Elle ‘24 and Luke ‘26
The Asher/Fikre Family
Windward has established itself as a premier independent school in the Los Angeles area and the institution continues to grow and evolve in ways that make it an increasingly valuable asset for the community in which we live.
The Asher/Fikre Family
The Trilling Family
We feel extremely fortunate to be able to support the Innovation Campaign, which will help create a great future for today’s Windward students and for generations of students and families who will experience their own joy and pride at joining this one-of-a-kind community.
The Trilling Family
We feel extremely fortunate to be able to support the Innovation Campaign, which will help create a great future for today’s Windward students and for generations of students and families who will experience their own joy and pride at joining this one-of-a-kind community.
Wendi and Stephen Trilling
Parents of Max ’24
The Venit Family
Investing in the school is investing in our children. It's not about growing bigger, it's about growing the inspiration and creativity of our children in a safe environment, with traditional, progressive, and innovative educators.
The Gersh Family
Giving generously of our time and resources to Windward, and specifically to the Innovation Campaign, has been a source of joy for our family.
The Gersh Family
Giving generously of our time and resources to Windward, and specifically to the Innovation Campaign, has been a source of joy for our family. To align how we value education with our capacity to make a difference is not only a show of confidence in Windward’s true excellence, but also an investment in the vision for its future and for the future of every Windwardian.
Our children will never be direct beneficiaries of current plans for campus expansion, but Greta and James have each spent six formative years enjoying the forward thinking, generous support of the families that came before ours and, they, in turn, can be proud of the legacy a commitment to Windward ensures. We’ll be a part of this place forever!
The Champa Family
Windward partners with parents so that students can become citizens of the world with important character traits such as honesty, empathy, tenacity, and optimism. The school doesn’t make products, it makes human beings.
The Champa Family
I’ve always taught my son, Sean, now a rising Senior, that the biggest adventures can be found in books, opening his heart and mind to the world. Sean chose Windward for Middle School after the devastating loss of his father, my husband, Joe. He had friends who attended and I knew parents who I respected, particularly when it came to their educational choices for their children. The connections were important and so was the supportive environment which provided a very warm welcome to a boy who had lost his dad.
As a family with dual citizenship—Italian and American—Windward turned out to be the perfect place. For us, it has been a blending of cultures, a community of parents who are down to earth and care tremendously about their children, an education that is both academically rigorous but with access to the arts, music and humanities and, importantly, an approachable and attentive administration. Luckily, Sean has also benefited from some absolutely outstanding, passionate teachers, educators for whom he works harder because of their enthusiasm and encouragement. Windward partners with parents so that students can become citizens of the world with important character traits such as honesty, empathy, tenacity, and optimism. The school doesn’t make products, it makes human beings.
As an ardent believer in childhood education, I’ve often said that no matter what you face, education can never be taken away from you, and so the goal is to acquire as much of it as possible. My father was a farmer’s son from the poorest region in Southern Italy. Through hard work and perseverance at school, he rose to become a renowned cardiothoracic vascular surgeon. My husband, the son of Irish immigrants, was born impoverished in a tenement house on the rough and tumble Lower East Side of New York City. He was a grateful recipient of a Rockefeller Foundation scholarship to Harvard Law school and ended up profoundly impacting the entertainment industry.
I’ve traveled the world and seen so much potential go to waste. And so, I’ve helped build schools in Cambodia and volunteered in India. I can only imagine what the lives of those children would be if they had access to a school like Windward. Education is the way out from crushing poverty. When people ask me why I give, I answer, “Why wouldn’t anyone give if they had the resources to change even just one person’s life?” What drives me is my desire for as many children as possible to have the same opportunities as Sean. Simultaneously, I get to model philanthropy for my son within the critical field of education. The Innovation Campaign propels Windward to the next level, maintaining the school’s relevance in a faster changing world so students can be global citizens of today and tomorrow.
Parent of Sean ’23
The Brooks Family
We chose to invest in the Windward Innovation Campaign because our family is committed to education and continual growth and learning.
The Brooks Family
The Gargiulo Family
It took just one visit to Windward for our family to know it was exactly where they needed to be.
The Gargiulo Family
“It was one of the biggest and best family adventures we’ve ever been on. It was also one of the most terrifying and challenging,” says Ed.
But it took just one visit to Windward for the family to know it was exactly where they needed to be.
“We immediately sensed how balanced it was from all angles: academics, athletics, extra-curricular activities, service learning…and even the parent body.”
Evanne and Ed credit much of their family’s smooth transition to the West Coast to Windward—a community that their three children, Ava ‘21, Emma ‘21, and Jack ‘24, are thriving in and one that has become an anchor where the family feels incredibly comfortable and loves to spend their time.
“Evanne and I realized what a transformative impact our own Middle and High School institutions had on establishing our foundations as people—our work ethic, our interests, our empathy towards others, etc. We asked ourselves how could we not contribute to the institution that is currently having this same impact on our three kids,” Ed says.
All three of Evanne and Ed’s children have varying passions, from athletics to Global Studies, which is not only a testament to Windward’s diverse offerings, but also reinforces the need for new, dynamic program-driven facilities.
“This campaign will be such a transformative initiative for Windward and will have a very deep impact on almost every aspect of this great school, and everyone will benefit, no matter what a student is involved in or where their interests take them. Even if they will have graduated by the time these buildings are constructed, there’s no doubt that the reputation of their alma mater will continue to soar, their siblings may benefit, or their family will leave behind a legacy they will be proud of,” Ed says.
Parents of Ava ‘21, Emma ’21, and Jack ’24
The Weiner Family
Windward is a culture of friendship and philanthropy, where all families have always joined hands together, to not just create the best environment for their children, but to pay it forward for the next generation of Windward children.
The Weiner Family
I am a firm believer that it is important to leave a place, particularly a school that has so enriched our children and thereby our respective families, in a much better position than we found it. I have had the privilege to co-chair the annual fund for many years, to co-chair prior financial campaigns, and to serve on the Windward board of trustees for over eight years, long after my children have left for college, and now are embarking on law school, in my daughter Jenny's case, and a real estate finance career in the case of my son, Matthew. We have eagerly participated in each and every campaign since our children started at Windward. And the Innovation Campaign is the latest opportunity for Windward families to become involved.
This is an important next step in Windward's wonderful evolution, for our children, for the families that follow, and someday hopefully for our children's children someday to enjoy. Windward is a culture of friendship and philanthropy, where all families have always joined hands together, to not just create the best environment for their children, but to pay it forward for the next generation of Windward children. This is everyone's opportunity to do just that, and to help the Windward community's collective vision, become a reality. It is an opportunity to join in something very special, of which we can all be very proud.
The Weitman Family
If it were not for the vision and generosity of the families that came before us, we would not be in the position that we are in today to have the facilities, administration, and staff that makes Windward so special.
The Weitman Family
The Eskovitz Family
Windward has given our family so much. We want to pay it forward by investing in the School, ensuring that students continue to have such special formative experiences.
The Eskovitz Family
Windward has given our family so much. We want to pay it forward by investing in the School, ensuring that students continue to have such special formative experiences.
James Moran, Daniel Koh, Jordan Fox, Alesia Young, Christine Bodie, Julie Friedrich, and so many others teach Windward students life lessons and give them priceless performing arts experiences. Assisting this tremendous faculty by contributing to the Innovation Campaign will guarantee that students benefit from their teaching for years to come.
Parents of Phoebe '21, Lexi '24, and Dylan '24
The Bhavnani Family
There is nothing more important to us than our children. They represent out future, our legacy and define who we are.
The Bhavnani Family
Parents of Jai '20
The Green Family
Knowing that we are helping to shape the future of the School—just as the School is helping to shape our children’s future—is truly a wonderful thing.
The Green Family
Every decision that is made at Windward—each program that is created and everything that happens on campus—is done thoughtfully, intentionally, and with the best interest of its students in mind. Our children have flourished and are becoming the best versions of themselves as a result of Windward’s joyful approach to learning, and we are so grateful to have two teenagers who get up every day and love going to school.
Through Windward’s extraordinary Dance program, which Ava has been a member of since 7th Grade, she has had the opportunity to grow and flourish as a dancer in the same way that she has in her academic classes. She has been exposed to a caliber of dance and a level of dance education that is far beyond what most non-Performing Arts schools offer.
Over the years, Ava has been so fortunate to be able to practice her craft in a beautiful, spacious dance studio where she has spent countless hours training with unbelievably talented teachers and guest artists. She was able to do this because of the generosity of Windward families who helped build the Science, Dance, and Music building, which was completed in 2009. Although Ava will graduate before the completion of the new Innovation and Arts Center, we are excited that our gift will go toward the building of a new, state-of-the-art facility that will benefit all of the performing arts programs. The new studios and flexible spaces will elevate so many of the amazing programs offered at Windward and will benefit Windwardians for years to come.
Our family is so grateful to be part of the Windward community, and it is our pleasure to give back in any way we can. Knowing that we are helping to shape the future of the School—just as the School is helping to shape our children’s future—is truly a wonderful thing.
Parents of Ava '20 and Liam '24
The Kovner/Moss Family
We love that Windward is always endeavoring to improve, to re-evaluate best practices, redefine pedagogical approaches, and to ultimately provide the healthiest and most superlative experience possible.
The Kovner/Moss Family
The Gutman Family
The terrific campus and facilities our family enjoyed were the result of the financial support of families which came before us.
The Gutman Family
The education of my children was always of paramount importance. I was long a Windward cheerleader, supporting this special school that valued each child’s individuality, that nurtured the artists, the scientists, the athletes, the global citizens, and those who identified with all or some combination of interests. I was so grateful for the dedicated and engaged teachers and the exceptionally forward-thinking administration. It was an honor for me to serve as a team parent, on various committees of involved parents, as President of the Parent Guild, and on the Board of Trustees. Windward was our home; our community. The terrific campus and facilities our family enjoyed were the result of the financial support of families which came before us. As my son was graduating, it felt appropriate to pledge to support the further expansion of Windward to continue to enrich the experiences of future students.
Jane Gutman
Parent of Peter '12
The Farar Family
We hope that by investing in the school, we can help Windward reach its goals of keeping the school on the cutting edge.
The Farar Family
We hope that by investing in the school, we can help Windward reach its goals of keeping the school on the cutting edge.
We have always felt that it is important to give to the school, not only to enrich our own children’s education, but to help support Windward’s continuing educational programs. Additionally, as we learn about new technology and opportunities, we recognize it is important for the school to grow. We hope that by investing in the school, we can help Windward reach its goals of keeping the school on the cutting edge. Although we have been incredibly impressed and inspired by each phase of the Innovation Campaign, we are especially excited about the new theater and arts facility.
The Abrams/Soref Family
We have seen firsthand how Windward’s expansive, cutting-edge programming, dedication to diversity, and support of the arts (all made possible through charitable gifts), has had a transformational impact on our daughter.
The Abrams/Soref Family
Funds Raised
- $40M
- $45M