Annual Fund

The Annual Fund is a community-wide fundraising effort that draws support from alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, friends, faculty, and parents and helps to meet the demands of unexpected situations.
We’ve always known the secret sauce of PDS/USN is the people, but while navigating a pandemic and continued conflict in our nation over racial inequity, our people reminded us we can accomplish anything together. USN Director Vince Durnan and dedicated faculty have reinvented school in a pandemic, renewed the focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, and prioritized both our school community and the greater Nashville community. 

Adapting to ever-changing current events has required significant expenditures, and the Annual Fund has provided essential resources to USN’s operating budget, meeting the needs that tuition alone can’t cover. Requests for need-based financial aid are higher than ever, with $3.655 million awarded for this school year, received by 23% of families, including 31% of new families. The Annual Fund touches every aspect of both remote learning and on-campus school life for our students and faculty.
This year’s Annual Fund goal is to raise $1.6 million, and your support will be critical to reaching our goal. We are building our USN community stronger for the future thanks to the help of so many in the present.

Giving Levels


The 1915 Leadership Society
The Leadership Society honors those whose strong support of the school helps ensure its financial strength. The 1915 Society is named for the founding year of USN’s predecessor, Peabody Demonstration School.
 
Leadership Giving Levels
  •     Visionaries $25,000+
  •     Founders $10,000 to $24,999
  •     Innovators $5,000 to $9,999
  •     Patrons $2,500 to $4,999
  •     1915 Circle $1,915 to $2,499
 
Annual Fund Giving Levels
Gifts made at these levels each year are the foundation of USN’s Annual Fund. They allow USN the flexibility to meet needs as they emerge.
  •    Garnet & Blue     $1,000 to $1,914
  •    Friends of USN     Up to $999

Ways to Give

List of 4 items.

  • Cash or Check

    Donors should make checks payable to University School of Nashville and note  Annual Fund:
    University School of Nashville
    2000 Edgehill Avenue
    Nashville, TN  37212

  • Credit Card

    USN accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.  Use the school’s secure online giving webpage www.usn.org/giving

  • Matching Gift Programs

    Many companies will match philanthropic contributions made by their employees. This is a great way to maximize your gift, possibly doubling or tripling your impact to USN. 
    Some employers require a completed paper matching gift form, while others have an online system. Your human resources office can provide more information on next steps for matching gifts. If your company does provide a matching gift form, please complete it and mail it to: University School of Nashville, attn: Natalie Sewell, 2000 Edgehill Ave., Nashville, TN 37212 or scan and email to nsewell@usn.org.

  • Stock Transfer

    Please notify the USN development office by email or letter of instruction with the donor’s name, name of the stock, and number of shares so that your gift may be processed quickly and accurately (Director of Development, Anne Westfall, awestfall@usn.org or 615/277-7495).
    To make a gift of DTC eligible securities using USN’s broker, please follow these instructions: 
    Forward to your broker a letter of instruction, including the specific name and number of the securities you are giving, requesting that the securities be transferred via DTC to: 
         Raymond James & Associates 
         Contact person: Joe Gallivan, 615/645-6728
         DTC #0725 
         Account # 13503823, University School of Nashville

Designate Your Gift to the Annual Fund


Designating your Annual Fund gift allows you to direct your donation to an area of personal interest while supporting the mission of the school. You can match your personal philanthropic preferences to USN’s needs and make an impact in the area that matters to you most. The choices below represent the most important areas to which USN has made commitments.
  • USN’s highest priorities for this year
  • Faculty Development
  • Need-Based Financial Aid
  • Academic Programming
  • Visual and Performing Arts
  • Athletics and Lifelong Wellness
  • Campus and Environmental Stewardship

2019-20 Report on Philanthropy

Find out More

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