Events

If you want to connect with more than 500 students, faculty, leaders in the HBCU community, funding experts, sponsors, alumni, and member institutions of the country’s largest and most effective African American education organization—UNCF— this is your opportunity.  The UNCF Leadership Conference, a combination of the National Alumni Council (NAC) and the National Pre-Alumni Council (NPAC), is the perfect opportunity to get acquainted with key decision makers and engage students who are on the path to leadership.  Your involvement in this conference is an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to education now and in the future.

This exciting three-day conference provides interactive and energizing workshops and industry speakers exploring the best and most promising practices relevant to students, alumni and UNCF member HBCUs.

This page is your resource to review the various aspects of the conference.  The draft of the full schedule, registration details, team leaders, FAQs, conference related forms and other pertinent information are all included here.

FULL REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDES:

• Welcome Reception: “A Taste of Memphis” @ The FedEx Experience Center(Thursday evening)
• Leadership Breakfast/Business Session I (Friday)
• Empower Me Tour Presentations (Friday)
• Career Fair (Friday)
• Alumni Summit (Friday)
• UNCF Legacy Gala (Friday)
• Miss National UNCF Coronation (Saturday)
• Relevant Workshops/National presenters and speakers

PRE-ALUMNI REGISTRATION

ALUMNI REGISTRATION

Thursday, February 20, 2025
Wear your school t-shirt and/or paraphernalia

Questions about parts of the event? Contact:

• Alumni Awards: Dr. Kalvin Wall * awards@uncfnac.org * 252.289.5362
• Alumni Summit: Dr. Gregory Murphy  * southeast@uncfnac.org
• Conference Logistics: Tony Hawkins *  conference@uncfnac.org * 901.299.7353
• Coronation: Kara Parks *  coronation@uncfnac.org * 843.870.8171
• Legacy Gala : JoAnn Scott * nominations@uncfnac.org * 901.351.0376
• Vendors Market: Stephanie Jones* vendors@uncfnac.org * 609.760.6495
• Workshop Presenters: Dr. Ala’Torya Cranford * vpprograms@uncfnac.org

CONFERENCE ALUMNI AWARDS

These prestigious alumni awards recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to their alma mater, their community and/or UNCF. Each school submits the name of one alumnus for the Hall of Honor (Outstanding Alumni Award) and one alumnus for the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

These awards will be presented during UNCF NAC Legacy Gala, Friday, February 21, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at the Renasant Convention Center.

2025 NAC Conference: Outstanding Alumnus Form

2025 NAC Conference: Outstanding Young Alumnus Form

2025 Legacy Award

2025 NAC Cecelia Washington Award (page 10-12)

CONFERENCE STUDENT AWARDS

2025 William “Bill” McGill Male Student Award (page 8)

2025 Ernest Fair- Charles Stevens Female Student Award (page 9)

The Inaugural UNCF Orlando Mayor’s Masked Ball is a premier fundraising gala and major social event focusing on raising awareness of the need and benefits of college education, the students UNCF serves, and the contributions of historically black colleges and universities. Hosted by a diverse group of corporate sponsors, local businesses, and professional organizations, the inaugural UNCF Orlando Mayor’s Masked Ball is an evening of celebration attended by civic leaders, alumni, dignitaries, volunteers, and friends of UNCF.

This must-attend event is full of fun, fashion, and glamour, and supports UNCF’s mission of investing in Better Futures® for the young men and women we serve by helping them move to and through college.

Hosted by UNCF Orlando

Join us for the UNCF 2025 “A Mind Is…” Gala, themed Soaring in the Clouds, a visionary celebration inspired by the tech industry’s transformative power. This year’s event will spotlight UNCF’s commitment to advancing education and innovations, paving the way for the next generation of leadership to soar in STEM, technology and other career fields. Guests will enjoy an evening of inspiration, with opportunities to support scholarships and programs that empower students to reach new heights in their academic and career pursuits. Prepare for an evening of fun, excitement, inspiration as we hear stories of student success, special guests and UNCF’s unwavering mission to elevate young minds and shape our future.

We invite our gala guests to join in the celebration of our “Soaring in the Clouds” tech theme by optionally wearing white and shades of blue (black-tie and cocktail) attire to reflect the spirit of the evening.

The 4th Jacksonville UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball is a premier fundraising gala and major social event focusing on raising awareness of the need and benefits of a college education, the students UNCF serves and the contributions of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including Jacksonville’s very own Edward Waters University—Florida’s first HBCU and first independent institution of higher education.

Hosted by a diverse group of corporate sponsors, local businesses and professional organizations, the Jacksonville UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball, is an evening of celebration attended by civic leaders, alumni, dignitaries, volunteers and friends of UNCF and EWU. This must-attend event is full of fun, fashion, glitz and glamour, and supports UNCF’s mission of investing in Better Futures® for the young men and women we serve and by helping them move to and through college.

Join us for the 81st year of the annual UNCF National “A Mind Is…”® Gala! This exclusive fundraising and social event focuses on raising awareness of the need and benefits of a college education, the students UNCF serves and the contributions of historically Black colleges and universities.

Hosted by generous national and local corporate sponsors, professional organizations and individual supporters, the National AMI Gala is an evening of celebration attended by national celebrities, civic leaders, alumni, dignitaries, volunteers and friends of UNCF.

Don’t miss this historical evening of fun that supports UNCF’s mission of investing in better futures for the young men and women we serve and by helping them move to and through college.

The UNCF Charlotte Mayor’s Masked Ball is a premier fundraising gala and major social event, focusing on raising public awareness and large donations to support deserving students across North Carolina.

This highly anticipated event brings together individuals, small businesses, corporate sponsors, celebrities, dignitaries, civic leaders, public officials, and alumni who support UNCF’s mission of investing in better futures for us all by getting students to and through college.

UNCF has been dedicated to creating opportunities for deserving students for 80 years. Through various programs and initiatives, we aim to bridge the gap between financial barriers and educational aspirations.

The 2025 UNCF “A Mind Is…” Gala New England will recognize outstanding partners who are helping to advance educational opportunities for the young people we serve.

This premiere event promises to be an enlightening and enjoyable time for our guests while raising funds for our HBCUs, celebrating their impact, and assisting the students who attend them in obtaining their college degrees.

We hope you won’t miss this celebration that helps UNCF invest in our HBCUs and better futures for our students. Thank you for considering this opportunity and believing with us that “A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in.” ®

The 2025 UNCF “A Mind Is…” Gala New York will recognize outstanding partners who are helping to advance educational opportunities for the young people we serve.

This premiere event promises to be an enlightening and enjoyable time for our guests while raising funds for our HBCUs, celebrating their impact, and assisting the students who attend them in obtaining their college degrees.

We hope you won’t miss this celebration that helps UNCF invest in our HBCUs and better futures for our students. Thank you for considering this opportunity and believing with us that “A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in.” ®

The UNCF New Orleans Mayor’s Masked Ball is a premier fundraising gala and major social event, focusing on raising public awareness and large donations to support deserving students across Louisiana.

This highly anticipated event brings together individuals, small businesses, corporate sponsors, celebrities, dignitaries, civic leaders, public officials, and alumni who support UNCF’s mission of investing in better futures for us all by getting students to and through college.

UNCF has been dedicated to creating opportunities for deserving students for 80 years. The ball is an event used to support the mission by raising the necessary resources to support underserved students with their financial barriers and educational aspirations to get to and through college.

We encourage your investment in UNCF so together we can continue to invest in and build future generation of students who will lead this nation and contribute to our economy and “explore life outside the box.”

The 2025 Hampton Roads UNCF Mayors’ Masked Ball is a premier fundraising gala and a major social event, focusing on raising public awareness and large corporate and individual donations to support deserving students through UNCF. Hosted by a diverse group of corporate sponsors and local businesses, it involves celebrities, dignitaries, civic leaders, volunteers, public officials, alumni and others who support UNCF’s mission of investing in better futures for us all by getting students to and through college.

Thank you for considering this opportunity and for remembering that “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”®

The Columbus UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball is a premier fundraising gala and major social event focusing on raising awareness of the need and benefits of a college education, the students UNCF serves and the contributions of historically Black colleges and universities. Hosted by a diverse group of corporate sponsors, local businesses and professional organizations, the Columbus UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball is an evening of celebration attended by national celebrities, civic leaders, alumni, dignitaries, volunteers and friends of UNCF. This must-attend event is full of fun, fashion, glitz and glamour, and supports UNCF’s mission of investing in Better Futures® for the young men and women we serve and by helping them move to and through college.

FEATURING:

• VIP Masked Reception
• Masked Awards
• Live Entertainment

The 2nd Annual UNCF Tampa Bay Mayor’s Masked Ball is a premier fundraising gala and major social event focusing on raising awareness of the need and benefits of college education, the students UNCF serves, and the contributions of historically black colleges and universities. Hosted by a diverse group of corporate sponsors, local businesses, and professional organizations, the 2nd Annual UNCF Tampa Bay Mayor’s Masked Ball is an evening of celebration attended by civic leaders, alumni, dignitaries, volunteers, and friends of UNCF.

This must-attend event is full of fun, fashion, and glamour, and supports UNCF’s mission of investing in Better Futures® for the young men and women we serve by helping them move to and through college.

Hosted by UNCF Orlando

Join us as we celebrate UNCF Milwaukee Mayor’s Masked Ball 10th year anniversary! It is one of Milwaukee’s premier fundraising and social events of the year. Hosted by The Honorable Mayor Cavalier Johnson, this nonprofit gala is supported by corporations, civic leaders, dignitaries, public officials, alumni, and greater Milwaukee. Get ready for an evening of celebration and support for UNCF! The annual Masked Ball is a formal black-tie benefit with a seated dinner, silent auction, live entertainment and so much more!