Donors have embraced East Carolina University’s priority fundraising focus to further initiatives like scholarships and research, contributing nearly $74.4 million in philanthropic support, according to a fiscal year-end wrap-up of 2024-25.
The fundraising total includes $23.2 million – through the ECU Health Foundation – for health sciences and health care priorities.
Notable fiscal year giving included $2 million from the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF to create a scholarship program in the College of Nursing. The five-year partnership launches a first-of-its-kind initiative at ECU to establish a medic-to-nurse pathway that will bring military medics through the accelerated Bachelor of Science program in the College of Nursing.
Also of note is a three-year, $593,000 grant from Dogwood Health Trust that invests more than $85,000 in Patient Care Funds for the School of Dental Medicine and more than $425,000 in salary support for existing and additional positions at the Sylva and Spruce Pine Community Service Learning Centers (CSLC). The grant will ensure that more uninsured individuals receive services and allow the CSLCs to provide competitive salaries in hiring clinical staff and practice management positions.
Dr. Philip Rogers, chancellor of East Carolina University, talks with PBS NC’s David Crabtree about leading the university, adding the School of Dental Medicine and how the university is growing.
East Carolina University is now an R1 research institution, a designation given to the top research universities in the U.S. by the American Council on Education (ACE) and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
This is the highest level of research excellence, awarded to schools with the most funding, faculty-led research and graduate programs, placing ECU among 5% of institutions in the nation that hold the R1 designation. ECU is one of five institutions in North Carolina and among 187 across the country designated as R1.
On Wednesday, ECU celebrated the recent designation.
More than 2,300 alumni, friends and students supported East Carolina University during Pirate Nation Gives on March 5.
Staff and faculty on the health sciences campus added layers of energy and fun to the day beginning with a first-time Pirate Nation Gives kick-off breakfast hosted by the ECU Health Foundation. Challenges were announced to sweeten the idea of supporting funds for allied health sciences, dental, medical and nursing.