Randolph Community College Foundation Exceeds Fundraising Goal
ASHEBORO (July 17, 2007)
Randolph Community College Foundation raised $130,682 during the 2006-07 fiscal year ending June 30, surpassing its fundraising goal of $125,000, announced Joyce Wolford, executive director of the Foundation.
Those funds were accumulated by a combination of fundraising events, campaigns and individual donations. Wolford said this year's internal campaign raised over $20,000 with 75% participation from faculty and staff, an increase over last year's total of just over $13,000 with 62% participation. "I felt like that was significant," said Wolford, who attributed the change to "the upbeat, positive attitude of the campus community."
A community scholarship luncheon held in March raised about $12,000, and a $25,000 grant from the Energizer Trust Fund for scholarships for Career Readiness Certifications "helped to get us up and over our goal," said Wolford. "But the events are just a small part of it. Most of the gifts we get come from personal contacts with people and loyal donors who year after year help support the Foundation and the College."
Wolford said some of the funds would be used for scholarships and some for program support. "It is really across the board," she continued, "depending on the donors' wishes."
Wolford noted that the Foundation Board of Directors has adopted a new spending policy for the 2007-08 school year "that will allow us to spend a greater portion of our investment earnings to help RCC and its students." Over $118,000 will be available for scholarships this year and $103,000 for direct program support. She also noted that the Foundation Board has set aside $6,000 in an emergency fund to help students who are on the verge of dropping out of school because of emergency situations. These funds will be administered through Student Services and the Financial Aid Office.
"We have about $100,000 in our budget that has not yet been allocated," added Wolford, "so as special needs arise at RCC, the Board can consider use of that money. The Foundation Board has already awarded just under $53,000 to help get the new Healthcare Management Technology program off the ground."
In addition, Randolph Community College has received nearly $400,000 in various grants during the 2006-07 school year, according to Susan Milner, executive director of institutional advancement. That includes grants from the North Carolina Community College System, Duke Energy Foundation, and the Randolph Hospital Community Health Foundation. "Additional funds in the form of grants and donations through Randolph Community College Foundation are critical to meeting the needs of the College," said Milner. "They enable the College to provide high-quality programs and assist students in achieving their educational goals. Tuition and fees account for only a small percentage of revenue." For example, in the 2005-2006 school year, only 53% of college revenue came from state tax dollars, 15% came from county funds, and 9% from tuition and fees.
For more information on making a donation to the RCC Foundation,
contact Joyce Wolford at (336) 633-0295 or jbwolford@randolph.edu.
The RCC Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation chartered to provide support to Randolph Community College. It is overseen by a volunteer board of directors made up of community leaders from throughout Randolph County. The Foundation raises money for scholarships and program support; provides College Innovation Fund mini-grants to staff, faculty and student teams; hosts an annual employee appreciation/recognition event; and funds high school achievement scholarships and the RCC Foundation Ambassador program.
