The United Negro College Fund in Retrospect--A Search for Its True Meaning

Abstract

When founded in 1944 the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), a consortium of black private colleges, was the first such cooperative fund-raising venture in the history of higher education. It represented an attempt by black institutions, typically dependent on chance beneficence, to establish a permanent vehicle for raising supplemental income. Although the Fund very early expressed an interest in the comprehensive educational development of its member colleges, over the years it has concentrated most of its efforts in the area of fund raising. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role the College Fund has played in black higher education, contrasting its stated goals with its actual achievements. The article is outlined in four parts. First, an historical sketch of the existing financial situation, prior to 1944, is provided. Next is established the specific purpose for which UNCF was founded and how well that purpose has been achieved. Finally, the true importance of the organization is stated, along with recommendations for improving fund raising.