About Us Mission & History
About The UCF Foundation
The University of Central Florida Foundation, Incorporated is the official fund-raising and gift beneficiary for the University of Central Florida.
In 1969, the FTU Foundation, Inc. was established to meet the developing needs of a university surrounded by growth and expansion. Its purpose was to solicit, receive and disburse gifts and funds to the university. When the university changed its name, the foundation appropriately changed its name to the UCF Foundation, Inc.
The UCF Foundation, Inc., plays a fundamental role in the continued excellence of the university. While funding from the state provides assistance to finance basic instruction, the superior quality of a UCF education is realized through private support.
Mission Statement
The UCF Foundation encourages, stewards and celebrates charitable contributions from alumni and friends to support the University of Central Florida. The central function of the foundation is to secure and manage charitable resources for the university and always act with integrity and honesty. The foundation is committed to being a premier university foundation that anticipates and is responsive to the needs of the University of Central Florida. This vision is carried out through relationship building among alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and community partners. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization and a direct support organization to the University of Central Florida. The University of Central Florida was originally named Florida Technological University when it was established in 1963 as part of the state university system. Dr. Trevor Colbourn was announced as the next president of the university in 1978. Dr. Colbourn built upon the ideals of his predecessor to further expand the university and to embrace new developments and change. As a result of Dr. Colbourn's efforts, FTU changed its mission and name to better reflect its growth into a full service institution offering a wide range of academic programs. Florida Technological University became the University of Central Florida and the next era of excellence began. Dr. Colbourn's hard work and diligence can also be seen today through the successful establishment of the UCF football program, the UCF marching band and the Central Florida Research Park. UCF's third president, Dr. Steven Altman, joined the campus in 1989. He contributed to hiring strong deans, raising research dollars and making clear growth plans to boost the university's profile. Dr. Altman developed a strategic plan to help guide UCF in becoming a major metropolitan university and boosting its profile. The growth of UCF still continues under the leadership of UCF's current president, Dr. John Hitt, whose tenure began in 1992. He expanded on Dr. Altman's strategic plan to create five major goals to ensure the future success of UCF. These goals are: For additional information, visit UCF's Institutional Research site.
Vision
Vision
Core Values
History
The university received its name and identity from its first president, Dr. Charles Millican, who chose the Pegasus as the official school emblem, and black and gold as the official school colors. Dr. Millican's first major goal was achieved when classes began at FTU in 1968.
