His institution recently completed its first capital campaign, exceeding its goals by raising about $32 million. Bowman credits its success to shifting priorities and training help from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which provided grants to help Prairie View staff earn certifications in fundraising management from the Center for Philanthropy.
Disastrous economic times only spur the need for generating revenue outside of federal funding, says Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president of Education Online Services Corporation. Online education has exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry with thousands enrolling in schools like the University of Phoenix, a top producer of Black graduates. Chavis’ company has recently partnered with NAFEO to build online degree programs at member schools.
“The online higher education business would be a way for HBCUs to gain greater financial sustainability,” says Chavis, who has developed an online degree program for education at Jackson State University. “We take the great work (HBCUs) have done on campus and extend that academic reach to students not only in the vicinity of the college but around the world.”
No single effort will generate the much-needed funds to help HBCUs thrive, but resolve to recapture Bethune’s enterprising spirit might. At the heart of their futures are “leadership and entrepreneurship,” says Wilson.
