New revenue sources crucial to funding success
by Bruce Berman, vice chancellor of Institutional Advancement

For many years community colleges have been enrollment driven. We’ve focused on bringing more and more students into the institution and have watched with pride as our numbers grew. We even measured our success by those increases. Now, in a recession environment, that great influx of students in which we took so much pride has become an albatross around our necks -- not because we don’t welcome the students’ arrival, but because funds are increasingly limited. Our support from government is shrinking even as our facilities are being stretched beyond their capacities. As we move forward, we must begin to rethink strategies and focus on an area we have neglected – institutional advancement.

Tapping new sources of income will play an important role for community colleges in the rest of this decade as we continue to maneuver through difficult budget cycles. During times of plenty, fund raising initiatives often were shelved because dollars sufficiently flowed from the government to the community colleges. This is no longer the case, and we cannot expect a turnaround any time soon. That is why private funding sources must become a priority.

This approach will represent a striking shift of emphasis for many community colleges. We lag behind four-year institutions in zeroing in on private fund raising and it will take time for us to reach their level of expertise in this arena. We cannot expect overnight success. In fact, we have much work to do just to prepare our students and administrators for this new way of supporting their community college.

The first hurdle stems from the public’s misperception that we are government-funded institutions of higher education with little need to raise funds through solicitation drives. Even though we receive considerable dollars from state and local governments, they cover only a threshold level of education. To provide the quality education our students deserve we must find another stable revenue stream – private donors.

An informed public can be a powerful advocate for higher education in the halls of government. Community colleges must speak out about the financial challenges presented by budget cuts and let the public know about the value their institutions bring to their city, county and state. Recently, Maryland’s 16 community colleges conducted an economic impact study that revealed our statewide purchasing power stood at $712 million. The study also revealed that for every $1 invested in community colleges, the state receives an 11.9 percent return on its investment. The average citizen isn’t aware of these statistics. Such information needs to be shared widely if we want to elevate our image within the community.

Do not underestimate the importance of public perception. No matter how detailed or sophisticated the fund raising plan, its effectiveness depends heavily on an institution’s image. The public must view the institution as an excellent resource for education and training. It must regard the institution as a staple of the community. College leaders and board members must be active participants in local affairs, playing key roles in addressing and shaping the needs of the citizenry. The institution’s facilities and amenities must be open and inviting, serving as a mecca for cultural, charitable and social events.

Community colleges have to be innovative in finding ways to inform society of the role we play and how we affect daily life. The best approach is to make sure employers have positive experiences with our students and that students feel we are responsive to their needs. We must demonstrate each day to businesses that no other public institution can do the things we can for them in providing tailored education and training for their employees. We react quickly to their needs and can positively impact their bottom line. We must cherish our business partners and look to them for more than philanthropic dollars. We must value their input, garner their support and appreciate the interest they take in our students. All these efforts help lay the foundation for a major donor drive.

Too many times we allow our most valuable resource – our alumni – to slip away. We dedicate so much time and resources to recruiting students yet fall short in our ability to keep graduates connected once they complete their coursework. Community colleges have to find ways to bring their alumni home.

Graduates mean much more to us than dollars and cents. They know first-hand the value our institutions have brought into their lives. Our task is to get them involved as advocates for our cause, develop them into our best ambassadors in the community. We should bring them back to campus to mentor and tutor our students, serve as guest lecturers and participate in campus/community forums. Our institutions should host networking, social and professional enrichment events that give alumni good reason to return to our campuses. We can’t just tell alumni they are important; we’ve got to make them feel special. That means developing relationships with our alumni – a prerequisite to any successful fund-raising drive.

Strategic details are important in taking that big step into the world of private fund raising, but even more critical are the human factors:  establishing strong ties with alumni, connecting with local businesses and elevating public perception. Our best chance for success in regard to our institutional advancement initiatives lies within our ability to build and capitalize upon these human factors.