UNCF (United Negro College Fund)

What UNCF does

UNCF, founded in 1944 as the United Negro College Fund, is a national fundraising and scholarship organization for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Its founders included Frederick D. Patterson, then president of what became Tuskegee University, and educator Mary McLeod Bethune. Based in Washington, D.C., UNCF raises money on behalf of its 36 member private HBCUs and runs scholarship programs that help students pay for college.

The idea is collective fundraising: instead of each small college competing for donors on its own, UNCF raises money centrally for its member schools, under the motto “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” It also administers more than 11,000 scholarships worth over $62 million every year. Since its founding, UNCF says it has raised more than $6 billion and helped more than 550,000 students.

UNCF reports a 70% six-year graduation rate for its African American scholarship recipients, which it says is above the national average. Charity Navigator gives it four stars with a score of 97%. It is a large organization, with about $159 million in revenue in its fiscal year ending March 2025, and it accepts monthly gifts, stock, donor-advised fund grants, IRA distributions and workplace giving.

Key facts

• Awards more than 11,000 scholarships worth over $62 million each year (UNCF site)
• Has raised more than $6 billion and helped more than 550,000 students since 1944 (UNCF site)
• Reports a 70% six-year graduation rate for its African American scholarship recipients (UNCF site)
• Reported $158.9M revenue and $183.5M expenses for the fiscal year ending March 2025 (IRS 990 via ProPublica)

Before you give

• Accepts credit card/PayPal, direct debit, monthly sustaining gifts, stock transfers (via Morgan Stanley), donor-advised fund grants, IRA distributions, workplace giving, and honor/memorial gifts (give.uncf.org).
• UNCF's donation page states: 501(c)(3), federal EIN 13-1624241.