Friends of UNCW

The Friends of UNCW promotes and supports educational, scientific, and charitable projects at UNCW.

Founded in December 1963, the Friends rallied to help Wilmington College - now UNCW - achieve accreditation as a four-year institution by increasing library holdings from 11,000 to 50,000 volumes. The Friends have been steadfast UNCW supporters for more than 60 years.

Who are the Friends of UNCW

Anyone who makes a donation to the Friends of UNCW Support Fund is a Friend of UNCW!

You can become a Friend: Give Today

Additionally, the Friends of UNCW Board of Directors are an especially dedicated group of volunteers who raise funds to fuel their two main initiatives:

1) Grant Program

Proposals are submitted by faculty and staff to support projects in all areas of campus. Projects typically range from $250 - $2,500. These microgrants can have big impacts on students and the community, from STEM summer camp scholarships for kids from the community to inclusive recreation equipment for students to lab equipment that fuels discovery and research. Learn about the grants awarded this year!

2) Merit Scholarship

Awarded annually to an in-state freshman Honors student, this scholarship assists UNCW in recruiting and retaining academically strong students.

Support the Friends of UNCW Grant Program

Give Now

Apply for the Friends of UNCW Board

Upcoming Board Meetings

Wednesday, Nov. 12
Noon | Meeting in Veterans Hall, Room 1032
1 p.m. | Lunch in The Shore Dining Hall

Wednesday, Feb. 18
Details TBA

Previous Board Meetings

Wednesday, Sept. 10
Meeting Details (PDF)

To speak with someone about the Friends of UNCW, contact:

Katie Deming
Assistant Director, Advancement Boards
(910) 962.2144
demingk@uncw.edu

Board of Directors

Executive Committee

Nan Caison '83

President

Julie Fisher '83

Vice President

Kathey Craig

Secretary

Cynthia Boylan

Treasurer

Louise Gorham ’59

Honorary Life Member

Board of Directors

Sue Bowyer '94

Kathey Craig

Margaret Freeman

Melissa George

Amber Harris '04

Karen King '94

Jane Maloy

Linda Miles

Christian Miller

Jeffrey Newell '71

Nancy Rau

Ann Richardson '85

Betty Schedler '84

Susan Stern Huffine '97

Susan Wasserman

Janine Powell '88

More About the Grant Program

Due to the generosity of donors, the Friends of UNCW has provided microgrants to the UNCW campus for more than 20 years.

Over the past twenty years, the Friends of UNCW allocated more than $304,515 to support 358 projects! The Friends of UNCW Board of Directors is proud to support a wide variety of creative and innovative ideas to support the UNCW campus.

Last year, 42 proposals were reviewed and 23 were awarded, totaling more than $28,000 in funds deployed to support students and the UNCW campus.

Grants Awarded Spring 2025

Grant to the Office of Military Affairs to support the OMA Brunch & Learn initiative that connects our veteran and military-affiliated students with valuable resources, both on campus and in the community and to support their academic and personal success.
Grant to the Office of Sustainability to add picnic tables and trail kiosk to the Ev-Henwood Nature Preserve to improve visitors’ experience, promote community engagement, sustainability, and education.
Grant to the Public Health Department to empower middle/high school students to be advocates for smoking/vaping prevention and foster both a culture and appreciation of health promotion within the broader community of Southeastern North Carolina.
Grant to the School of Health & Applied Human Sciences to enhance students’ ability to manage emergencies by providing realistic, applied learning opportunities within 3 UNCW courses involving First Aid certification.
Grant to the School of Nursing to help enhance clinical decision-making, critical thinking, and teamwork among Doctor of Nursing Practice students, faculty, and staff and to equip participants for real-world healthcare challenges in a fast-paced and demanding environment.
Grant to the World Languages and Cultures Department to offer interactive storytelling sessions for Spanish-speaking children and bilingual education tools to their families, strengthen bilingual language skills, foster cultural awareness, and connect UNCW with the local Hispanic community.
Grant to the Creative Writing Department to expand student design learning capabilities and allow students to learn new hand lettering and freehand graphic design techniques.
Grant to the World Languages and Cultures Department to expand the outreach efforts of the Japanese program at UNCW.
Grant to the Gender Studies & Research Center and Women’s and Gender Studies to provide female identified students with intensive leadership training, support groups, and unparalleled engagement with experience UNCW and Wilmington leaders.
Grant to the English Department to purchase a small collection of vellum leaves for the Special Collections to provide a unique learning opportunity for students and raise UNCW’s profile as a research destination.
Grant to the Music Department to build the musicianship skills of all singers in UNCW’s premier choir and increase students’ skills, making them competitive for jobs and graduate school.
Grant to the Art & Art History Department purchase two large Takach Press hand rollers for the printmaking studio to offer students the opportunity to work with professional equipment.
Grant to the Mathematics and Statistics Department to purchase curriculum and teaching tools to support the Math Circle Project that provides teachers with unique mentoring experiences and middle school students with the opportunity to realize their own capacities as mathematical thinkers.
Grant to the Department of Environmental Sciences to enhance community-based Citizen Science Research and K-12 Education for Coastal Resilience.
Grant to the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to support the Ocean Innovation Conference that inspires action and collaboration that leads to tangible solutions for ocean preservation.
Grant to the Department of Campus Life to purchase and install two pieces of student art in the Ann Flack Boseman Art Gallery, allowing Campus Activities & Programs to grow their student art collection in Campus Life Facilities
Grant to the Transfer Center to support Pre-Hark Student programming to enrich the student experience for program participants.
Grant to the Information Technology and Digital Services Department to add leatherworking to the services and workshops in the Makerspace in the UNCW Library.
Grant to the Instruction Technology, Foundations and Secondary Education Department to support participation of children for summer programs to promote learning in STEM, health, and education careers.
Grant to the Betty Holden Stike Education Laboratory to inspire use of the Kitchen Classroom for cooking activities that enhance real world reading and math skills by integrating hands-on tasks like reading recipes and measuring ingredients.
Grant to the Center for Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to expand CESTEM’s Technology Loan Program with equipment that introduces students to real-world problems through the process of coding and provide support for teachers to integrate lessons that align with Science and Engineering practices.
Grant to MarineQuest to enhance and expand the curriculum by purchasing supplies to make 11 new MarineQuest-developed 2TC turtle teaching tools that allow students to become sea turtle scientists and conduct a simulated necropsy
Grant to the Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Level, Literacy, and Special Education (EEMLS) to expand its reach to Halyburton Nature Center in Wilmington and make it accessible to students, teachers, and the community through the Coastal Eco Explorer mobile application.