2025 marks fifty years of the Arts and Sciences Foundation
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The Arts and Sciences Foundation’s mission is to enhance the College of Arts and Sciences by meeting the philanthropic needs of the various academic departments, promoting teaching, research and service, and supporting the continuing development of knowledge and learning.

In 1975, Margaret Harper became the first person to bestow her generosity on the Arts and Sciences Foundation. Her gift of $1,000 began a tradition of giving that would grow and flourish over the next five decades. The Foundation manages more than $497 million in endowed funds (as of June 30, 2024), compared with $37.6 million in June 1998. The College of Arts and Sciences benefits from an additional $844 million in endowed funds from the UNC-Chapel Hill Endowment and the UNC-CH Foundation.

The phenomenal growth of the Arts and Sciences Foundation has been fueled by the generosity of the College’s many alumni and friends, starting with the philanthropy of Margaret Harper 50 years ago. All future achievements of the Foundation will come from those donors who believe in the mission of the College and feel the same dedication to maintaining the College’s tradition of providing a first-rate liberal arts education.

The Foundation is grateful for the support of the many donors and friends as we celebrate 50 years of philanthropy in the College.

Invest in the Future of the College of Arts and Sciences 

In celebration of 50 years of philanthropy in the College, your commitment will ensure the next half century is even more successful than the first. 

• Give $50+
  Make a one-time or monthly recurring gift of $50 or more to the Arts and Sciences Fund in honor of the Foundation’s 50 years! Your support helps shape the experience of every student in the College and makes an immediate impact on campus. 

• Margaret Harper Society: $5,000+
  Join the Margaret Harper Society within the Dean’s Circle with an annual contribution of $5,000 or more to the Arts and Sciences Fund. In 1975, Margaret Harper became the first of many donors to the Foundation with a gift of $1,000, the equivalent of about $5,000 today. 

• 1975 Society: $50,000 Pledge
  Become an inaugural member of the 1975 Society, named after our founding year, by pledging $50,000 or more to the Arts and Sciences Fund (payable over five years). Donors who make this commitment will receive an exclusive 50th anniversary gift and special recognition at the College’s biennial donor recognition event. For more information and to join, contact Anna Peterson, Director of Annual Giving.