The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Foundation Inc. was incorporated in 1972 to help the university meet its needs beyond base funding provided by the State of North Carolina. The foundation encourages, solicits, and manages gifts and grants to NCCU and provides funding for scholarships, fellowships, programs and other needs. The foundation is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Located on NCCU’s campus, it is governed by a volunteer board of directors that elects its officers and appoints its staff.

Foundation board members are supporters and advocates who communicate the university’s priorities, activities, and accomplishments to others. They also serve as liaisons with organizations and individuals with whom NCCU may collaborate.

NCCU Foundation Board Executives:
Frankie Perry
President | Durham, N.C.
Ernest Jenkins Jr. (1974, 1980)
Vice President and Executive Director | Durham, N.C.
Daniel R. Meachum (1977)
Secretary | Atlanta, Ga.
Mary D. Jacobs (1976)
Treasurer | Durham, N.C.
Charles L. Becton
Ex-Officio | Interim Chancellor | Durham, N.C.
Lois Deloatch
Ex-Officio | Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement
Durham, N.C.

Foundation Board Members:
Floyd Benjamin (1965, 1967)
Laguna Niguel, Calif.
E’Vonne Coleman-Cook (1976)
Durham, N.C.
Robert J. Corbitt (1985)
Washington, D.C.
Tania Davis (1994)
Waldorf, Md.
John P. Hudson
Durham, N.C.
Heather Smith Linton
Durham, N.C.
Delores Parker
Raleigh, N.C.
Avon Ruffin (1975)
Lewisville, N.C.
A. Leon Stanback
Durham, N.C.
D. Carr Thompson (1990)
Durham, N.C.
Kerry Watson
Chapel Hill, N.C.

NCCU Foundation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does the Foundation serve the University?

The NCCU Foundation exists solely to facilitate and encourage support of private gifts to the university. Located in the William Jones Building on campus, the foundation is governed by a board of directors that elects its officers and appoints its staff.

Through annual giving programs, planned gifts (including wills, trusts, and other methods of giving) as well as special-purpose campaigns, the foundation works with all NCCU schools, programs, and departments, including the schools of Law, Business, and Education, athletics programs, and other programs to generate private support from alumni, friends, foundations and corporations.

How is the Foundation funded?

Contributors to the NCCU Foundation will be pleased to know that very little of their charitable contribution is used to cover administrative and fundraising costs. Like most university foundations, the NCCU Foundation relies on a mix of resources:

A small fee on invested funds, payable annually from each fund’s earnings
Interest income on cash accounts
A small, one-time fee applied to all non-gifts when they are received
Gifts designated specifically to support the Foundation’s operations

These funding sources help the NCCU Foundation provide for the necessary professional staff and services that benefit the entire university. Without these resources, the foundation could not engage in an active fundraising program to support the mission and goals of NCCU.

What are NCCU’s fundraising priorities and who sets them?

Because the NCCU Foundation was established to facilitate the university’s mission, the foundation’s major initiatives, such as large capital campaigns, are set by the chancellor, board, provost and central administration, with the concurrence of the foundation’s management group and the NCCU Board of Trustees.

College and department fundraising priorities are recommended and approved by deans and the NCCU administration with advice and cooperation from the NCCU Foundation’s executive staff. However, some fundraising projects evolve from the ideas of external individuals or constituencies; foundation staff members work with donors who demonstrate an interest in supporting any part of the university.

Does the NCCU Foundation make grants to members of the NCCU community or other applicants?

The foundation was established to encourage gifts to the university and to act as a conduit for contributors to their areas of interest. Very few gifts come to the foundation as undesignated funds, and such funds are not distributed at the discretion of the foundation. Instead, the vice chancellor for institutional advancement works with senior administration to direct these funds to meet areas of greatest need. Requests to the foundation for undesignated funds are channeled from individuals to their department heads and/or deans and from these administrators to the vice chancellor.

How does the NCCU Foundation work with the NCCU Alumni Association?

The NCCU Foundation and the NCCU Alumni Association (www.nccualumni.org) are partners in encouraging the full participation of alumni and friends in supporting the institution. We encourage both your membership in the NCCU Alumni Association and contributions to the NCCU Foundation.

The NCCU Alumni Association maintains and strengthens the ties between graduates and the university. The Association serves approximately 2,000 members and brings NCCU graduates and friends together through alumni chapter meetings and chapter activities, tailgating, and activities on campus such as the annual Eagle Pinning Ceremony, annual Alumni Day of Service, alumni council meetings, and Homecoming. National dues are $50. Consult your local chapter for details regarding local dues.

The NCCU Foundation is the most effective way to support the university. Though it is structurally separate from NCCU, the foundation exists solely for the university’s benefit. Gifts made through the NCCU Foundation directly support areas of the donor’s choice, which may include the NCCU Alumni Association.