Governor’s School changes fundraising strategy

The deadline for deciding if both Governor’s School campuses will remain open is looming, but fundraisers remain optimistic.

The N.C. Governor’s School Foundation announced Tuesday a decision to change its fundraising strategies to focus on soliciting North Carolina foundations and businesses rather than alumni for donations.

Roice Fulton, vice president of the foundation, said it decided to move forward with this strategy to allow businesses more time to donate money.

Some businesses had expressed interest in donating but couldn’t meet the foundation’s original fundraising deadline in October.

“We’re so much more comfortable in saying we’ll have both campuses open in some fashion,” he said.

After state funding was cut this summer for the program, a group of alumni began an effort to keep the program running.

As of Tuesday, they had raised $535,737.50 — enough to allow one of its two campuses to remain open.

These promising efforts led the N.C. State Board of Education to give the foundation an extension until Jan. 17 to raise the rest of the $1 million goal needed to open the second campus.

Michael McElreath, director of Governor’s School East, said the foundation is striving to make sure the program offers the same experience to future students as it did to the alumni.

“The choice is basically between having two campuses or one, but whether we have one or two, we want students to have the full experience,” he said.

David Winslow, a Governor’s School alumnus who is coordinating fundraising, said the foundation is targeting in-state businesses based on their sectors and geographic interests.

Winslow said a recent donation from Burroughs Wellcome Fund, a local foundation that supports medical research, highlights how some potential donors invest in Governor’s School because it keeps math and science education strong in the state.

So far, Burroughs and two other organizations have pledged $15,000 total, and several others have committed funds.

“It’s always a gamble, but we’re hoping to be able to announce some major gifts in the next few weeks and get people motivated during the holiday season,” Fulton said.

Despite its success so far, the foundation emphasizes that private donations will not provide a long-term funding solution — it will need state money.

“A lot of the sources are making it clear that privately, in public, and in writing, that this is a one-time deal,” Winslow said.

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