Fayetteville State University (FSU) announced that it has received a $5.8M grant from Anonymous Trust — making this the largest single private gift to the university. At a press conference at the Charles W. Chesnutt Library on campus, university leaders announced that the grant will support multiple initiatives that foster student success with a focus on students from Eastern North Carolina.
In this historic year for FSU, fundraising has increased exponentially. In 2021, FSU raised a total of $1.57 million in philanthropic support. The gift from Anonymous Trust boosts the University’s fundraising projections for 2022 to nearly $8 million dollars in overall gifts and donations by the close of the fiscal year (June 30), which would also set a record for a single year at Fayetteville State University, according to Interim Vice-Chancellor of University Advancement Chris Davis.
Chancellor Darrell T. Allison, Anonymous Trust representatives Kimberly Breeden and Margaret Turlington, as well as FSU student Morgan Jackson, addressed an audience of special guests that included FSU Board of Trustees members, legislators, faculty, staff and students, and members of the media.
“This is truly a pivotal moment in the life of our University and the lives of our students…The funding from the Anonymous Trust will significantly advance our goals in recruiting, retaining, and graduating our talented students regardless of their circumstances. We are deeply grateful for this gift and the opportunities it affords FSU to both be its best and do its very best for the students enrolled at Fayetteville State University.”
Chancellor Darrell T. Allison
For the Anonymous Trust, this gift furthers its mission to uplift communities through education and create opportunities that might not be possible otherwise.
“We are thrilled to partner with Fayetteville State to bolster and advance their programs aimed at expanding access to a quality education for talented students regardless of their circumstances, especially from underserved and underrepresented communities…We made this investment because we are committed to the region served by Fayetteville State, and we are confident in the leadership at FSU. We believe they have both the vision and commitment to help change lives and open doors for students. Anonymous Trust is proud that our joint efforts will have an impact throughout students’ entire college experience and even beyond.”
Margaret Turlington, Director of Simple Gifts Fund at Anonymous Trust
The student success initiatives at FSU will boost student retention and graduation rates with a priority focus on students graduating in four years, minority male recruitment and retention, and student initiatives that support career readiness and access to employment opportunities upon graduation.
The $5.8 million funding, provided over three years, will help support strategic efforts such as:
- FSU’s 30-60-90 Free Summer School program that is designed to keep students on track towards degree completion within four years by offering up to seven (7) free credit courses over the summer.
- The Bronco Boost initiative, an immersive on-campus summer transition program for incoming first-year and transfer students from Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties in Eastern North Carolina.
- Need-Based Opportunity Scholarships, for first-time, high-performing first-year and transfer students from Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties in Eastern North Carolina.
- FSU’s Minority Male Initiative, to recruit, retain and support students through mentorship and enhanced community partnerships.
- FSU’s College of Education Reading Clinic, an ongoing program that enables FSU students to provide tutoring services to enhance literacy to first through fifth graders in Cumberland and surrounding counties.
Source: Fayetteville State University Newsdesk
