Annual giving is a critical component of funding support for colleges at universities. It provides immediate funding for operations throughout the year for immediate use and provides an entry point for other types of giving. Alumni giving rates for annual gifts are a key factor in receiving corporate gifts, as they are an indicator of recipients of a university's experience investment into their alma mater. Public Historically Black Colleges and Universities are overall disparately funded compared to Predominantly White Institutions of similar sizes and degree offerings. Although HBCUs culturally enjoy strong support from alumni in gatherings such as homecoming, alumni giving rates are on average, in the single digits. This study used a phenomenological research methodology to understand what conditions need to be in place for development officers to successfully secure alumni gifts. Through semi-structured interviews, the researcher found five major themes that development officers identified as instrumental to their success: 1) Leadership, 2) Relationships with foundation boards, alumni, and campus partners, 3) Infrastructure, 4) Communication, and 5) Student Engagement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]