About the Foundation
The NC State Engineering Foundation, Inc. (NCSEF) works with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure support that is vital for the continued improvement of the College of Engineering. Gifts support scholarships, fellowships, professorships, academic programs, faculty research, and other initiatives that are not typically supported through state appropriations.
From the Executive Director
Ben Hughes
Dear Alumni and Friends,
This letter comes to you at a time of financial turmoil and lingering economic uncertainty. The current economic situation seems unprecedented to many of us, and it continues to have an impact on the way we conduct business here at the NC State Engineering Foundation (NCSEF) and throughout the College. This environment, however, must in no way diminish our determination and drive to raise the private support essential to achieving the bold vision that Dean Louis Martin-Vega has laid out for the College — to become the top public college of engineering in the nation. In fact, the economy places a premium on our development efforts.
The state of North Carolina’s historically strong commitment to higher education
has positioned the College well. To assure the highest level of return for
taxpayers, we need to advance our private fundraising efforts. It is the generosity
of alumni, and the strategic investments that corporations and foundations
make in the College, that can take us to another level. Private gifts leverage
taxpayer support and provide the competitive advantage in our College’s drive
to achieve the Dean’s strategic goals.
When we compare ourselves with those engineering schools that have already
attained the highest levels of recognition for their own excellence, we see
a common denominator. They all share a history of high levels of private financial
support, generated by a culture among their alumni to give back in collective
effort to transform the alma mater. Although philanthropy is newer to the NC
State culture, we do have the advantage of a very strong sense of pride, loyalty
and commitment among our engineering alumni. Those are the essential ingredients
in nurturing a culture of giving back.
One very positive sign of our progress is the current pace of contributions to the Dean’s Circle. Despite the economy, we are actually ahead of last fiscal year’s mark at this time. We are extremely appreciative of our alumni and friends who have responded so generously to this call in this time of great need. Dean’s Circle dollars are used to provide vital scholarship support for prospective students. In the current climate, our immediate top priority is to find a way to continue to extend opportunity to students.
Giving to the endowment remains the preferred long-term philanthropic strategy of our donors and will have the greatest impact on our institutional strength. Our nation’s economic history shows that market downturns are transitory — and that times like these prove to be particularly good ones for making long-term investments. Our NCSEF Board of Directors continues to exercise strong fiduciary stewardship through our investment strategy, which will optimize our ability to bounce back.
Please know that we are deeply grateful to all of our alumni who continue to step up in support of the College, our people and our programs in these challenging times. We remain very optimistic about the future of NC State Engineering, especially given the generous level of support our alumni and friends continue to contribute to the College to the best of their abilities during this difficult economy.
Ben Hughes
Executive Director, Development and College Relations