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Lynn and Faye Eury (far left and far right), sponsors of three endowments, with their Caldwell Fellows: (left to right) Zachary Howard '10, Virginia Ball '10, and Nathanael Zellmer '10 (photo by J. Odom).

Giving & Philanthropy

The Caldwell Fellows represents the merging of NC State’s most long-lived scholarship and comprehensive leadership-development program for undergraduates. Throughout program history, the ability to fund students’ education and professional development has been enabled largely by generous contributions from alumni, family and friends. The original endowments for these merit awards, in the spirit of a land grant university, derive from the grassroots efforts of visionary alumni and friends who planted the program's financial seeds. In the intervening decades, continuing and new gifts to The Caldwell Fellows program, managed by the NC State Alumni Association, have expanded its breadth and impact.

There are countless ways to support The Caldwell Fellows program and its students, which are listed below. While endowment-level gifts of $200,000 and more have sustained the program for decades, contributions anywhere from $20 to $20,000 also add up to significant support. During these tough economic times, no gift is too small or too large, and in-kind donations are equally appreciated.

If you would like to discuss the nature of your gift and your options, or how to ensure matching gift credit (if applicable), please contact Cathy Rackley, Director of Caldwell Fellows Development, at (919) 515-0525.

Gift Categories

The Caldwell Fellows Enrichment Fund - Expanding the programs of The Caldwell Fellows

The Caldwell Fellows program is far more than an academic scholarship. It is a robust and vigorous program of experiential education in servant-leadership, service-learning and, especially timely, global citizenship. In 1982, a group of alumni established the Fellows Enrichment Fund to grow and support these activities. Additional funds were contributed at the retirement of Gerald Hawkins, Director Emeritus, in 2002. Gifts to The Caldwell Fellows Enrichment Fund support a wide range of enrichment experiences integral to the program:

  • International cultural immersion
  • Service-learning initiatives
  • Advanced-leadership training for juniors and seniors at the Center for Creative Leadership
  • Professional-development opportunities
  • Class and program-wide retreats for personal growth and community building
  • Monthly Caldwell Dinner seminars on timely issues of leadership and social change

The Mark Wagoner Fund – Ensuring continuation of The Caldwell Fellows Wilderness Experience

Spending extended time in majestic wilderness areas, experiencing the challenge of life outside one’s comfort zone, drawing on group support and learning to develop one’s inner resources are all components of The Caldwell Fellows Wilderness Experience. Students for two decades have marked their Caldwell Fellows experience with a 10-day wilderness adventure under the treasured mentoring of Dr. Jerry Barker, director of the NC State Student Health Center, and a cadre of skilled alumni. Gifts to this fund will help bring it one step closer to endowment.

Following his 1994 graduation, Caldwell Fellow Mark Wagoner mentored many younger Fellows through his service as a co-leader for the Wilderness Experience. His untimely death in 2003, while en route to a personal wilderness expedition in Alaska, prompted alumni and friends to establish financial support for the Caldwell Fellows Wilderness Experience. The Mark Wagoner Fund goal of $200,000 will create an endowment with sufficient annual income to fund fully the spring wilderness trip for up to 16 students and four leaders and provide scholarship support for up to two students a year to attend the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).

The SATELLITE Fund - Supporting youth development in science and technology

The SATELLITE (Science And Technology Enriching Lifelong Leadership In Tomorrow’s Endeavors) summer program on NC State’s campus was created by Caldwell Fellows Rick Jackson '97 and Jennifer Lin '98 in the late 1990s to introduce students from rural North Carolina high schools to science and technology. The aim of SATELLITE is to give students from under-funded school systems exposure to resources, ideas and opportunities that their schools may be unable to provide, such as scientific demonstrations and hands-on laboratory experiments. Every year, students leading SATELLITE are charged with the task of raising nearly $10,000 to cover operational costs of the camp. Your gift can help make this meaningful experience possible for both the planners and the participants.

In-Kind Gifts – Providing tangible support across the program

In recent years, program friends and alumni have donated retreat sites at no cost and pro bono design services to the program as well as items for the annual Caldwell Fellows Benefit Gala's Silent Auction, which raises funds annually for a nonprofit partner. If you have goods or services that you believe can help the program or the Silent Auction, please contact us to discuss your thoughts.

To Make Gifts

To make a gift online, please visit our Online Giving Form (www.alumni.ncsu.edu/caldwells).

If you prefer to make an offline donation, please send a check made payable to:

NC State Alumni Association
The Caldwell Fellows
Attn: Cathy Rackley
Campus Box 7503
Raleigh, NC 27695