HCA’s endowment was established in an effort to answer a number of questions as we set our sights on the future of our programs.
How can we hire, retain, and compensate godly, skilled faculty?
How do we keep our tuition rates accessible for our families?
How will we fund the continued growth of our academic and cocurricular programs?
Endowment Explained
An endowment functions as a dedicated investment fund designed to support the long-term mission of Hawthorne Christian Academy. Through faithful stewardship and generous contributions, we trust that God will multiply these resources to advance His work.
As we strive to grow our endowment from its current level of nearly $8 million to our next goal of $12 million through the Impact Tomorrow Today campaign, we anticipate generating consistent, predictable annual revenue. This financial stability will enable us to offer more competitive compensation for our faculty, advance our educational programs, and mitigate the need for drastic tuition increases.
By God’s grace, recent efforts have allowed us to improve faculty salaries and implement a robust health benefits package. However, our faculty compensation remains significantly below that of public schools and, in some cases, other private schools in the region. Despite this, our teachers – motivated by their love for Christ, HCA, and our students – embrace their work as a calling. They willingly make financial sacrifices, yet their dedication alone cannot keep pace with the ever-increasing cost of living in New Jersey, nor provide long-term financial security.
Our vision over the coming years is to increase faculty salaries to 70-75% of public school levels. This adjustment will allow us to attract, hire, and retain exceptional educators who not only excel in their fields but also love Jesus and are deeply committed to discipling the next generation.
God has richly blessed HCA by sending us 80 teachers and staff who serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in inspiring students to follow Christ. Now, we have an opportunity to honor their service through increased compensation. Through God’s provision and the faithful generosity of our community, we can ensure that HCA continues to thrive as a place where Christ-centered education flourishes.
“The teachers really instill and practice the Word and love of God. They pray for and love our children.”
♥ HCA Parent
A Flourishing Community
Salaries and benefits account for over 90% of HCA’s operating budget. This endowment allows HCA to receive tax-deductible donations that will generate an annual revenue source to supplement our tuition income.
Increasing teacher compensation is our priority, along with additional plans for expanding class offerings, increasing available student supports, and continually enriching our instructional activities.
HCA leadership has carefully prayed over the vision for HCA’s future growth. The Impact Tomorrow Today Campaign is being conducted to inspire partners to assist us in making this significant goal of increased compensation a reality.
June 2026 Goal
We praise God for His faithfulness to HCA and, as good stewards, endeavor to grow our endowment through current and deferred giving. We have set an immediate goal of raising our endowment $650,000 by June 2026.
This table details an example of how various partner gifts could contribute to achieving a $650,000 increase in our endowment by June 2026. We deeply value any size gift you may be willing to contribute as we work together to make the Impact Tomorrow Today Campaign successful!
Endowment FAQs
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How does an endowment work?
An endowment is a long-term fundraising strategy in which donated funds are invested rather than spent. The majority of the gifts received will be restricted, meaning the principal remains intact while it is invested in a diversified portfolio, managed by a Christian investment firm. The fund will generate revenue through interest and investment returns that will be allocated in accordance with our spending policy.
While the restricted funds stay invested, the earnings from interest can be used year after year, creating perpetual revenue to support employee compensation and program development. This allows a single gift to provide sustainable funding indefinitely, strengthening the organization’s long-term financial stability and reducing reliance on annual fundraising and drastic tuition increases.
What kind of an endowment is this?
The Impact Tomorrow Today Endowment Fund is a Purpose-Restricted Endowment. This type of endowment is designated for a specific purpose. In this case, to enable us to offer more competitive compensation for our faculty, advance our educational programs, and mitigate the need for drastic tuition increases.
Where are funds invested?
For over a decade, HCA has partnered with Regency Wealth Management to oversee our endowment investments. God has blessed us richly, and these funds have grown from our initial investment of $100,000 to over $8 million (as of early 2026) through ongoing donations and investment earnings.
How much revenue can be generated?
Over time, well-invested mutual funds typically earn 5% annually. That means that each $1 million of invested principal can be expected to generate about $50,000 in spendable funds per year.
How much are we looking to add?
Our prayer is that, through this campaign, we will add $4 million to our current endowment. Revenue will be dedicated to employee compensation, student programming, and the continued advancement of HCA’s mission.
How does the endowment impact tuition?
Salaries and benefits account for over 90% of HCA’s operating budget. Investing in HCA’s endowment will eliminate the need for excessive tuition increases by offsetting salary and benefit requirements that are typically funded though tuition alone.
How does the endowment impact students?
Funding the endowment at the proposed level will enable us to hire additional faculty and staff to enhance our current programming, expand class offerings, increase available student supports, and continually enrich our instructional activities.
What type of gifts can be contributed?
The Impact Tomorrow Today campaign offers multiple opportunities to contribute to the mission of HCA. These include outright gifts of cash or securities, multi-year pledge commitments, and planned gifts.
Planned Gifts enable donors to leave a meaningful legacy while creating a lasting impact on generations of Defenders. Such contributions reflect a commitment to God’s work, and also provide significant tax benefits and flexibility, accommodating changes in a donor’s financial situation.
Examples of planned gifts include, but are not limited to, bequests, life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and charitable trusts.
Partner With Us
We invite you to consider making a gift today.
Your generosity will not only help us make significant progress toward our goal, but may also help to inspire others to give in support of this mission.
Your generosity will not only help us make significant progress toward our goal, but may also help to inspire others to give in support of this mission.
