What is the Purple & Gold Fund?

The Purple & Gold Fund is NCS’s annual giving program. Formerly known as the Annual Fund, it was rebranded in 2024 to better reflect the school’s distinct identity and traditions. 

Where does my Purple & Gold Fund gift go?

For the 2024-2025 academic year, it cost more than $38 million to operate NCS, with faculty salaries and benefits, followed by student financial aid, being our biggest expenses. Representing 6% of the school’s operating budget, the Purple & Gold Fund provides critical support that is put to immediate use in the area of your choosing: Area of Greatest Need, Student Financial Aid, Faculty Support, DEI, the Arts, or Athletics.

Gifts to the Purple & Gold Fund make it possible for NCS to deliver on its mission day after day, year after year.

Is my gift tax-deductible?

Yes, your gift to National Cathedral School is tax-deductible. NCS is a part of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation (PECF), the single legal entity for the institutions on the Cathedral Close. Tax ID: 53-0196604.

NCS is an independent school. What does that mean?

Since 1900, National Cathedral School has operated as an independent educational institution—governed by a Board of Trustees, not by a government or diocesan authority, and funded entirely through tuition and philanthropy. NCS does not receive government or church funding. 

This independence gives our faculty the freedom to design and deliver an innovative, mission-driven curriculum and allows our institution to remain nimble in a changing educational landscape. 

At the same time, independence requires strong community support. Without public or diocesan funding, NCS relies on the generosity of its community to sustain its programs, people, and mission—and to make this independence possible. We are grateful to have a community that consistently answers the call! 

I already pay tuition, why should I give?

Philanthropy serves as the vital bridge between tuition revenue and the true cost of an NCS education. Since its inception, the Purple & Gold Fund has been essential in supporting the school’s operating budget, reflecting our community’s commitment to ensuring that tuition does not bear the full cost of an NCS education.

Each year, the Fund’s goal is built directly into that budget. For this school year, $2.5 million in philanthropic support is essential to sustain the programs, experiences, and traditions that define the NCS experience. 

What kinds of gifts does NCS accept? 

Online giving is not your only option! Other ways to give include: mailing a check, gifting stock, making a distribution from a Donor Advised Fund and/or an IRA. If you would like to give via one of these methods, please contact Jen Leydig at jleydig@ncs.org so we can be sure to count your gift in our Spring Challenge! 

When is the deadline to give? 

The Purple & Gold Fund Spring Challenge: 125 Hours for 125 Years concludes on Friday, April 17 at 11:59 pm EDT. While that is the deadline to participate in this fundraising drive and maximize your impact with time-bound challenges, NCS’s fiscal year runs through June 30, 2026.