UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA FOUNDATION

What UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA FOUNDATION does

The University of North Georgia Foundation, Inc. is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 23-7066297) operating as a Cooperating Organization under formal agreement with the University System of Georgia. Its sole function is to receive and manage all charitable gifts, endowments, and grants on behalf of the University of North Georgia, with funds distributed as scholarships, program support, faculty resources, and capital projects across UNG's colleges, the Corps of Cadets, and Nighthawk Athletics. The foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees, with the UNG Vice President for University Advancement serving as CEO and staff/support functions performed by full-time university employees.

The foundation operates a multi-channel fundraising platform comprising annual giving (UNG Fund), endowment giving, capital giving, legacy/bequest planning, a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF), IRA qualified charitable distributions, and faculty/staff payroll deduction. Donor engagement is structured around the 1873 Circle, a leadership annual giving society with tiers from Dean's Circle ($1,000) to President's Circle ($25,000+). Signature events, including the Shawn Mullins benefit concert for the Golden Eagle Band, supplement transactional giving with experiential programming.

The foundation's technology footprint is a Squarespace-hosted website (unggive.org) with online donation processing, donor impact reporting, and standard analytics. It earned the Candid Platinum Seal 2025 for nonprofit transparency. Geographic focus is regional (North Georgia / Southeast Georgia), with the affiliated UNG Real Estate Foundation handling real property acquisition and management as a separate but related legal entity.

Name

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA FOUNDATION

Legal name

University of North Georgia Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://unggive.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The University of North Georgia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that manages charitable gifts, endowments, and capital campaigns on behalf of the University of North Georgia, supporting scholarships, academic programs, the Corps of Cadets, and athletics through annual, major, and planned giving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Fundraising Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB), Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support (EDALAIAN)

Keywords

• Higher education fundraising
• Charitable foundation management
• Endowment giving programs
• Scholarship fund administration
• Donor-advised fund services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dahlonega

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Giving (UNG Fund): Recurring annual donations that fund student support, innovative programs, and faculty resources on a yearly basis. Donors contribute every year to support ongoing operations.
2. Endowment Giving: Permanent gift funds that produce dividends/interest over time, supporting scholarships, academic programs, and facilities. Invested for long-term sustainability.
3. Capital Giving: Major gifts designated for buildings and renovations. Funds specific capital projects and facilities improvements.
4. Legacy Giving: One-time lifetime gifts through bequests and planned giving arrangements. Includes charitable trusts, gift annuities, and estate gifts.
5. Donor-Advised Fund Gifts: Gifts made through donor-advised funds, allowing donors to recommend grant allocations from their DAF accounts.
6. IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions: Tax-advantaged charitable distributions from IRA accounts for donors age 70½ or older.
7. Event-Based Fundraising: Benefit concerts and special events like the Shawn Mullins concert generating revenue for specific programs (Golden Eagle Band). Ticket sales and sponsorships.
8. Commemorative Brick Pavers: Sale of commemorative brick pavers ($250 each) and mini-replica pavers ($40) at Colonel Ben Purcell Formation Plaza, benefiting the Corps of Cadets Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The University of North Georgia Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Cooperating Organization that receives, manages, and stewards charitable gifts and endowments on behalf of the University of North Georgia. It offers multiple giving programs (annual giving, endowment, capital, legacy, scholarships, donor-advised fund) and directs funds to UNG students via scholarships, to academic programs, faculty resources, and to capital projects and facilities. It also operates the 1873 Circle leadership annual giving society and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

The University of North Georgia Foundation operates as a unified fundraising platform offering multiple giving programs. The core offerings include the UNG Fund (annual giving), Scholarships, Endowment Giving, Capital Giving, Legacy Giving, and the UNG Foundation DAF (Donor-Advised Fund). The 1873 Circle serves as the leadership annual giving society for $1,000+ donors. Additional programs include Faculty & Staff Giving (payroll deduction), support for the Corps of Cadets, Nighthawk Athletics, Signature Events (benefit concerts), and Commemorative Brick Pavers. The separate UNG Real Estate Foundation handles property acquisition and management. College-specific giving programs allow donors to support individual academic units including Business, Science & Mathematics, Education, Health & Wellness, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 1873 Circle: Leadership Annual Giving program at the University of North Georgia with annual philanthropic contributions of $1,000 and greater.
• UNG Foundation DAF

Products and services

• UNG Fund (Annual Giving)

Quantifiable outcome

• UNG recognized nationally for affordability and value
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University System of GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal Cooperating Organization agreement with the University System of Georgia. The foundation receives and manages all charitable gifts on behalf of and for the benefit of the University of North Georgia under this agreement.
• Board of Regents, University System of GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative Organizations agreement governing foundation operations. Memoranda of Agreement recorded between donors and foundation for restricted fund management.
• University of North GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull partnership with UNG - foundation staff and support functions performed by full-time University employees. Vice President for University Advancement serves as Foundation CEO. Foundation supports university mission, students, faculty, and programs.
• UNG Alumni AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UNG Alumni Association (ungalumni.org) for alumni engagement and donor cultivation. Joint referral of alumni for fundraising initiatives.
• North Georgia Athletic FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected organization focused on Nighthawk Athletics fundraising. Website linked through UNG Foundation navigation.
• Mike Cottrell College of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamed college receiving major support. Donor-named facility (Cottrell Center) with naming opportunities. AACSB and ABET accredited programs supported by foundation.
• College of Science & MathematicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive STEM Campaign seeking $40 million for state-of-the-art building. Foundation manages fundraising for transdisciplinary STEM curriculum initiatives.
• JoeSongs Music (Joe McClure)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBandmaster-level sponsor ($5,000) for Shawn Mullins benefit concert. Music industry partner supporting Golden Eagle Band fundraising.
• Candid (GuideStar)minorOthersThird-party charity evaluator providing Platinum Seal transparency rating for the foundation. No formal partnership beyond rating services.
• UNG Real Estate FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate affiliated foundation that acquires, leases, develops, manages, and conveys real property for charitable purposes on behalf of UNG. Related but distinct legal entity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Georgia State University Foundation: Supporting foundation for Georgia State University, another USG institution. Operates parallel annual giving, endowment, and scholarship programs for a similarly broad-access public university population.
• University of Georgia Foundation: Supporting foundation for the University of Georgia, the state's flagship university and UNG's primary competitor for alumni philanthropy. Operates under the same University System of Georgia framework and runs comparable scholarship, endowment, and capital giving programs.
• North Georgia Athletic Fund: Affiliated fundraising entity for UNG Nighthawk Athletics, linked through UNG Foundation navigation. Operates within the same donor ecosystem and shares fundraising staff/infrastructure for athletics-specific giving programs.
• Georgia Tech Foundation: Supporting foundation for Georgia Institute of Technology, a peer University System of Georgia institution. Runs large-scale capital campaigns and scholarship programs targeting engineering and STEM alumni — directly competing with UNG's STEM campaign for the same donor pool.
• UNG Real Estate Foundation: Separate but legally affiliated UNG foundation entity that acquires, develops, manages, and conveys real property for charitable purposes on behalf of UNG. Operates under the same University System of Georgia umbrella and shares donor stewardship infrastructure.
• Kennesaw State University Foundation: Supporting foundation for Kennesaw State University, another USG regional institution in North Georgia. Operates comparable annual giving, scholarship, and capital campaigns targeting similar regional alumni and corporate donors in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Broad incumbents

• Clemson University Foundation: Supporting foundation for Clemson University, a larger public regional university with a strong military heritage (Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs). Provides a comparable model for alumni-driven fundraising at a public university with military identity similar to UNG's.
• Auburn University Foundation: Supporting foundation for Auburn University, a peer Southeast public regional university. Operates comparable scholarship, endowment, capital, and planned giving programs at scale, providing a benchmark for alumni engagement and campaign execution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-north-georgia-foundation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA FOUNDATION