UNCG’s Light the way surpasses its goal as it moves forward

UNC Greensboro’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original mark. Now, the University is setting its sights on specific campaign objectives to further enhance opportunities for students and boost academic excellence. 

Light the Way: The Campaign for Earned Achievement, destined to transform the University by strengthening student access, academic excellence, and the impact of its programs, has passed the goal of $200M. So far, more than 24,000 donors have come together to support students, initiatives, and the research and scholarship of faculty throughout the University. 

“This achievement is extraordinarily exciting for UNCG,” said Campaign Co-Chairs Susan Morris Safran ’77 and Randall Kaplan in making the announcement. “Thousands have been rallying to be a part of Light the Way. It’s a moment for pride and celebration for Spartans near and far.”  

Gifts of all sizes are making their mark. Over one-third have been less than $50. Campaign totals include crowdfunding initiatives, annual gifts, estate gifts, and six- and seven-figure gifts. 

Donors have already invested more than $86M toward an ambitious $100M goal for student access. Ensuring greater educational opportunity for students will be a key focus in the coming months, says Beth Fischer, vice chancellor for advancement. Reaching that particular goal – which is within striking distance – presents an exciting challenge. 

“Half of UNCG’s students are first-generation – they’ll be the first to get a college degree. Also, nearly half are Pell Grant eligible, which shows they have great need,” Fischer explained. “Access to a transformative public higher education for every motivated, deserving student is a hallmark of our University.” That ties to UNCG’s ranking, by both The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News and World Report, as No. 1 in the state in social mobility. 

To date, 207 scholarships, 183 of which are endowed, have been created by the campaign.  

Attracting and retaining world-class faculty is critical to UNCG’s academic distinction. The campaign so far has endowed eight new professorships, and further progress supporting academic excellence will be another focus.  

Finally, Light the Way is creating powerful new programs, investing in research and development, supporting athletics and the arts, engaging the community, and strengthening UNCG’s presence regionally and beyond. The campaign has exceeded its goal in this area by an additional 75%, to date. Gifts have established 230 new program funds, so far.   

“For 132 years, UNCG has been educating students to look forward, innovate, and make a difference in our communities,” said Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. “To continue on this path, we have to be bold, imaginative, and courageous. Our pursuit to provide access to excellence is relentless. As we surpass our original goal and set the course for more, this campaign continues to light the way forward.” 
 
The campaign’s public launch in 2021 saw Chancellor Gilliam, Co-Chairs Safran ’77 and Kaplan, and many members of the UNCG community lead a campus celebration spotlighting the impact this campaign will have on the University – and through future graduates, on the region and state. More than 103,000 alumni currently live and work in North Carolina, and that number will grow. More than 40,000 live within 25 miles of the campus. Investing in these graduates, the campaign chairs noted, is an investment in the strength of the Greensboro community, the Triad, and the state. 

Three years after the public launch, momentum continues to build. The last fiscal year, 2023-24, was the University’s biggest fundraising year ever, at $31.8M. That’s an 18% increase over the year before.  

“A UNCG education not only changes lives,” Fischer said, “it lifts up entire families and communities. All those who are part of Light the Way are making a profound impact – as we create ladders of opportunity for our students and a future brilliant with possibility.”  

Facts and Figures

As of Nov. 14, 2024: 

• $203,628,791 is the total amount raised so far for UNCG’s Light the Way Campaign. 
• 24,233 donors have contributed to the campaign, including: 
  • 14,144 new donors 
  • 15,266 alumni donors and 
  • 3,391 faculty and staff members (of whom almost two-thirds are also alumni). 
• Donors hail from 99 North Carolina counties, all 50 states, and 30 nations. 
• The campaign is set to continue through December 2025. 

LIGHT THE WAY Stories