On Sept. 26, 2024, parents and students alike were pleasantly surprised by the news they received. Taipei American School (TAS) received a donation of 1.25 million United States Dollars (USD), or 40.4 million New Taiwan Dollars (NTD), for the first time in its history, intended to be used for developing wellness among students and faculty. 

To those who are unsure of who deals with monetary funds to the school, it is the Advancements Office, a behind-the-scenes group that collaborates with the Head of School, board of directors, parent volunteers and even the alumni. This office is also responsible for holding galas for parents and large events such as the celebration of TAS’s 75th anniversary. Regarding fundraising, they reach out to adults part of the TAS community, asking if they can show their support through donations. However, Ms. Baugh addressed the possibility that donors who may have had a connection to the community could come and request a donation. 

Concerning the donor of the largest donation yet last year, Ms. Baugh hinted that they were an invested person who was personally part of the school previously, and wanted to “support where they could” due to how they “[love] the school very much.” Often, when having conversations with donors about where and what the money would be used for, the values of the donors are taken into consideration. In this case, the donor was “passionate about student [and faculty] wellbeing, wellness, and belonging.” 

Ms. Baugh hopes to use the donation over the course of several years as it undergoes consideration and splits. One component that the donation is being used for is Challenge Success, an organization out of Stanford University that primarily focuses on student wellbeing, engagement and sense of belonging. TAS currently has an ongoing relationship with the program, focusing on ensuring “that students are okay,” and “finding the balance between schoolwork… extracurriculars, and college.” Ms. Baugh said that the school hoped to “hear from [the] students, that [they] have the chance to tell us” if there are any personal concerns. 

Ms. Baugh also emphasized that schools work on “pretty rigid cycles” and that at the moment, she is already, if not almost finished, with planning her budget for the 2026 school year. With the help of the new donation, though, she is able to go beyond what she normally spends, especially in situations when “the need for a speaker… pops up.” If such events align with the donation given, then the money would be used to fund such activities outside of the preplanned budget. This included Allison Ochs, who discussed with both the middle and upper school divisions about digital citizenship. While students should not expect to see new developments or programs funded by the donation just yet, Ms. Baugh reassures that when the time comes for the gift to make the greatest impact, the planned uses of the gift will definitely be enacted. 

Receiving such generous donations like this is phenomenal, and it is great to see that those within the community are so willing to contribute to improving the school’s success. Such actions appear to continue, as Ms. Baugh said that recently, the school received another donation of another million USD for similar purposes, making students and the rest of TAS excited for what more programs these donations can bring for the community in the near future.