William Pretty Jr. Scholarship Endowment Grant

William Pretty Jr. Scholarship Endowment Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: North Carolina Community Foundation Inc
Amount: More than US $1,000
Last Updated: February 22, 2026

Summary

Easily learn more about the William Pretty Jr. The next deadline for this grant is Thu, 04 Mar 2027.

Overview

What We Do At the North Carolina Community Foundation, we bring together generous people and connect them to causes and organizations they care about. Our mission is to inspire North Carolinians to make lasting and meaningful contributions to their communities. Our Philanthropic Network We believe in the power of permanent philanthropy to strengthen our communities and people. By stewarding and growing donors’ gifts, our philanthropic network makes a powerful impact through robust grants and scholarships programs. William Pretty Jr. Scholarship Endowment About Dr. William “Bill” Pretty Jr. The family of Dr. William “Bill” Pretty Jr. established the William Pretty Jr. Scholarship Endowment in memory of their beloved husband and father after he passed away on September 28, 2003, at the age of 59. Through this fund, his family wants to continue Pretty’s commitment to assist and inspire youth. Dr. Pretty believed that with determination, perseverance, and a strong belief in God, anything was possible. He graduated from Shaw University and began his career in the federal government helping disadvantaged youth. After ten years, and with knowledge gained from helping in his father’s restaurant, Pretty became the first African American McDonald’s operator in North Carolina. Along with his wife Mildred, he operated three McDonald’s locations for 27 years in Sanford, NC. Pretty had a special rapport with young people and always went out of his way to nurture them. His motto was, “the work experience, no matter how short, is very valuable.” To support his motto, even when overstaffed, he always hired young people at his McDonald’s. With Mildred, Bill served his community in multiple ways. He was a trustee of Shaw University and First Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford and served on many other boards and committees. Mildred was a board member of the Ronald McDonald House in Durham. His family created the William Pretty Jr. Scholarship Endowment at NCCF after the Black McDonald’s Operators Association approached them about the idea. Dr. Pretty was a true humanitarian. His love for people and his outreaching personality created valuable and long-lasting relationships. The Pretty family is proud to support students like him.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Graduating senior or a graduate of a high school in Wake, Duplin, Lee, or Chatham counties, attending or with plans to attend Shaw University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, North Carolina State University, Wake Forest University, or Liberty University, pursuing a degree in the field of business.Depending on the scholarship, it may pay for tuition, room and board, books, fees and/or other related educational expenses.If you don’t know which school you’re going to attend, you can still apply for North Carolina Community Foundation scholarships. You are encouraged to list your first choice and use that school throughout the application.If you are undecided, please be sure to address that in your essay so the reviewers are aware there may be a change.You can apply for any scholarship you are eligible for.

Ineligibility

NCCF scholarship awards are only issued to not-for-profit institutions and government entities such as public colleges or universities.