Give Now

Ways to give:
Annual Giving
Major Gifts
Planned Giving
Ways to Make a Gift

Annual Giving

Each year, UNC Charlotte contacts Cato College of Education alumni and friends through a telefundraising campaign to invite annual gifts in support of the University. Gifts to the annual giving program provide vital operating support for priority initiatives in the Cato College of Education. You can designate your gift to the college, program or department that is meaningful to you or you can apply your gift to the Chancellor’s Fund, which offers flexibility and valuable financial support university-wide.

Friends and alumni are invited to participate in the Annual Giving Day for UNC Charlotte by participating in Niner Nation Gives the first week of April. In 2021, over $2 million was raised in support of UNC Charlotte.

By investing in the College of Education through the annual giving program, you demonstrate how much you value, believe in and support our college and its mission. Your annual gifts support such things as:

  • Student Scholarships
  • Graduate Assistantships
  • Faculty Recruitment and Retention
  • Travel Grants
  • Guest Lecturers
  • Student and Faculty Program Support

What are Major Gifts?

Major gifts serve two primary purposes in the Cato College of Education at UNC Charlotte: they create long-term financial stability for the college, and they provide opportunities to merge donors’ interests with the college’s various needs and objectives. Major gifts earmarked for endowment help build, restore and sustain our academic programs.

Major Gifts at Work

The Cato College of Education appreciates the support of all our generous donors. Donors who support the college through major gifts can designate their support toward a specific purpose such as a scholarship or program that matches their personal interests with the college’s priorities. Major gifts may also lead to recognition opportunities, which can either honor the donor directly or honor or memorialize a special person of the donor’s choosing.

What are some examples?

Major gifts can be established to support scholarships, faculty development and various academic programs. Major gifts may also be used to support certain programs and/or departments in the college. Gifts fall into the following categories:

Endowment Gifts:
Endowment gifts are invested and managed by the university, and the income from the gift is directed toward a purpose selected by the donor. The university only expends income generated from the gift’s principal, in accordance with the university’s spending regulations. Income earned in excess of the amount spent annually is reinvested into the endowment so that it grows in perpetuity, providing “purchasing power” for future generations, despite economic conditions. For further description see the giving website.

Restricted Current Use Gifts:
There are many options in which donors may direct their support to college initiatives that hold personal significance. Gifts may be designated for any purpose that contributes to the college’s mission of teaching, research and service. Unlike endowed funds, restricted current use funds are depleted over a specified period of time. For example, a donor may wish to support students by creating an award that is funded and expended annually.

Unrestricted Gifts:
Some of the most useful and flexible gifts to the college are those that are unrestricted. Unrestricted gifts are used to support the day-to-day operations of the college, including student activities, general financial aid, teaching, and research.

Planned Giving

Many UNC Charlotte alumni, friends and donors choose to support the university’s work through planned gifts, which include gifts of marketable securities such as stocks and bonds; estate gifts through a bequest in a will or through a trust; charitable gift annuities or charitable remainder trusts that provide a lifetime income stream to the donor; and other gifts of real estate or tax-deferred retirement assets.

Planned gifts provide financial flexibility and various tax benefits. Planned gifts also provide an effective means of financial stewardship, redirecting money to needs that would otherwise become lost to estate, capital gains or income taxes.

By making your planned gift at UNC Charlotte, you’ll become a member of the prestigious Bonnie Cone Society, which recognizes those individuals who have included the university in their long-term financial and estate planning. There are various ways to include UNC Charlotte in a planned gift. Please visit our website to learn more about the below ways of making a gift.

Please contact someone in Planned Giving at the UNC Charlotte Foundation for more information.

How to Make a Gift

Online

You may make a credit card gift online, via secure server, through the UNC Charlotte Office of University Development.

Mail

If you prefer to send your gift through standard mail, please make your check payable to “UNC Charlotte Foundation,” and be sure to designate the College of Education as the recipient of your gift in the memo line. Mail your check to:

Office of University Development
UNC Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001

Other Giving Opportunities

Matching Donations

Many employers (including your spouse’s employer) may have a matching gift program. Corporate matching gifts can double, or even triple, the value of your donation. Search the University’s online database to see if your organization participates, or check with your human resources department.

In-kind gifts

Gifts of property such as equipment, paintings, books, or art can be donated to the College of Engineering and may entitle you to an income tax deduction. Please contact Mark Colone to make a gift of property.

Naming Opportunities

Alumni can support UNC Charlotte and the Cato College of Education by naming various spaces around campus including classrooms, offices, labs, and buildings. Additionally, naming trees and benches can be used to honor yourself or someone else. Please contact Penny Hawkins to discuss naming opportunities.

Stocks and Securities

There are many different options for transferring gifts of stocks or securities to The Cato College of Education, which includes direct transfer from your bank or broker. Instructions for transfer of securities are outlined here, or you may contact Penny Hawkins (704) 687-6187 for more information.

Gifts are tax deductible as permitted by law.

To request information about giving, contact Penny Hawkins, Development Officer for the Cato College of Education at penny.hawkins@uncc.edu or 704-687-6187.