Washington National Cathedral Announces Foundation’s Matching Challenge
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington National Cathedral announced this week that the trustees of the Alice & Russell True Foundation of Washington, D.C. have made a generous 1:1 challenge grant up to $100,000 for qualifying gifts to the Cathedral between June 30, 2014 and August 25. The True Foundation challenge comes closely after a generous Cathedral friend’s successfully matched 3:1 challenge up to $100,000 near the end of the organization’s fiscal year.
“Both I and the members of our governing board, the Cathedral Chapter, commend the True Foundation for its exceptional generosity,” said the Very Reverend Gary Hall, dean of the Cathedral. “The Cathedral will always hold Russell True and his family in grateful memory for their thoughtfulness in paving the roads on the Cathedral Close, years ago. Today Alice and Russell True’s children, Wendy and Larry, can very much be said to be paving the way toward one of the most exciting times in the 121-year history of this house of prayer for all people and national symbol of spirituality. Their match lifts up not only all the important work that is central to our mission but also the many, many private contributions required each year to maintain it.” The Cathedral receives no direct operating dollars from the federal government and is not subsidized through the budget of its diocese, the Episcopal Church, or any other denomination.
The Cathedral has had a successful year of new programs centering on the relationships between faith, inquiry, and both the fine and performing arts. In addition to those who enjoy the Cathedral in person as an historic site or as a place for worship or contemplation, more than half a million individuals watch Cathedral services and programs offered free of charge online both live and on demand. “The True Foundation match emphasizes the fact that the Cathedral’s ministries to the city, the nation, and the world are made possible entirely through private support,” said Rita L. Walters, the Cathedral’s chief development officer. “We cannot thank Larry and Wendy enough for showing that gifts of all levels are valued and celebrated here.”
Alice and Russell True were longtime friends of Washington National Cathedral during their lifetimes. Daughter Wendy True Gasch, MD, is author of the official Guide to Gargoyles and Other Grotesques at Washington National Cathedral.
To add your support for Washington National Cathedral please visit www.nationalcathedral.org. Donors whose gifts have been used to match the True Foundation challenge will be notified once accounting is complete.
SOURCE: Washington National Cathedral