Corporate and Foundation Engagement Faculty & Staff Resources | University of North Carolina Wilmington

How Can We Help?

Whether you're pursuing grant funding, developing a corporate partnership or exploring philanthropic support, we're here to help you navigate the process.

Find Funding

We'll help identify corporate and foundation opportunities that align with your work.

Build Stronger Proposals

From letters of inquiry to proposal review, we can help strengthen your submission before it reaches a funder.

Navigate the Process

Not sure whether your opportunity is a gift, grant, contract or sponsorship? We'll help determine the right path and connect you with the appropriate campus partners.

Build Funder Relationships

We coordinate outreach and help steward relationships with corporations and foundations across the university.

Get In Touch

Ally Adams
Assistant Director, Corporate & Foundation Engagement
910.962.3679
adamsat@uncw.edu

FAQs

Gift, Grant, Contract or Sponsorship?

Gift

A charitable contribution that supports the university's mission without requiring specific deliverables.

Grant

Funding provided to support a specific project or program. Some grants require proposal routing through SPARC.

Contract

An agreement to perform specific work or services in exchange for payment.

Sponsorship

Support provided in exchange for marketing or promotional recognition.

Are faculty and staff required to work with CFE before contacting a corporation or foundation? Yes. We encourage faculty and staff to contact us before reaching out to a corporation or foundation. Many funders prefer a coordinated approach through the university, and some have restrictions on the number of proposals they will accept. We'll help determine the best path forward and coordinate with SPARC or other campus partners when needed.

Does my proposal need to go through SPARC? It depends. If your proposal includes deliverables, a scope of work or specific terms and conditions, it will likely require review through SPARC. We'll help determine the appropriate process and guide you through the next steps. Applications requiring SPARC review must be routed through OSPREY before submission.

Can you help me connect with foundations? Yes. We coordinate relationships with many of UNCW's corporate and foundation partners and can help identify potential funders, share proposal insights and advise on the best timing and approach for outreach. We also help coordinate university-wide relationships to avoid multiple requests to the same organization.

Can you help me connect with corporate partners? Yes. We work with companies interested in supporting UNCW through philanthropy, applied learning, research and other strategic partnerships. If you're exploring a corporate partnership or sponsorship, contact us first so we can help identify the right opportunity and coordinate outreach.

Will you review my proposal before I submit it? Absolutely. While you bring the subject-matter expertise, we can help strengthen your proposal by reviewing content, improving messaging and aligning your project with funder priorities. We also coordinate site visits and meetings with program officers when appropriate.

Where can I find required documents and university information for my application?

Many funders request supporting materials such as financial statements, tax information, enrollment data or university leadership information. We've gathered commonly requested resources below. If you can't find what you need, we're happy to help.

Featured Funding Opportunity

The Endowment

The Endowment (formerly known as the "New Hanover County Endowment") invests in initiatives that create lasting impact and enhance the quality of life in New Hanover County.

Guided by four strategic pillars: Education, Social & Health Equity, Community Development, and Community Safety, The Endowment supports projects that drive meaningful, transformative change.

Who Can Apply:
UNCW Faculty & Staff

How to Apply:
Complete Letter of Inquiry (LOI) application

Questions?
Contact cfe@uncw.edu

Letters of Intent (LOI) Internal Review Schedule

Per The Endowment's request, we have created a single channel for UNCW idea submissions. The UNCW Internal Review Committee has ongoing evaluation cycles.

Current Review Cycle Timeline:
Submissions received in InfoReady by 5 p.m. on July 16, 2026, will be evaluated by the IRC in July.

Submissions received after July 16, 2026, will be evaluated in a subsequent cycle.

Process for Submitting Project Ideas:

Principal Investigators (PIs) should prepare a letter of intent (LOI) using our new internal online application.
The LOI will be routed to the PI’s chair/director and then dean for review and approval. If there are co-PIs on the LOI, the LOI should include a statement that all chairs/directors/deans of co-PIs are in support of the project idea. This information will be captured in the application.
Upon approval by the dean, the LOI will be routed to the Internal Review Committee (IRC), which includes the provost, the vice chancellor for university advancement, and the associate provost for research and innovation.
The IRC will review LOIs as appropriate and in alignment with The Endowment’s grantmaking process (see below for more details).
The IRC will determine which LOIs to advance after discussion with The Endowment. The IRC or its delegate will contact the PI if more information is needed before advancing.
If a PI’s project is selected to advance, PIs will work with University Advancement to submit a full application to The Endowment. Otherwise, PIs will be informed that their idea was not selected to advance during this cycle and whether the project will remain actively considered for the future.