NEWS

BY KATHERINE KOPP

Office of University Development

CHAPEL HILL -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill officials today (Oct. 11) announced the Carolina First campaign, a drive to raise $1.8 billion in private funds to help make UNC the nation’s leading public university. The university has raised $866 million, or 48 percent of the goal, since campaign counting began July 1, 1999.

Chancellor James Moeser announced the goal during a ceremony at the Carolina Inn on the eve of University Day, which commemorates the laying of the cornerstone of Old East, the nation’s first state university building, 209 years ago.

"Two years ago, I promised the people of North Carolina that if they passed the higher education bond referendum — which provides a half-billion dollars to Carolina — we would triple their investment with private funds," Moeser said. "The people responded overwhelmingly. Successfully completing this campaign will fulfill that promise, supporting Carolina’s vision to be the leading public university in America. The ultimate beneficiaries will be the people of North Carolina, whom Carolina is dedicated to serve."

The $1.8 billion goal is one of the largest ever announced by a public university; second only to the $2.4 billion goal of the University of California-Los Angeles.

Carolina First, a comprehensive, multi-year campaign, is already enhancing and improving student and faculty resources and schools, centers and programs across the campus. "Every facet of the university is participating in Carolina First, and every member of the campus community will benefit," Moeser said.

Campaign goals include 200 new endowed professorships (92 have been created so far) and 1,000 new undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships (267 have been created).

Major gifts to date include a $28 million commitment from the Kenan Charitable Trust, the Kenan Fund and the Kenan family for professorships and the university's science complex, and an

anonymous $25 million commitment to the School of Medicine to name the Michael Hooker Center for Proteomics, part of the university’s genome sciences initiative.

"Our extraordinary fund-raising progress to date, even in this uncertain economy, is evidence of our donors’ love for the institution, their generosity and their enthusiasm for our vision for Carolina’s future," said Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for university advancement.

"Our alumni and friends believe in us and want us to be the nation’s leading public university," he said. "They want to help faculty, students and programs. They want to ensure that tomorrow’s students have the opportunity to enroll in top departments and programs and study with leading faculty."

The $1.8 billion goal includes five categories of support: $300 million for faculty support, to attract and retain the best teachers and scholars; $300 million for student support, to educate the leaders of tomorrow; $500 million for strategic initiatives, to enrich the academic experience; $500 million for research, to improve people’s health and quality of life; and $200 million for the campus, to build new learning environments for 21^st century students and teachers

To date, the campaign has received 172 gifts of $1 million or more. Members of the UNC Board of Trustees and the campaign steering committee have given $140 million to Carolina First.

Cash gifts total $535 million, or 62 percent of the funds committed to the campaign so far, and pledges total $331 million, or 38 percent.

Campaign gifts have added $126 million to the university endowment. The endowment, a permanent fund invested for growth and income, provides a perpetual source of income that the university can depend on each year. University endowment funds support undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, professorships and research and library funds across the campus.

Charles M. Shaffer Jr. of Atlanta and Paul Fulton of Winston-Salem are campaign co-chairs, leading a 55-member campaign steering committee and 400-member national campaign committee.

More information about the campaign is available at http://carolinafirst.unc.edu/

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Office of University Development contact: Speed Hallman, 919-962-0027, speed_hallman@unc.edu

News Services contact: Mike McFarland, 919-962-8593, mike_mcfarland@unc.edu