NRCC History Book

64 When donors gave to specific academic departments, faculty used the funds to purchase supplies and equipment. In 2010 the foundation’s net assets reached $6,918,000. During the next 10 years, assets grew by an average of 16 percent each year. Even with declining enrollment, the greatest increase in net assets occurred in 2013 with an increase of almost 39 percent from $8,067,000 in 2012 to $11,190,000 in 2013. The net assets recorded for 2019 were $20,190,000, an increase of $13,892,000 or 192 percent since 2010. Continuing a tradition started in 2006, the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) honored philanthropists from each VCCS college for their outstanding commitment to the growth and development of Virginia’s community colleges and their respective foundations. NRCC’s recipients included Greg and Fran Rooker in 2010; Hi and Bev Nicely in 2011; LewisGale Hospital and Carilion Clinic in 2012; L. T. and Cheryll Simmons in 2013; Paul Duncan and Gary Duncan in 2014; Bob Ingram (deceased) in 2015; Giles County ACCE in 2016; Tracy and Sarah Wilkins in 2017; Eddie and Kathy Hale in 2018; and Lee and Ann Wheeler in 2019. Funding from Donations and Grants From 2010 to 2019, NRCC received numerous donations and grants. At the beginning of the decade, the foundation received a large bequest of $925,000 from the Mayberry estate. Also in 2010, the college, along with Virginia Tech (VT), Virginia Western Community College (VWCC), and Wytheville Community College (WCC) were partners in a $3.8

million Department of Labor grant to provide training in green construction and alternative energy. Specifically, NRCC received approximately $500,000 to purchase and install equipment to support the alternative energy curriculum and train 60 individuals for green jobs. Equipment purchased included wind turbines and solar panels located south of Edwards Hall on the campus. A couple of years later, an additional $10,000 was received to fund scholarships for students in the college’s alternative energy program. Also in 2010, the VCCS released $2.75 million in federal funds to colleges to support students participating in college credit and occupational noncredit courses and programs through two new workforce grant programs called On-Ramp and Advanced Manufacturing Skills Project. The On-Ramp grant of $2.5 million was available to 16 colleges serving students in high-unemployment regions. The Advanced Manufacturing Skills Project provided $250,000 to serve students seeking assessment, training, and a workforce credential in manufacturing fields. In 2011 the New River Valley (NRV) Health Foundation donated an EKG machine and equipment worth $5,000 to the nursing program. In 2012, four area hospitals in the Carilion and LewisGale networks contributed $500,000 to NRCC’s nursing curriculum, bringing their total contributions to more than $1 million over the past few years. One of the largest grants received during this decade was the Health Information Technology Education (HITE) grant. The funds from this grant were awarded under President Barack Obama’s Community Based Job Training Grants, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.

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