With the decrease in enrollment and increase in cost over the past decade, private colleges and universities have experienced financial hurdles, requiring the need to raise private funds. The financial viability of these colleges and universities depends upon the ability of university presidents to raise money. However, challenges must be overcome to carry out this task successfully. In this qualitative study, the researcher explored the relations and expectations between the president, vice president of advancement, and board of trustees in fundraising for their respective private colleges or university in South Carolina. The research explored the institutional commitment and support for development and fundraising efforts for the private institutions studied. The development strategies and how change was implemented to make fundraising successful were examined. Transformational leadership style traits were considered to determine their alignment with the successful fundraising behaviors identified. The 12 university presidents, vice presidents, and trustees from South Carolina schools who participated were selected through referral sampling that identified peers from the professional networks of study participants who met the selection criteria. The participants were interviewed, and the data were recorded, transcribed, organized, and coded into emerging themes. Findings indicated the importance of university presidents setting a vision for the university, implementing behaviors that motivated donors and alumni to join that vision, and identifying skills as practical applications of a leadership style grounded in the importance of personal relationships. Private philanthropy is essential at any time, but perhaps even more so when a crisis arises, such as a pandemic. The study contributed to identifying key findings that affect fundraising success and positive change by providing skills and behaviors for university presidents to improve their fundraising effectiveness, thereby providing increased resources for institutions to carry out their educational mission. [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.]