St. Stephen's Episcopal School received a $5 million gift to the school's endowment from the Still Water Foundation, which supports the arts, education and the environment and issues related to rural Texas.

The donation was the largest in St. Stephen's history, according to Christine Aubrey, associate head of school for advancement.

The Still Water Foundation's endowment gift came in answer to a call from Head of School Chris Gunnin and the board of trustees to double the existing endowment from $15 million to $30 million within the next three to five years. The $5 million gift will boost the school's general endowment, which provides the broadest level of support to daily school operations. A portion of the gift will also support financial aid for qualified students who otherwise could not afford to attend St. Stephen's.

"With a robust endowment, St. Stephen's will be better able to maintain the economic, social and cultural diversity that has been one of the cornerstones of our founding vision," Gunnin said in a news release.

St. Stephen's is located at 6500 St. Stephens Dr, Austin. 512-327-1213. www.sstx.org