Donations from alumni have historically been a leading source of charitable support for higher education. But in recent years, alumni supportiveness has been on a steady decline. Participation rates and gift sizes are at their lowest levels ever recorded. Nowhere is this issue more pressing than at private, master's comprehensive…

The 2017-18 school year saw our sponsorship portfolio grow from 4,100 students in 2016-17 to 4,800 students across five Ohio cities: Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Portsmouth. We're also honored to have been recognized by the National Association for Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) as part of NACSA's Quality Practice Project.…

For years, critics have pointed to the decreasing ability of health-care professionals to make decisions and provide services because of the demands of insurance companies and health-management organizations to sustain profits. Health-care decisions are increasingly being made by the wrong people and for the wrong reasons. So, too, with public…

Fifteen years ago, the Australian state of Queensland was famous more for its beaches than for its brain power. Fellow Australians thought of Queenslanders as miners, farmers, or surfers, not as professors or scientists. When Queensland announced in 1998 that it was planning to become a "Smart State," or a knowledge economy, locals…

Schools face the most challenging economic environment in decades. To sustain the quality of teaching, learning, and educational support services, they must find ways to expand their resources while at the same time using their resources more efficiently. School leaders must be knowledgeable about the funding "streams" that provide an opportunity…

When the W.K. Kellogg Foundation first approached a group of tribal college presidents in 1994 with a $23 million grant for a handful of their institutions, the tribal college leaders did not exactly trip over themselves to get the money. They wanted it to be split among all of them, and the foundation honored the tribal college leaders' wish.…

It takes one sweet company to make an industry collaboration work! Hershey Entertainment and Resorts is that company! The company is best known for its resort and entertainment entities. As background, it is important to understand the philanthropic history of the company, Milton Hershey, and the town he built on chocolate. Milton Hershey left…

Philanthropists across the country have long supported local schools and even funded new ones--primarily charters. These investments make a difference, sometimes a big one. At best, however, these are small-scale successes compared to the challenge of improving educational outcomes and life prospects for students across a whole district. The…

According to the author, the setting for their nonprofit education center was close to ideal: Support from a dean who cares deeply about nonprofit organizations; encouragement from the university and its renewed focus on reaching beyond its walls on the eve of its centennial; and a generous gift from alumni who have been affiliated with the…

The infrastructure for arts and cultural support in the United States is complex and adaptive. Citizens who enjoy the arts can choose from a wide array of drama, visual and media arts, dance, music, and literature available in formal and informal settings--theaters, museums, and concert halls, but also libraries, schools, places of worship,…

Inverness Research has conducted a "legacy study" focusing on a series of philanthropic investments aimed at improving science education in the San Francisco South Bay Area that extended for over 15 years. Roughly nine school districts enjoyed a steady stream of support for science education improvement that began with funding from the…

Why is the foundation board's involvement in fund raising important? Because successful fund raising requires a team effort, and volunteer leaders are essential members of the team. Board members should set the pace through their own giving, and they should be actively engaged in the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of others. The…

The increased focus on private fundraising poses challenges for community colleges (Jackson & Glass, 2000). A challenge is a lack of fundraising experience within community colleges and their foundations. There now exists a donor-focused fundraising model for community colleges to use to enhance their fundraising initiatives and increase the…

As in past years, this report draws from a survey of Grantmakers for Education membership that provides a snapshot of giving patterns as well as grantmakers' qualitative impressions of lessons and insights from their work. For the first time, this report has sought out the perspectives of non-members who are active in the field, to help broaden…

Since the mid-1990s, constituency building and advocacy for better public education have grown steadily in New York City. "Working Together to Achieve Greater Impact" explores how that growth was fueled by the Donors' Education Collaborative of New York, which pools its members' financial resources and expertise to advance shared…