Annual Giving:
Greater Challenge Fund

Annual gifts to the Greater Challenge Fund provide the flexible, unrestricted support that touches every department at NCSSM. This fund allows us to respond to the school’s most pressing needs while expanding the unique student experience across our Residential and Online programs — empowering our community to live out the school motto: Accept the Greater Challenge. 

The $1.3 million needed annually for the Greater Challenge Fund makes it possible to:

Your annual support of the Greater Challenge Fund ensures that NCSSM remains a robust learning environment that challenges and transforms every student. 

Recurring monthly contributions are a particularly powerful way to sustain our mission, providing steady resources for NCSSM to plan and build for the future.

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Other Ways to Give

Endowments

Endowments provide a permanent, self-sustaining source of funding through annual earnings, supporting specific programs and opportunities at NCSSM.
– Learn more about supporting our existing endowments or creating one.

Gifts of Stock

Gifts of stocks and bonds provide a valuable way to support NCSSM while offering potential tax advantages to the donor.
– Learn more about the benefits of a stock gift or how to initiate a transfer.

Matching Gifts

Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will double or even triple your charitable contributions or volunteer hours.
– Search here to see if your company has a matching program.
You can also search for and request your matching gift directly through our online giving form when you complete your donation.

Planned Gifts

Planned gifts, from real estate to will bequests, ensure that NCSSM continues to thrive for generations to come. It is never too early — or too late — to start planning.
– Learn more about including NCSSM in your estate plans.

Donor Advised Fund (DAF)

DAFs offer a strategic way to support our mission: you receive an immediate tax deduction for your contributions and gain the flexibility to recommend grants to the NCSSM Foundation on your preferred timeline. Our online giving forms also include a “DAF Pay” option to donate directly from a DAF.
– Contact your community foundation or financial advisor to initiate a grant recommendation or to create a DAF.

Qualified Charitable Contribution (QCD)

A QCD is a tax-efficient way to support NCSSM, allowing IRA owners aged 70 ½ or older to transfer funds directly from their IRA to our foundation. This gift can satisfy all or part of your required minimum distribution (RMD) without increasing your taxable income.
– Consult your tax advisor regarding your specific situation, then contact your IRA administrator to initiate a distribution.

Gifts of Cryptocurrency

The NCSSM Foundation can accept donations of cryptocurrency via our partner, Coinbase.
– Contact Barb Coury to discuss your donation and to coordinate a transfer.

In-kind Donations

Gifts of materials and services can help offset specific school needs and are tax-deductible.
– Contact our team to discuss your potential in-kind gift and its alignment with our current priorities.

Transformative Giving Circles

Circle members make a special commitment of leadership, engagement, and personal resources to NCSSM. Join us today by making your gift.
– Learn more about NCSSM’s different giving circles.

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