Powering a Stronger Future: Campaign Updates

We invite you to follow along with the progress of Powering a Stronger Future.

Read about recent campaign gifts. Learn about our inspiring students.
For a full collection of alumni and Foundation-related news, visit our Foundation news page.

Record $66.3 Million Raised During Campaign

The five-year "Powering A Stronger Future" campaign proved to be a tremendous success, raising $66,316,795 for Central Piedmont Community College. More than 3,270 donors made gifts and pledges to the campaign, with more than half of the benefactors giving to the college for the first time. The campaign opened with a $40-million goal, making it the most ambitious campaign in Central Piedmont's history. When the campaign closed on June 30, it had surpassed its goal by more than $26 million, setting a new, all-time fundraising record for the college. Read more

View photos of the event.

View our campaign highlight video.

Honeywell Makes $1-Million to Establish STEM Scholars Academy

Honeywell, a global leader in aerospace, building technologies, performance materials, and technologies, has made a $1-million gift commitment to Central Piedmont Community College to establish the Honeywell STEM Scholars Academy at the college. The gift will come to Central Piedmont in annual installments of $200,000 over the next five years. Read more

TowneBank Commits $300,000 Gift to Central Piedmont's ACT Program

TowneBank has made a $300,000 gift commitment to Central Piedmont Community College to support its Accelerated Career Training (ACT) program. Launched in 2018, the program seeks to address the economic mobility challenges many under-employed adults in Mecklenburg County encounter by providing them with short-term training tracks, no-cost job training, and the support services they need to become work-ready in as little as seven to 15 weeks. Read more

Leon Levine Health Sciences Center dedication ribbon cutting

College Dedicates Leon Levine Health Sciences Center

Central Piedmont Community College dedicated the Leon Levine Health Sciences Center on October 21. The naming is in recognition of a $2.5-million grant from The Leon Levine Foundation to support health sciences education and health careers preparation at Central Piedmont. Read more

View photos of the event.

Central Piedmont student Tyler Jackson shares his story of how the Opportunity Scholarship changed the trajectory of his life and opened up a world of possibility.

College Dedicates Ruth G. Shaw Advanced Technology Center

Central Piedmont Community College dedicated the Ruth G. Shaw Advanced Technology Center, located on the college's Central Campus, on Sept. 24. "The Ruth G. Shaw Advanced Technology Center has become the cornerstone of our technology driven advanced manufacturing and engineering programs. It is a state-of-the-art training facility with which the college is proud to honor Dr. Ruth Shaw's legacy," said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont president. Read more

Sally Gambrell Bridgford, President of the Gambrell Foundation, speaks about the comprehensive services that Central Piedmont offers.

The Opportunity Scholarship is one example of how this partnership is helping students overcome obstacles and thrive in school.

cast of newsies production at Central Piedmont

College Receives $10-Million Gift Commitment to Strengthen Arts & Humanities

A donor who wishes to remain anonymous has made a $10-million gift commitment to Central Piedmont Community College. The gift is the single-largest individual donation in Central Piedmont's 58-year history and among the largest gifts ever made to a community college nationwide. Central Piedmont will use the gift to transform its role as a community resource for arts and humanities programming and learning. Read more

The Metallica All Within My Hands Foundation

College Awarded $25K for Metallica Scholars Initiative

For the third-consecutive year, Central Piedmont Community College was selected to participate in the Metallica Scholars Initiative and receive $25,000 in funding to support its career and technical education programs. Read more

Dena Diorio is the Mecklenburg County Manager, responsible for leading the County and advising the Board of County Commissioners on operational and financial matters.

Mecklenburg County is a major source of funding for Central Piedmont Community College, and Dena says it's "money well spent."

students raising hands in classroom setting

STRIVE Scholars Program is Building Tomorrow's Pre-K Educators

The Mecklenburg County Pre-K initiative, the Foundation for the Carolinas, the Comprehensive Early Learning Center, and the Central Piedmont Foundation have awarded Central Piedmont's early childhood education program a $4 million grant to create the STRIVE Scholars program. Read more

medical assisting/nursing student performs vital check on dummy patient

$500,000 Grant to Create and Name the Dickson Licensed Practical Nursing Program

The Dickson Foundation of Charlotte has awarded Central Piedmont Community College a $500,000 grant to develop a new licensed practical nursing program at the college that will provide students with an accelerated path to a meaningful, family-sustaining career in the healthcare industry and address the employment needs of Charlotte's healthcare sector. Thanks to the Foundation's generous gift, the program will permanently be named the Dickson Licensed Practical Nursing Program at Central Piedmont. Read more

Student view laptop screen together in classroom setting

College Receives $500,000 Grant From JPMorgan Chase

Central Piedmont Community College received more than $700,000 from JPMorgan Chase to meet community needs for economically mobile career pathways and pandemic-related relief. A $500,000 grant will help the college develop new, fully online training pathways in high-demand IT fields, including cybersecurity, health IT and forensic accounting. The funds will provide for course development, instructional capacity, technology and student support services. Read more

Bank of America Commits $1M to College for Job Initiative

Central Piedmont Community College and Bank of America today announced a new $1-million jobs initiative partnership to help underrepresented students successfully complete the education and training necessary to enter the workforce and embark on a path to success in the Charlotte region. This initiative builds on Bank of America's ongoing work in the communities it serves to address underlying issues facing individuals and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the current health crisis. Read more

Lowes Foundation Grant Support Opportunity Scholarship Initiative

The Lowes Foundation has awarded Central Piedmont a $52,500 grant, as part of the college's Powering a Stronger Future campaign, to support five Opportunity Scholarships at the college. Read more

Charlotte Pipe & Foundry Awards $1M to Central Piedmont

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company, through its charitable giving arm The Dowd Foundation, has awarded Central Piedmont Community College a $1-million grant to support plumbing and pipefitting scholarships and instruction at the college. Read more

Graphic explaining Central Piedmont's Emergency Fund for short-term needs of food, housing, child care, medical expenses, transportation, and technology

PNC Foundation $25,000 Grant to Support Single Stop, Emergency Fund

The PNC Foundation has awarded Central Piedmont Community College a $25,000 grant to support the college's Single Stop program, an initiative that connects students to the support services they need to succeed in college and administers the college's Emergency Fund. Read more

$15,000 AT&T Grant to Support Emergency Fund

AT&T has awarded the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation a $15,000 grant in support of the college's Emergency Fund to provide immediate, short-term, financial support to students and employees who have emergency financial needs related to housing, utilities, medical expenses, food, technology and more. Read more

Students listen to instructor in classroom setting

PNC Foundation Grants to Support Early Childhood Education

The PNC Foundation has awarded Central Piedmont Community College two grants totaling $500,000 to support the college's early childhood education program and help train more pre-K teachers as Mecklenburg County works to provide more pre-K opportunities for local children. Read more

Anonymous Donor Gives to Emergency Fund, Issues Matching Gift Challenge

Central Piedmont Community College Foundation is proud to announce an anonymous donor has made a generous and timely commitment that will match all gifts made to the college's Emergency Fund on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to $100,000

Central Piedmont's Emergency Fund provides short-term financial support to students and employees experiencing financial emergencies. Read more

Few people have done more for the Charlotte community than Harvey Gantt. As Charlotte's first black mayor and Clemson's first black student, Mr. Gantt personally knows the power of education.

That's why for Black History Month 2020 he explains why he chooses to support Central Piedmont.

Central Piedmont Selected for Year Two of Metallica Scholars Initiative

The rock band Metallica's All Within My Hands Foundation (AWMH) has once again selected Central Piedmont Community College to participate in the second iteration of the Metallica Scholars Initiative a program that supports career and technical education programs at community colleges across the nation. Read more

Acclaimed chef and Central Piedmont alumnus, Chris Coleman has had a busy year! From winning his appearance on Food Network's "Chopped" to starting his new restaurant (The Goodyear House) in NoDa, Chris has already made an impact on the food scene in Charlotte and beyond.

His journey toward #aStrongerFuture started at Central Piedmont, and you can power others' futures with your contribution to Powering A Stronger Future.

Student Government Vice President and Opportunity Scholar Yeisha Calderon is a recipient of the Opportunity Scholarship. Your gift to Powering A Stronger Future changes lives and creates #aStrongerFuture for all of us.

Click the video to hear Yeisha's story.

Dan Bailey from Steele Mechanical presenting check to Central Piedmont's Aimee Brunton and Dr. Kevin McCarthy

Steele's Mechanical Donates $50,000 to Central Piedmont Foundation

Steele's Mechanical, a mechanical contracting firm based in Lancaster, S.C., presented the Central Piedmont Foundation with a $50,000 gift on Dec. 19, to support scholarships for student veterans at the college. Steele's Mechanical President Dan Bailey, a Central Piedmont alumnus and U.S. veteran, visited the college's Central Campus to present the check to Dr. Kevin McCarthy, vice president for institutional advancement, and Aimee Brunton, director of development for Central Piedmont. Read more

Central Piedmont Faculty Are Changing Lives

Laura and James Bazán have each taught at Central Piedmont for over 20 years. During that time, they've seen countless students make real change in their lives and the lives of their families. "Central Piedmont is a place where potential and possibility work hand-in-hand to create something new," Laura said.

James and Laura are inspired to give back to the college not only because of the students they see striving toward a stronger future each day, but also because of their own life experiences. Read more

Ken Samuelson walking with 3 Central Piedmont students

Foundation Board Member Helps Power a Stronger Future for Students

Today, Kenneth "Ken" Samuelson, helps power a stronger future for Central Piedmont by serving as a member of the Foundation Board of Directors and its Planned Giving Committee. In the future, Ken will make a difference as he helps students become physical therapists, nurses, welders, heating and air conditioning specialists, auto mechanics, graphic designers, information technology professionals and more. Ken has generously named Central Piedmont a beneficiary of his Individual Retirement Account (IRA). "I believe in Central Piedmont," Ken says. "A future gift from an IRA is a smart strategy to use to invest in the college, help students, and support our community."

Raven Bell is pursuing her education at Central Piedmont. Your gift to Powering A Stronger Future helps empower students like Raven to reach their full potential and create #aStrongerFuture for all of us.

Click the video to hear Raven's story.

students and instructor using manufacturing equipment

Donor's Generous Gift will establish Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence

A donor who wishes to remain anonymous has made a significant gift commitment to Central Piedmont Community College to support the creation of a new Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. The center will advance the best practices of impactful teaching at the college to inspire, guide, and support instructors in the key areas of pedagogy, course content and information delivery. Read more

Powering A Stronger Future The Campaign for Central Piedmont #aStrongerFuture Central Piedmont Community College

Central Piedmont Announces $40M Campaign

Central Piedmont Community College has launched the public phase of its "Powering a Stronger Future" campaign. The five-year fundraising effort seeks to raise $40 million the most ambitious and comprehensive campaign in the college's 56-year history. Read more

Central Piedmont President Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer and Campaign Committee Chair Linda Lockmann-Brooks pose for a photo

Campaign Launch Event Photos

On October 30, 2019, the Central Piedmont Foundation hosted an event to launch Powering a Stronger Future. Board members, staff, alumni, students, and supporters gathered to learn more about the impact of Central Piedmont Community College on students and the community. To see photos of the event, view the full Powering a Stronger Future Photo Gallery.