The new Apiculture field laboratory and an endowed professorship will represent the commitment by the State of North Carolina, NC State University and the beekeeping community of North Carolina to have a first class honey bee research program. And the NCSBA is leading the way to make that happen!
As members of the NCSBA, we can be proud of our Association’s success in securing funding for the new Apiculture lab. Scheduled for completion by Fall 2025, the new lab will represent a landmark achievement by the NCSBA. Those who worked to lobby the NC General Assembly for $4 million to fund the new lab are to be congratulated for their success!
The Association has now set a new goal; to establish an endowed professorship that will create a permanent position for an apiculture professor at NC State. $1 million will be required to fully fund the endowment and the NCSBA and NC State have partnered to make it happen. The endowment will begin as the NCSBA Faculty Award in Apiculture until full funding is achieved at which time it will be converted to an endowed professorship. Once two-thirds of the $1 million is secured, NC State will contribute enough to make the fund $1 million. The annual returns from the investment of the fund will be used to support the salary of an apiculture professor. The NCSBA Board of Directors has made a five-year, $250,000 pledge and is preparing to embark on a five-year fund raising initiative towards a goal of $667,000. Donations from the NCSBA membership of any amount will be welcome; in fact, small donors can potentially have a huge impact. With more than 4,500 members, just a few hundred of us can make the difference. Many of the over eighty chapters in our Association have the potential support our effort as well. Please choose to be a part of the endowment initiative by helping your chapter raise money or by making direct contributions. More details will follow as the NCSBA and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences join forces in this historic effort!
Please visit the links to learn more about the impact that an endowed professorship will make and how to be a part of the future of Apiculture Science in North Carolina.5
A key component of the Apiculture Science Initiative is an endowed professorship; but exactly what does that mean? An endowed professorship is a permanent fund that enables a university to have the financial means to continue the program that the endowment was created for. This would in effect create a permanent position at NCSU for apiculture research. As it is now, when NCSU’s current apiculture professor, Dr. David Tarpy, retires, the University could elect to not continue apiculture research; the apiculture program could be discontinued for preference of research in some other agricultural field. That situation has befallen apiculture programs at other universities. An endowment, in conjunction with a soon to be constructed first-class field lab, would enable the NC State Apiculture program to better compete for larger, more prestigious research grant awards. In addition, it will help to consistently attract top level faculty and skilled research associates to the program.
The professorship will be named the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association Distinguished Professor in Apiculture and will the only one of its kind in the US; a professorship specifically created for honey bee research.
With more than 4,500 members and over eighty chapters, the NCSBA has strength in numbers. Thousands of individual beekeepers in North Carolina who make contributions large and small will be very important to the success of the endowment initiative. Please indicate which local beekeeping association you are a member of when you donate. Your chapter will receive recognition for your support. NCSBA chapters can contribute at any time or chose to follow the lead of the State Association and make five-year pledges of their own. Some chapters have already pledged at the endowment level of $1,000 per year for five years. Your Regional Director can help you with questions that your chapter might have in order to get started. The NCSBA President and Vice-Presidents will be available as help as well. Chapters can raise money any number of ways and many of our chapters are experienced in raising funds for club projects. Chapters can host events to benefit the endowment, sell honey at local markets and fairs, have fifty-fifty drawings at each meeting, and hold raffles; just to name a few possible ways.
Click here to donate online now
NOTE: Contributions to the NCSBA are not tax deductible as charitable contributions.
If you would prefer to donate via check please mail it to:
NC State Beekeepers Association
PO Box 99
Hurdle Mills, NC 27541
(In the memo line include: NCSBA endowment – Local chapter name )
Take the ten dollar challenge
A very important way to support the endowment will be upon membership renewal each year; please plan to make a contribution of any amount when you renew. It would be great if every member were to donate $10 or more; that would be over $45,000 per year! In addition, help spread the word to your fellow beekeepers to encourage others to get on board with the endowment initiative.
Prefer to contribute directly to the Endowment Fund? Need a tax deduction for your contributions? The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association Faculty Award in Apiculture is administered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at NC State University. Funds are collected and managed by The Endowment Fund of NC State University, tax id-56-6000756. You will receive an official receipt for your donation.
Beekeepers can donate to the NCSBA Faculty Award in the following ways:
- Make a cash gift on a recurring basis
- Designate memorial contributions
- Designate life insurance gifts and gifts through estates
- Make a one-time donation
What are the benefits of being a donor?
- All gifts in compliance with the IRS guidelines are fully tax deductible
- NC State professionals can work with you and your advisors to identify ways for major gifts
- All contributors will be recognized by NCSU officials in regular reports to the apiculture program
- All contributors will be recognized by the NCSBA for their leadership
- Support important apiculture research that will benefit the honey bee, agriculture and beekeepers across the nation
Any amount of money donated on a regular basis will become significant over time
- Go to http://go.ncsu.edu/NCSBAendowment
- The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association Faculty Award in Apiculture will appear as the selected fund
- Decide how much money to donate
- Schedule the payment(s)
- Enter your information
- Become a part of the future of the Apiculture Program!
- Please make your gift in honor of your local beekeeping association. Your chapter will receive recognition for your support.