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…

A growing number of parents--particularly middle- and upper-middle-class parents--are working to fill budgetary gaps through their fundraising, grant writing, and volunteerism in urban public schools. Yet little is known about how this may shape norms and practices related to parental engagement within particular schools. Drawing from a case study…

The ability to lead a campaign is essential to success for today's college or university president. And campaign experience at some level is generally now a prerequisite credential for presidential candidates, as well as deans and other academic leaders, on both public and private campuses. This book discusses fundamental campaign principles, but…

In fundraising today, a wealth of communications tools makes it increasingly easier to contact prospective donors--but is it getting harder to really connect with them? Do the new tools work as well as the old ones? In the second decade of online marketing, all the tools of the trade are subject to scrutiny. Direct mail has been a mainstay of the…

Since the recession struck in late 2008, fundraising has become a minefield, and even the steadiest advancement officers are unsure of their steps. For years, education fundraisers heard yes from donor after donor. Yes to large gifts. Yes to endowment boosts. Yes to scholarships and athletic facility upgrades. In the 2008 fiscal year, educational…

Just a few years ago, the University of Notre Dame averaged about six mega gifts--$10 million or more--a year. Last year, however, the Fighting Irish received only one such donation. "That multimillion donation has become more difficult to obtain," says Lou Nanni, vice president for university relations at the Indiana institution.…

Over the past 2,000 years, the concept of charity has moved from the personal care of the poor mandated by religious conviction to a multibillion dollar business. The culture of technological efficiency helped create this transformation. The authors explore the origins of charity and show how technology has drastically altered its form and…

This article discusses how Dr. Donna Oliver, an untested but eager first-time president, was able to lead Mississippi Valley State University, a historically Black college and university (HBCU) in the right path during turbulent times with the help of her advisory team. Dr. Donna Oliver hardly had time to savor her rise to the top ranks of higher…

It is a wonderful surprise when an executor calls to inform that one's college has been remembered in an individual's estate, either for a future gift or one that is being distributed. Leaving this legacy often enriches the final years of a donor's life. But too often, these opportunities are left to chance because community college development…

Increased use of private funds to support public higher education is essential, but private funding undoubtedly shapes the university in ways that challenge academic traditions, creating a new paradigm for financing the modern university. In this chapter, the author describes the three sources of funding for higher education: (1) tuition and fees;…

The purpose of this study was to explore and examine factors leading to fundraising success in church-related colleges and universities that have not secularized their Christian mission, governance, and denominational relationships. This study posed research questions concerning both the specific strategies and leadership behaviors used by…

Although communication program faculty have traditionally not enjoyed large grants for research, administrators are pressuring them to garner external funding. This article examines the success rate of securing external funding that communication administrators reported for their units. Results show that while the pressure has increased on most…

The face of the American landscape is overwhelmingly metropolitan, making metro areas important spaces for philanthropy to explicitly consider when crafting postsecondary funding strategies. This is the case for two primary reasons. First, metropolitan areas are drivers of economic activity and innovation. Second, four out of every five…

The path of growth and development for many American colleges and universities is to add new programs, majors, minors, departments, institutes, and centers to their academic portfolios in order to meet new demands and pursue new knowledge. Their source of funding is primarily through raising tuition rates and increasing non-tuition financial…

In today's resource scarce environment, it is no surprise that colleges and universities are seeking innovative ways to bolster charitable giving among their alumni. Stripling's article focuses on how alumni research conducted at Claremont McKenna College aims to find out what graduates need and expect from their alma mater. Claremont McKenna…