This purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to identify culturally relevant fundraising strategies that can empower leaders of public, under-resourced, tuition dependent HBCUs on how to effectively reduce tuition dependence. University presidents and advancement professionals face a growing dilemma of identifying ways to strengthen university resources in a climate that has historically relied almost wholly on public funding (Williams & Kritsonis, 2007). Decreases in state and federal support, as well as charitable giving, have forced colleges and universities to leverage their most reliable option (increasing tuition and fees), while unfortunately, precipitating the present-day crisis, just to fund their respective academic enterprises (Chan, 2016). With many public HBCUs grappling with a fundraising agenda, and having few, if any alternative funding sources, in addition to the increased pressure of performance-based funding, a more complex and challenging landscape, demand that colleges and universities take a new approach to fundraising ("Ruffalo Noel Levitz," 2017). Through the lens of the "resource dependency theory" (RDT), this study provides rich insight and key strategic responses, employed by senior advancement officers, at select private 4-year Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to reduce tuition dependence and generate viable, long-term sustainable revenue sources. Analysis of the data using a thematic approach produced seven themes that include role in fundraising, the importance of messaging, fundraising strategies, and barriers to fundraising. Implications for leaders of HBCUs include investments in resources for the advancement office, actively and aggressively embracing fundraising as the primary duty in their role as president and selecting key members with proven track records of giving, to staff their governing board, as they play a critical role in fundraising for the institution. Findings from this study are transferrable and could be important to higher education leaders, policymakers, students, alumni, and other key stakeholders in understanding how vital fundraising efforts are to the continued success and mission of HBCUs. Also, to understand the importance of creating multiple streams of institutional income as a systematic process for reducing tuition dependence. [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.]