Education and Human Sciences, College of (CEHS)
Title
Presidential Fundraising at Independent Colleges in the Midwest: A Case Study
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
4-8-2009
Abstract
Contemporary college and university presidents are often expected to be the
fundraiser-in-chief for their institutions, a role for which they are typically underprepared.
In this case study, the fundraising experiences of college and university
presidents in ten private institutions holding membership in a private-institution
consortium in one Midwestern state are discussed.
The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of college and
university presidents in raising funds for their institutions in one Midwestern state. Ten
presidents were interviewed, using a series of questions related to their interest in
becoming a president, their current level of involvement with the fundraising endeavor at
their institution, their perspectives about the best and worst parts of the task of
fundraising, their competence in this area, described in this study as their perception of
their chief advancement officer’s perspective, the surprises for them in this work, their
preparation for this work, any lessons they have learned related to fundraising, and the
opportunity costs associated with having to be so involved in fundraising.
Three major themes emerged from the study relating to the presidents’ experience
as fundraisers: Preparation for successful fundraising work comes from a wide variety of experiences; Fundraising work is not generally perceived as a “necessary evil;” and
Fundraising work is intrinsically connected to questions of legacy.
The results of this study were inconsistent with the literature describing
presidents’ involvement with fundraising activities for their institutions. The literature
described the dearth of formal fundraising preparation programs as troublesome and
contributing to generally overwhelming expectations and obligations. The findings from
this study indicate that a multitude of life experiences contribute to a particular
president’s effectiveness in this arena.
The literature described a collective lament on the part of presidents related to
their need to raise funds for their institutions, an activity that got in the way of what
initially drew them to academia. The findings did not indicate that sentiment. Instead,
these presidents framed their responses to this phenomenon as opportunities to tell
institutional stories, to connect donors to meaningful projects, or to impact the lives of
students.
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A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Major: Educational Studies, Under the Supervision of Professor Marilyn L. Grady.
Lincoln, Nebraska: May 2009.
Copyright (c) 2009 Corday Goddard.