Where Leadership Starts
Debby Hirtle and her husband Jon direct most of their philanthropy toward education. “We both think that the most important way to a better world is through education,” says Hirtle. “We believe that every single child has the potential to change the world in large ways and small ways. The role of education is to nurture that seed so that each child reaches their potential. That’s where it all starts for us.”
Currently the co-chair of the Board of Heights Philadelphia, an organization that creates access to educational and workforce opportunities for talented, underserved students in Philadelphia, Hirtle credits her time as an EA board member with giving her some of the insights that have guided her philanthropic career. Supporting EA, a place where her children Diana ’03 and Kacey ’11 thrived, came naturally. But in service to the school, Hirtle came to realize how strong schools can lift not only their own students, but the entire community.
Working on the school’s 2010 strategic plan with Ed Vick ’62 inspired Hirtle to think big. “Schools lead through innovation,” says Hirtle, “and leaders like EA help every school in the region get stronger.” Knowing that one of the things that makes a school strong is the quality of teaching, the Hirtles established the Hirtle Fund for Innovative Teaching.
“When I was a young board member, I didn't fully comprehend the importance of endowment,” Hirtle recalls. “I didn't understand the strength that endowment gives to an organization. At EA, I learned how a robust endowment can provide the staying power and the flexibility to do what needs to be done. That’s why our most recent gift is an unrestricted endowment gift.”
“I know Episcopal very well,” says Hirtle. “I know how strong and stable the organization is. I have tremendous faith in its leadership. I know the type of people who make up this community: the parents, the students, the faculty, the administration. And I have great trust in them. By giving our gift without restrictions, Jon and I know that Episcopal will use that gift exactly where it can do the most good.”
