Glossary/FAQ's

What can a public university accomplish with private gifts?
Can I designate my gift to a particular school, department or program?
Can my gift make a difference?
Is my gift tax deductible?
Who supports UNCW?
How can I make a gift to the university?
What is an endowment and how do I create one?
What can an endowment be used for?
Do I have to be wealthy to start an endowment?
Which way to give is right for me?
What are some types of endowed funds?

What can a public university accomplish with private gifts?
The possibilities are limitless! Philanthropy funded by alumni, parents, friends, corporations, foundations and other donors enriches every aspect of the educational experience at UNCW. Excellence in education, research and service define the hallmarks of the UNCW experience.

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Can I designate my gift to a particular school, department or program?
Yes. The university offers an enormous variety of academic programs, co-curricular experiences, athletic programs, research endeavors and community-oriented projects to which friends and alumni can make gifts. Donors may also provide unrestricted gifts for the university to allocate to areas with the greatest need.

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Can my gift make a difference?
Although it might seem like a gift of $25 or $100 wouldn't have that much impact, every gift adds to the total pool of funds available to the university or to a department. If 10 donors give $100, a $1,000 financial aid award can be made to an outstanding student. That kind of money can make the difference for many students.

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Is my gift tax deductible?
Gifts to the university are tax deductible under current IRS regulations. Our staff can discuss the potential impact of your gift on your overall tax picture. We do advise, however, that you consult your personal legal and financial advisors regarding specifics of your financial situation.

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Who supports UNCW?
We are grateful for the generous support of alumni, friends, parents, corporations, foundations and organizations.

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How can I make a gift to the university?
There are numerous ways in which alumni and friends can make gifts to UNCW. Please see gift types for additional information.

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What is an endowment and how do I create one?
An endowment creates financial stability, allowing an institution to be less dependent on unpredictable sources of revenue, such as research sponsorship or government aid. For many years, gifts to fund endowments have empowered UNCW and advanced its academic excellence in higher education. A named endowment is created through the establishment of a permanent fund of at least $25,000 that is professionally invested and managed: the income generated is used to carry out the endowment's stated purposes -- mutual goals of a donor and the university.

Gifts to endowments require careful planning and are often pledged over a period of years. Endowment funds can become family traditions, with succeeding generations adding gifts to the principal established by a founding donor.

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What can an endowment be used for?
The goals could be support for UNCW's academic and research excellence, recognition for a beloved professor or friend, or an expression of personal interest in a particular discipline. Whatever the endowment's purpose, this form of gift keeps your beliefs, interests and values alive beyond your lifetime.

UNCW uses endowment funds in two basic ways. Restricted funds are allocated for a specific need and made available for a certain period of time. Unrestricted funds provide annual income that UNCW can use toward areas of greatest need and opportunity, providing a source of dependable income in support of current programs, as well as new initiatives.

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Do I have to be wealthy to start an endowment?
An endowment donor is a special kind of benefactor, one whose commitment is deep and whose vision is unusually long; an individual with an understanding and appreciation of higher education's purpose and importance. You may think funding an endowment is beyond your ability to give. There are, however, many ways to make a gift that may be well within your means. It could be an outright gift of cash. Or you may want to make a gift of tangible personal property (such as coin or art collections) or appreciated assets (such as stocks, bonds or real estate). Not only can you provide the gift, you may be entitled to certain tax benefits or even opportunities to produce a stream of personal income.

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Which way to give is right for me?
It depends on your personal circumstances. The best first step you can take is to consult your financial and legal advisors before entering into any major gift commitment. UNCW's gift planning professionals are also available to help you find the gift option that is best for you.

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What are some types of endowed funds?
Endowed program funds provide income for the development of academic programs in particular schools, departments or fields of study. Endowed chairs allow UNCW to recruit outstanding, world-class faculty, giving them the opportunity to conduct research and teach without concerns about funding. As renowned experts in their fields, chair holders also help attract outstanding colleagues to the university.

Endowed research funds provide income to support the pursuit of new knowledge in a particular discipline.

Endowed scholarships and fellowships are crucial to recruiting the best and brightest undergraduate and graduate students to UNCW. Providing aid — coupled with the high quality of the academic program — is essential in attracting students of academic promise. Endowing funds for student aid is also a way to "give something back" to the university for personal help received in the past, while offering new opportunities to future generations.

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