The wide-ranging consequences of this pandemic are huge, and the world of fundraising is facing its share of challenges: shifting to virtual meetings with current and prospective donors, digital communications and virtual events.
If community colleges haven’t yet pivoted their fundraising plans and explored new virtual fundraising strategies, now is the time. With annual planning and budgeting season approaching, having a solid online fundraising and engagement strategy in place is more essential than ever.
Declining enrollments and an emphasis on state funding tied to student outcomes are challenges community colleges face that will not go away. Community colleges are at a turning point: they can either continue to operate as usual or tap into private resources through fundraising, requiring leadership, action and results while increasing revenue streams. Before the COVID-19 crisis, traditional perspectives on fundraising strategies were, more times than not, focused on the president and office of institutional advancement. However, in today’s environment, community colleges must identify ways to diversify their fundraising strategies.
A 2020 study — “Eyewitness to Excellence: A Portraiture Study of one African American Female’s Fundraising Strategies in an Urban Community College” by Carolyn Carter, a doctoral student in the John E. Roueche Center for Community College Leadership at Kansas State University — identified key fundraising strategies for community colleges to reframe their fundraising approach. Carter used a qualitative research approach (portraiture) to explore the multidimensional aspects of fundraising. In the study, Carter asked Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton, president emeritus at Cuyahoga Community College, to reveal her perspectives on enhancing community college finances. Carter’s conversation with Thornton identified several strategies for fundraising success.
In her research, Carter argued that women leaders add to colleges’ diversity and make a significant difference in the marketplace. Thornton agreed, saying, “Those institutions that foster women’s engagement in fundraising efforts will gain in both leadership and a competitive edge compared to those who come late to the party.” Additionally, the remote environment provides opportunities for targeted engagement with donors.
Carter’s research offers several strategies that can enhance a framework for community college leaders’ fundraising efforts:
institution and their leadership behaviors make a difference when interacting with stakeholders.
