Targeting Community College Alumni in Fundraising

EDINFO Number 97-6

From the ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges

Community college leaders are continually searching for ways to improve fundraising. One strategy is to seek out new sources of potential funding such as local businesses, philanthropic organizations, or individuals in the community such as alumni. The County College of Morris (CCM) in New Jersey developed a plan to improve their enrollment, resource development, and image through marketing efforts involving their alumni. In their first alumni drive they raised over $10,000, in addition to securing a donation of computer equipment worth $100,000. The following are some key points in their strategy:

Encourage enrollment by featuring five successful alumni in advertising each year, emphasizing how they got their start at CCM.
Feature alumni as stars in media coverage and advertising to increase their willingness to participate in, and donate to, an annual alumni fund drive.
Encourage alumni, especially those featured, to begin Alumni Clubs at their businesses in an effort to solicit corporate contributions and boost contributions from individual alumni by increasing their sense of pride in, and identification with, the college.
Create pride in the college for both current and former students by linking the possibility of future success in life with attendance at CCM.

This information was reported in ED 358 904, "Community College Alumni: Partners in Resource Development." A full text copy of this document may be obtained from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service, 7420 Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield, VA 22153-2852; 800/443-ERIC.

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