As obtaining education funding becomes increasingly competitive, family literacy programs must communicate their message of success to receive public and private funding and support. A critical component of educational excellence is parental engagement, but how do communities and schools effectively implement parent engagement and family literacy,…

Community colleges are often viewed as the gateway to higher education as well as institutions that can rapidly prepare students to enter the workforce. Yet, in spite of widespread acclaim for their effectiveness and success, community colleges have done very little to garner volunteer and financial support from their alumni. Admittedly, many…

One of the largest challenges facing community colleges in the new millennium is identifying leaders who possess the necessary skills and competencies to successfully navigate the modern presidency. Facing a dynamic shift in the fiscal landscape, community college presidents are tasked with filling the gap between institutional needs and existing…

This descriptive study surveyed current, lapsed, and major gift donors to explore the impact of college communications on donors' decisions to contribute to the college, the likelihood of donor financial support for various college projects, and the philanthropic motivation profiles of the donors of a midsized, multicampus community college in…

An ongoing controversy in the literature on the economics of higher education centers on whether the success of a school's athletic program affects alumni donations. This paper uses a unique data set to investigate this issue. The data contain detailed information about donations made by alumni of a selective research university as well as a…

In 1996, United Way of America (UWA) developed and began disseminating the most widely used approach to program outcome measurement in the nonprofit sector. Today an estimated 450 local United Ways encourage approximately 19,000 local agencies they fund to measure outcomes. The authors first describe and then assess the strengths and limitations…

Describes the implementation of a read-a-thon for UNICEF. Addresses the value of young children becoming involved in philanthropy. Urges others to try a read-a-thon or similar projects. (SG)

This study conceptualizes entrepreneurial forms of community college revenues as undermining finance equity and examines their distribution through a single-state case study. The hypothesis that colleges serving wealthier communities will be more successful in obtaining revenues from performance funding and private fundraising is tested. Based on…

Voluntary funding organizations face increasing public demands for accountability in the use of funds. This article presents a model for evaluating the effectiveness of agency programs and discusses its applicability to the process of allocating funds. (Author)

Sustainability is a critical issue for out-of-school programs. Time-limited grants, narrow categorical funding streams, and difficult economic conditions leave program leaders in a continual struggle to find a stable base of resources to continue their program over time. In the face of these challenges, many out-of-school initiatives have…

This report reviews the financial history of one successful school health center, Commerce City Community Health Services (CHS), in Commerce City, Colorado. The report reviews the center's 20-year history to provide an example of how often and how notably a center's sources of financial support can change over years of operation. The story of…

Arguments for and against formal alumni chapters are outlined. Pros include increased membership, better leadership, and strengthened development potential; cost effectiveness is possible. Cons include direct and indirect costs; informal alumni structures are seen as equally effective. (MSE)

Loyal alumni are a mainstay of financial support for many universities. This empirical study of university alumni situates the emerging theory of brand community within the world of university development and advancement. The study measures key relationships that one would expect to find in a healthy university brand community. Most importantly,…

This publication is part of a series of tools and resources on financing and sustaining youth programming. These tools and resources are intended to help policymakers, program developers, and community leaders develop innovative strategies for implementing, financing, and sustaining effective programs and policies. This strategy brief presents a…

A guide to planning college and university anniversary celebrations that attract the attention of both friends and strangers recommends creating substantive programs related to current public interest; faculty involvement; broad-based and varied programing; media participation; attention to both past and future; and adequate budget. (MSE)