UNCF to host 2025 “A Mind Is…”® New York Gala
Signature fundraiser benefiting HBCUs and deserving students will honor exceptional champions for their inspiring contributions to education and community
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) will host its annual 2025 “A Mind Is…”® New York Gala on March 20, 2025, at Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. More than 500 guests are expected to attend, including UNCF leadership, corporate partners, educators, community leaders and historically Black college and university (HBCU) alumni and scholars.
For more than 80 years, UNCF has strived to change the HBCU narrative across the nation by equipping more HBCU students with the resources necessary to transition into college, graduate and ultimately expand and diversify America’s highly educated workforce. The “A Mind Is…”® New York Gala helps UNCF achieve the needed resources to do just that.
UNCF will present the following awards at the event: the Corporate Partner Award to Macy’s for its unwavering support of UNCF and transformative impact on HBCU students nationwide; the Leadership Award to Angela and Reginald Goins, founders of The Reginald and Angela Goins Charity Fund and exemplary HBCU graduates and philanthropists who continue to demonstrate outstanding leadership by providing scholarships to deserving students and inspiring others to give back; and the Shirley Chisholm Award to Nicole Pullen Ross, partner, NY Head, Private Wealth Management and head of Sports & Entertainment Solutions at Goldman Sachs, for her support of UNCF and HBCU students and her trailblazing leadership in the financial sector.
“As America deals with a very unprecedented time in our history, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) continue to show their value to the nation’s economic growth,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF. “HBCUs are major economic engines growing our national economy and the prosperity of state and local communities. Yet, they remain systemically underfunded, and their students must fight to gain access to the same benefits that others take for granted. Your support is needed more than ever to help talented, deserving students to get to and through college. I encourage you to invest in UNCF so, together, we can empower our next generation who will lead this nation and contribute to society’s success. Events like the ‘A Mind Is…’® New York Gala help us all succeed.”
Proceeds from the gala will help support UNCF-member HBCUs and college students who are in need of financial assistance to achieve degree completion.
“As UNCF enters its ninth decade of service, we stand on the shoulders of countless allies who have championed the power of HBCUs,” said Diego Aviles, vice president, development, Northeast Region, UNCF. “We are deeply grateful for the continued partnership of leaders like Macy’s, Reginald and Angela Goins, Nicole Pullen Ross and our supporters who believe in the transformative impact of these institutions and the students they serve.”
Current sponsors of the gala include platinum sponsors Macy’s, PepsiCo, Inc. and The Honickman Companies; gold sponsor Delta Air Lines; and silver sponsors American Express Company, Citi, Colgate-Palmolive Company and Ralph Lauren Corporation.
For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Warren Williams at warren.williams@uncf.org or 212-820-0141. Unable to attend, but want to make a difference in a student’s life? Visit UNCF.org/newyorkgala to donate today. To stay connected to UNCF throughout the year, please visit UNCF.org/newyork. You can also follow this event via #UNCF and @UNCFNY on social media.
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About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 15% of bachelor’s degrees, 5% of master’s degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees and 19% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 50,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.