The primary purpose of this study was to examine the annual revenue received by United States public community college foundations from 2008-2009 in relation to selected variables associated in the literature with successful foundation performance. This study also attempted to collect longitudinal data by replicating and expanding upon a similar…

This article describes the Voluntary Support for Education (VSE) Survey, an instrument created by the Council for Aid to Education. Our objective is to explain VSE's potential value as a tool to inform both institutional and academic research regarding fund-raising activities at community colleges. Of particular interest is how the data available…

As protesters across the Arab world demand an end to autocratic regimes that have drained universities of resources and suffocated critical thinking, scholars see some hope of an Arab renaissance and a new opening for American involvement. From the ancient Library of Alexandria to a new Islamic-arts museum in Qatar that holds 700-year-old…

Philanthropy has shaped American higher education from inception. While religion earns the biggest slice of philanthropy, education runs second and well ahead of other causes. Most community college donations are earmarked for scholarships. Foundation dollars can be used strategically to meet the needs of students who cannot qualify for federal…

Pressured by constricting state appropriations and ever-increasing financial demands, the nation's community colleges are ratcheting up fundraising efforts to attract new donors. Many are finding success. Honolulu Community College in Hawaii, for example, recently received an estate gift of $3.5 million. Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico…

The overarching goal of the "Supporting Best Practices in Student Success Project" is to create, enhance, or expand successful programs that are replicable and can be scaled to greatly improve the percentage of underserved students who complete postsecondary education. In doing so, National College Access Network (NCAN) aimed to build…

This book offers a comprehensive and detailed look at private fundraising in community colleges. In the foreward, Karen A. Stout, President, Montgomery County Community College, describes it as a "must-read" for aspiring and new community college presidents, academic leaders searching for ways to bring in new dollars to support new programs, and…

This article presents an interview with Mary Bitterman and James Narduzzi. Mary Bitterman, former President and CEO of The James Irvine Foundation, is President of The Bernard Osher Foundation and Immediate Past Chairman of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). James Narduzzi is Dean of the University of Richmond's School of Continuing Studies.…

Two-year institutions in the US realize that traditional avenues of financial support, namely government funds, are no longer enough to sustain their operations, and acknowledge that in order to compete and survive, private fund raising from individuals is a necessity. There is little data available regarding how much community colleges raise, but…

Wide disparity exists in philanthropic giving to public, two-year community colleges as compared to public, four-year universities. Recent estimates indicate that 0.5 to 5% of all private philanthropic giving to U.S. higher education annually goes to public, two-year community colleges, with the remainder going to public and private four-year…

Confronting two unhealthy approaches that surface frequently in philanthropy--the tendency for grantmakers to think they alone have all the answers and the tensions that arise when national and local funders try to work together--this case study is intended to help grantmakers think more deeply about the concept of "engaged partners," one of…

Community colleges have an opportunity to engage in institutional advancement while conveying a timely and inspiring message, but the collective voice of the institution needs to be focused and clear. As a result, community colleges need to carefully evaluate their mission, public image, financial needs, and donor base in order to identify a…

This article describes the development and achievements of the Highland Community College Foundation (Illinois), which has contributed over $1,000,000 to the college since 1962. The Foundation's history, organizational structure, and working relationship with the College are discussed. Private support foundations should be considered by community…

Rural communities have fewer financial resources, making the community colleges located in these regions central to economic development. This chapter reviews the importance of recognizing the rural differential via policy changes and offers strategies to close the resource gap between rural and nonrural community colleges.

College profiles include the following information: type of college, location, enrollment, age of college, total budget, foundation's years of experience, non-profit status, total foundation assets, dollar support for 1979-80, responsibility for foundation, number of foundation board members, most successful fund-raising methods, and restrictions…