Campaigns
The Friends of Napa Valley College was created by the Napa Valley College Foundation Board of Directors to assist the college in the areas of greatest need and to support the work of the Foundation.
Members of the Friends of NVC are a select group of distinguished individuals and businesses whose generosity, qualities of leadership, understanding of the college, and faith in its mission provide vital support to Napa Valley College.
Donations to the Friends of NVC are used to support the Napa Valley College Foundation’s fund development program, which enhances education, services and facilities at Napa Valley College.
Members of the Friends of Napa Valley College provide the NVC Foundation with a strong fiscal position to meet future challenges. Your contributions allow us to continue to fulfill our mission.
Dean’s Club $500-$999
You will be listed as a Friends of Napa Valley College donor in the NVC Foundation
Annual Report.
President’s Club $1,000-$4,999
You will receive a seat named in the Little Theater, two tickets to a college production,
and be listed as a Friends of Napa Valley College in the NVC Foundation Annual Report.
Bronze Club $5,000-$9,999
Bronze Club members receive all of the President’s Club benefits and will be invited
to an exclusive lunch hosted by Napa Valley College President and the NVC Foundation.
Silver Club $10,000-$24,999
Silver Club members receive all the Bronze Club honors and will be invited to an exclusive
event hosted by Napa Valley College President and the NVC Foundation.
The Legacy Society is made up of individuals who have supported Napa Valley College with a planned gift through life insurance, IRA or bank account beneficiaries, trusts, charitable gift annuities, real estate donations, bequests by wills and other instruments.
The Napa Valley College Foundation (NVCF) is fully committed to helping our college bound students have success beyond high school. Each year the NVCF receives generous contributions from community members, alumni, and businesses that are designated as scholarships for NVC students excelling in a variety of academic fields, technical subjects, and/or community leadership and service. Scholarships have also been instituted to honor or remember family, friends or organizations. With additional support through the NVCF Endowment, we have assisted over 600 students through the award of over $1 million dollars in the last 5 years.
Scholarship contributions can be made payable to the Napa Valley College Foundation, 2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway, Napa, CA 94558.
Creating a Scholarship
A scholarship can be established in three ways. In 2019, the Board of Directors of the NVCF voted to increase the size of new endowment and scholarship funds and to encourage a minimum of $1,000 per award, due to increased costs to our students for tuition, books and housing.
Endowed Scholarships
Endowments provide funds for the scholarship in perpetuity, but do require a minimum amount of $25,000 to establish and activate. Donors may begin a fund with a contribution of $5,000, provided that additional contributions are made to reach the amount of $25,000 within a five-year period. Once an endowed fund reaches permanent status, one year is needed to accumulate income sufficient to fund an award. Prior to activation of the scholarship, all annual interest and earnings from the investment of the fund will be returned to the principal to help achieve the minimum specified above amounts. A scholarship may be awarded in the academic year a fund is established, only if the donor(s) augment the account by an additional amount that is specified for the scholarship award. If minimum funding ($25,000 or more) is not accomplished within five years after the initial contribution, all accumulated contributions will be placed in a pooled NVCF scholarship endowment fund (a fund which provides awards to high school, continuing and transfer students). It is important to note that Endowments are legal entities and a copy of the legal paperwork must be maintained in the Foundation files on premise.
- Funds restricted for scholarships are generally awarded to students on an annual basis each May.
- Allow a donor to establish the criteria for selection of the scholarship recipient(s).
- Share in the annual distribution of earnings generated by NVC Foundation investments.
The amount of the scholarship to be awarded depends on the amount of the endowment. For example: A $25,000 will generate approximately $800-$1000 each year.
Investment of the principal of each endowment shall be handled in accordance with Foundation investment policies, with the goal of achieving maximum earnings for each fund. Written records of the performance of each endowment are kept in the NVC Foundation office.
Scholarship Funds
A scholarship fund may be established with the same requirements as an endowed fund, but may be established without legal representation. Please see above for details regarding the amounts and timing of donations.
Annual Scholarships
The minimum annual scholarship award amount is $500, with preference for $1,000 awards. New annual scholarships of $500 or higher may be named to honor or memorialize an individual.
Annual scholarships are:
- Generally awarded in the academic year the money is received by the Foundation (unless otherwise specified). The Foundation asks that the amounts are received by the Foundation by January 1st of the year in which they are granted. Students begin the application process early in January.
- Annual scholarships do not share in the distribution of earnings.
- Allow a donor to establish the criteria for selection of the scholarship recipient(s), or give the NVC Scholarship Committee the opportunity to award the scholarship to deserving students who would not otherwise be selected.
The Foundation manages more than 165 scholarship endowments, but it also manages 20 other endowments for Foundation, program and facility support. You can donate to any of these endowments, or you can create your own endowment. For more information contact the Foundation office (707) 253-3374 or nvcf@napavalley.edu
- Abramowicz Family Memorial Fund: supports the enhancement of college programs
- Bernice Blanckenburg Fund: supports the fine arts program
- William & Mary Blanckenburg Library Fund: supports the library
- Bumpy Camp Endowment Fund: for maintenance of former Bumpy Camp land
- Bernard & Janice Charlup Endowment Fund: supports the photography program
- Jess Doud Enhancement Fund: supports the enhancement of college programs
- Richard & Helen Fischer Memorial Fund: supports the foreign language department
- General Endowment Fund: unrestricted use
- James B. Henry Family Fund: unrestricted use
- Italian Cultural & Heritage Fund: promotes the arts, culture, language and music of Italy in the Napa Valley
- Jessamyn West Creative Writing: supports the Jessamyn West Creative Writing contest
- Robert & Barbara McCleary Fund: supports the library
- McPherson Fund: supports the McPherson Distinguished Teaching Awards & Jessamyn
- West contest as well as high school scholarships
- Belle & Barney Rhodes Culinary Program Fund: supports the culinary program
- Rotary Fund for the College President: discretionary for use by the NVC President to meet the needs of the College for which funds are otherwise unavailable
- Science Program Endowment: supports science programs
- Melody Seymour, Ph.D., Phi Theta Kappa Charter Advisors Award: supports student memberships in Phi Theta Kappa
- Swan Library Fund: supports the library
- Teaff Family Endowment Fund: unrestricted use
- Dorothy Weed Memorial Fund: supports the vocal music program
- Wheatley Library Fund: supports library materials on Napa Valley history