Annual Fund Q & A
Why does a tax-supported community
college seek private gifts?
Currently,
the North Carolina Community College System
is moving toward a performance-based system
of funding programs. We anticipate that the
well-documented, historical under-funding
of our college will continue as we serve
a large number of part-time students. The
state does not provide start-up costs for
new programs, financial assistance for
students who deserve to be here but can't
afford it, money to purchase much-needed
equipment, or innovative opportunities
to promote ideas from faculty and staff.
What is the relationship between ECC
and the Edgecombe Community College Foundation?
The
Edgecombe Community College Foundation, Inc.,
is a nonprofit organization established by
the ECC Board of Trustees in 1982 to receive
donations to provide education support for
Edgecombe Community College. The Foundation
is a separate, nonprofit organization that
receives, manages, and disburses funds under
the direction of a board composed of up to
30 local citizens.
Do the faculty and staff at the college
support the Foundation?
Yes. Each
year faculty and staff participate in a spring
Campus Fund Drive. Gifts and pledges generated
during this time total about $10,000. In
fact, some employees contribute enough to
provide a student scholarship each year.
If I contribute to the Foundation,
how will my gift be used?
Since its
beginning, the major emphasis of the Foundation
has been student scholarships, primarily
for those students who do not qualify for
federal Pell grant funding. These are students
who may be working full time to support their
families or perhaps they earn too much to
qualify for federal funding but not enough
to continue their education. The Foundation
also addresses other pressing needs at Edgecombe
Community College such as capital improvements
and staff development. As competition for
state funds increases, this type of private
and community support will become essential
to the continued growth of ECC.
When I give to the Foundation's Annual
Fund, may I restrict my gift?
Yes.
Gifts may be made in honor or memory of family
members or special friends and are fully
tax-deductible under the provisions of federal
and state tax laws. If you would like to
restrict your gift for a particular purpose
and would like to discuss a specific giving
opportunity with the Foundation, please call
(252) 823-5166 ext. 212.
| Where does the money go? |
- Scholarships
Each year the ECC Foundation awards about $75,000
in student scholarships. More than 100 ECC students
benefit each year from these funds.
- Mini-Grants
The Foundation also awards selected faculty and
staff members with mini-grants each year for
upgrading or enhancing their programs or for
improving professional skills that will directly
benefit students. Faculty and staff members submit
grant applications biannually and the Mini-Grants
Committee of the Foundation Board selects recipients
with Board approval. Up to $10,000 is awarded annually.
- Ambassadors
In an attempt to reward excellence, the Foundation
sponsors the ECC Student Ambassador program each
year. Students interested in applying must maintain
a 3.25 grade point average and must have completed
15 hours of course work. Students also must be
nominated by two members of the ECC faculty and
be interviewed by a screening panel. These students
give campus tours, host campus activities, recruit
students, speak to community groups, assist with
registration and orientation, welcome groups
to the campus, and assist with ECC Foundation
activities. For their service, the Foundation
provides each ambassador free tuition for the
fall semester, a navy blue blazer, and an Ambassador
name tag pin.
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For more information on the Annual Fund, call
Karen Andrus, executive director of the ECC
Foundation, at (252) 823-5166 ext. 212, or
email andrusk@edgecombe.edu.
Tarboro: (252)
823-5166  2009 W. Wilson St., Tarboro, NC
27886
Rocky
Mount: (252) 446-0436 225 Tarboro St., Rocky Mount, NC 27801
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