About the Foundation

The Foundation is the successor to the NCCU Advisory Committee, which launched the $1 million Endowment Fund Campaign in 1971 under the leadership of the chief executive officer of Liggett & Myers, Milton E. Harrington. The Endowment Fund Campaign's objective was to raise money to recruit and retain outstanding scholars to replace those who retired or were lured elsewhere because of more lucrative opportunities.

As the horizons of the University and the Committee expanded, the need for an independent organization was recognized. The organization, which became the North Carolina Central University Foundation, would raise money not only for endowment but for a variety of purposes. Never before in the history of NCCU have private funds been more essential to nurturing the special excellence that has characterized the University over the years.

The NCCU Foundation has the authority to receive endowments, bequests, gifts, and contributions of all kinds of property in order to carry out its stated objectives. The Foundation has tax-exempt status under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and all donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible for income, gift, or real-estate purposes. 

An important objective of the Foundation is to provide unrestricted funds that can be used at the University’s discretion where the need is greatest. This provides an important resource, enabling NCCU to take advantage of outstanding educational, research, and public service opportunities when and where they arise.

The Foundation’s flexibility enables it to serve many purposes. For example, gifts to the Foundation can do the following:

• Provide seed money to initiate important one-time projects designed by the administration
• Provide incentives of “matching” funds or other gifts, often resulting in total contributions of several times the initial gift
• Provide financial assistance to students through scholarships, fellowships, and awards
• Support experimental academic programs and faculty development aimed at improving the quality of education at NCCU
• Generate more endowment funds to perpetuate the University’s quality

The mission of the North Carolina Central University Foundation, Inc., is to foster and promote the growth of higher education in North Carolina and specifically North Carolina Central University by whatever name it may be designated, and to that end to encourage, solicit, receive and administer gifts and bequests of property and to hold in trust any property, real and personal given, devised, bequeathed, given in trust or in any other way made over to said corporation for the use or benefit of North Carolina Central University; to invest or disburse all monies received, and generally to care for, manage, administer and control all such property received, and to carry out the wishes and to see that the funds and property so received, and to carry allowable designations of the donors, and to perform any acts and expend funds not specifically designated, in any manner in which the corporation’s Board of Directors shall determine will be beneficial to the University.