Empowering Futures: How Donors Are Transforming Education Through UNCF
Donations to UNCF empower students to graduate and empower HBCUs to educate
UNCF’s (United Negro College Fund) capital campaign was significantly boosted in 2024 with a $100 million unrestricted grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., which helps strengthen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) endowments and infrastructure. This gift offers a chance to build sustainable futures for institutions and students. These donations provide an opportunity and a chance to ensure a lasting impact.
In 2020, philanthropist Patty Quillin and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings donated $120 million to UNCF, Spelman College and Morehouse College, two of our member institutions. This was the largest individual gift to support HBCUs at the time. Hastings emphasized the importance of giving, stating, “Investing in the education of Black youth is one of the best ways to invest in America’s future.” Their gift served as a call to action, proving that philanthropy can spark systemic change.
UNCF has long been a beacon of hope, empowering HBCUs and the students they serve. With the support of donors big and small, UNCF continues to transform lives. Every contribution helps to ensure students receive the education they deserve and strengthens the institutions that shape future leaders.
Corporate giving has also made a profound impact. In 2023, Fidelity Investments donated $190 million, the largest corporate gift in UNCF’s history, launching the Fidelity Scholars Program. The program aims to expand educational opportunities and economic mobility for underserved students.
Other donors, such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, Adage Capital Management and the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation, have contributed millions toward scholarships, career preparation and student debt reduction. These investments have opened doors for many young people and reaffirmed the vital role of education in creating equal opportunities.
But there’s still much work to be done—for every student UNCF can support with a scholarship, there are other students who still need help getting their financial needs met to attend and graduate from college. By donating to UNCF, individuals and companies can be a part of something bigger—a movement to empower the next generation of American leaders. Every dollar helps students and the communities they will impact in the future.
Supporters are encouraged to give because contributions to UNCF don’t just fund scholarships and HBCUs—they fuel the futures of those who will lead us, those who will take care of us, those who will educate us and those who will invent new technology. To power UNCF’s mission of transforming lives through education, visit UNCF.org/donate and make a gift today.