An investment in people

With a $10 million gift from the John William Pope Foundation that will support a combination of core areas where Carolina excels, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is continuing to invest in education, research and service that will benefit North Carolinians for many years to come.

“It’s an investment in people,” said Chancellor Carol L. Folt. “A public university that can invest in people, that will make the state thrive and do good things is at the heart of everything we do.”

Announced April 23, the donation will provide support to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC Horizons, the track and field program, and the Philosophy, Politics and Economics Program.

The gift supports For All Kind: the Campaign for Carolina, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the University’s history. On Oct. 6, 2017, Carolina launched the second largest fundraiser for a public university in the nation. With a goal of $4.25 billion by Dec. 31, 2022, the Campaign for Carolina is inspired by the Blueprint for Next, the University’s overall strategic plan built on two core strategies: “of the public, for the public” and “innovation made fundamental.”

“This is an opportunity for us to continue our work investing in excellent education for the benefit of the entire state,” said Art Pope, Pope Foundation chairman and a Carolina alumnus. “The Campaign for Carolina does offer an opportunity for meaningful donations, both large and small, to provide future generations the same opportunities that our family had.”

The commitment will provide:

• $5 million to the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center to establish the John William Pope “Tomorrow’s Best Hope” Endowed Fellowship Fund. The fund will generate nearly $250,000 each year for competitively awarded fellowships to recruit, educate and train future oncologists and cancer researchers to reduce cancer’s burden in the state and beyond. Lineberger is one of only 49 comprehensive cancer centers in the country designated by the National Cancer Institute and the only public comprehensive cancer center in North Carolina.
• $3.75 million to the Philosophy, Politics and Economics Program in the College of Arts and Sciences to support hiring two new faculty positions and two visiting assistant professorships. The gift will also fund a lecture series to bring prominent speakers to campus to discuss public issues from a philosophical, political and economic perspective. The funds will help the college’s efforts to elevate one of the most popular and fastest-growing academic minors to a major. The PPE Program develops students’ analytical skills to see issues from the perspective of all three of the core disciplines.
• $1 million to track and field scholarships in the Department of Athletics to create two in-state scholarships, one male and one female. It will be the program’s 16^th scholarship in men’s track and field and the 14^th scholarship in women’s track and field. Carolina’s track and field program has won 37 ACC team championships and 30 NCAA event championships.
• $250,000 to the UNC Horizons Program to conduct a follow-up study with up to 125 women and their children enrolled in the program. The data from that study will help other states and countries model Horizon’s programs that help women and children break the cycle of addiction and poverty. The funds will also eliminate a barrier to successful completion of the Horizons program by ensuring child care services for women undergoing treatment. UNC Horizons provides an outreach service to the state to treat pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorders. In 2016-17, the program enrolled 266 women, with 77 percent employed by the time they graduated.

“We are proud to support UNC-Chapel Hill and appreciate each and every effort of students, faculty and staff alike,” said Joyce L. Pope, a board member of the Pope Foundation.