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.