The North Carolina Motorsports Foundation (NCMF) is a 501(c)3 founded with the mission to support the racing industry in North Carolina through educational initiatives.
Chief among these initiatives is the granting of scholarships for individuals seeking a career in the racing industry. Annual awards are provided to qualified and deserving individuals from a broad range of disciplines and educational institutions.
Funding for the Foundation awards is achieved through a variety of methods inclusive of grants, donations, fundraising and the receipt of a portion of proceeds from the sale of North Carolina’s race-themed automobile license plates.
The chosen mission of education initiatives by NCMF was developed from desire to support racing and the enormous economic impact motorsports provides for the state of North Carolina. In a study produced by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and NCMF’s sister organization, the North Carolina Motorsports Association, it was discovered that the racing industry contributes $6.2 billion annually to the economy of North Carolina.
It logically follows that maintenance of a healthy racing industry is integral to the economic health of the state. Part of keeping it healthy is assuring the industry continues to develop a qualified workforce.
To help facilitate this, the NCMF provides annual scholarships to deserving students seeking careers in the motorsports industry. Scholarships are awarded in two categories; the Sam Belnavis Scholarship Program named for NCMF Chairman Emeritus, a pioneer in the diversity effort in NASCAR, as well as NCMF General Scholarship Fund. Scholarships are awarded in a broad representation of disciplines including technical, administrative, engineering and many other disciplines.
The Foundation is governed by a 16-member Board of Directors and administered by an executive director. Individuals on the Board of Directors are comprised of industry leaders with substantial industry background and are imminently qualified to steer the Foundation in the fulfillment of its mission.
Virtually every industry facet is represented by the NCMF Board including education institutions, banking, law firms, race teams, high performance manufacturing, race tracks, NASCAR, specialized research & development and more.
Moving forward, NCMF is set on a course to achieve and expand its mission by supporting the racing industry in North Carolina through educational initiatives.