A campaign platform built to educate our campus and community on the United Negro College Fund, its lifeline to Clark Atlanta University, and the seven-decade legacy of the National Pre-Alumni Council that trains us to give back before we ever walk the stage.
Founded on April 25, 1944, by Dr. Frederick D. Patterson and Mary McLeod Bethune, the United Negro College Fund set out to do something no one else was doing at the time: pool resources across historically Black colleges so that no worthy student would be turned away for lack of money. Eight decades later, that promise hasn't changed.
UNCF's mission is to build a nationally recognized pipeline of under-represented students who, because of UNCF support, become highly qualified college graduates — while helping its network of member institutions serve as a model of best practice in moving students to and through college.
Scholarships, internships, and fellowships that close the gap between a family's income and a college bill.
Direct institutional support to 37 member historically Black colleges and universities, keeping tuition dramatically lower than comparable schools.
UNCF is the nation's leading voice for minority higher education, working to remove barriers at the local and federal level.
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
Coined in 1972, it remains one of the most recognized advertising slogans in American history — and a call to action UNCF has lived out since 1944.
Since its founding, UNCF has raised more than $5 billion and helped over 500,000 students not just enroll, but graduate and lead. Here's what that looks like right now.
Figures drawn from UNCF's published fact sheets and impact reporting; UNCF updates these numbers annually, so current totals may vary slightly at uncf.org.
CAU isn't just one of UNCF's 37 member institutions — it's the largest one. That partnership shapes campus life in ways students see every single day.
With over 4,000 students, Clark Atlanta is the largest of UNCF's 37-member network — meaning UNCF dollars and advocacy touch more Panthers than students at any other member school.
CAU formed in 1988 from the consolidation of Atlanta University (1865), the first U.S. institution to award graduate degrees to African Americans, and Clark College (1869), the nation's first four-year liberal arts college built for Black students.
CAU is a cohort member of UNCF's HBCU Transformation Project through the Institute for Capacity Building — a first-of-its-kind effort improving enrollment, graduation, and institutional effectiveness across HBCUs.
UNCF scholarship and program dollars flow directly to CAU students, lowering the real cost of a CAU degree and helping close funding gaps mid-semester, not just at admission.
At Clark Atlanta, the Pre-Alumni Council (CAU PAC) has long stood among the university's most active student organizations — a home base for Panthers who want to serve the campus and stay connected to it long after they leave.
The Pre-Alumni Council has been recognized for years as one of Clark Atlanta's most popular student organizations, standing alongside groups like the Campus Activities Board and Spirit Boosters as a cornerstone of campus involvement.
CAU PAC exists to build the bridge between current students and CAU's alumni network — teaching members what it means to give back to Clark Atlanta long before they ever receive a diploma.
Members organize fundraising and service initiatives that support UNCF and CAU directly, while building fellowship among students, faculty, staff, and alumni across the university.
CAU PAC remains an active, visible presence on campus today — recruiting new members each year and keeping Panthers engaged with both their university and the UNCF mission that supports it.
PAC members organize campaigns and events that raise money directly supporting UNCF's mission and Clark Atlanta students.
Members connect with CAU alumni while still enrolled, creating relationships and mentorship that outlast graduation day.
CAU PAC helps build the next generation of Clark Atlanta alumni leaders, one class of members at a time.
Every vote for Mr. UNCF is a vote for a stronger Pre-Alumni Council, a stronger Clark Atlanta University, and a stronger UNCF for the next generation of Panthers.
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