Caroline and Glen Payne

Caroline and Glen Payne considered many factors when selecting a school for their young family. Having attended independent schools themselves, the couple already leaned toward that experience for their daughters. Strong academic programming was important to them, but the Paynes were looking for much more: character development, diversity, wide array of extra-curriculars, core values and a strong sense of community.

After their first visit to Chadwick School, Caroline and Glen recount feeling overwhelmed by how welcoming, grounded and inclusive they found the Chadwick community to be. Even during this early stage of exploration the Paynes observed, "It was evident that Chadwick kids are well-rounded students who truly like each other. They are incredibly nice to one another and are happy children who trust and respect one another. All the parts were simply there!" It was not long after that the Payne family joined the Chadwick community.

This year, their daughter Emmaline is in 6th grade and daughter Hennessey is in 2nd grade. Having both entered Chadwick as kindergarteners, the girls are thriving and are on track to becoming "WOWS."

Likewise, Caroline and Glen are very active parent volunteers. Glen is a current member of the Chadwick development committee and is a former co-chair of the golf tournament. Caroline has fulfilled many volunteer roles at the school and is currently hard at work as the CPA Ways and Means chair.

When it came time for the Paynes to establish an estate plan, the couple considered those institutions that were centrally important to their family, and Chadwick was at the top of the list. Caroline and Glen note that they turned their thinking around and asked, "What can we do for the school rather than what is the school doing for us?"

With Chadwick at the top of the family's philanthropic priorities, the Paynes readily took the next step to include the school in their family's estate plan. Glen recounts that "it is an incredibly simple and easy thing to do, and we know that every gift—irrespective of size—can make a huge difference and leave a lasting impact. Chadwick is such a positive environment, and Caroline and I ultimately wanted to help contribute to the success of Chadwick School."

Most importantly, Glen and Caroline stress that "doing simple little things can make a huge difference. There are so many ways to contribute in the form of time, talent, treasure, experience, and mentorships."

In making a planned gift to Chadwick, Caroline and Glen say that they had one simple hope in mind: "that our gift makes Chadwick a better place for us all to enjoy today and for many generations to come."

If you have included Chadwick in your estate plan or would like to learn more about planned giving options at Chadwick, please contact Hailey S. Morris at 424.343.4914 or hmorris@chadwickschool.org.