for both the college and external
funders. The bottom line: Colleges can
adhere to organizational priorities and
still take advantage of funding and gift
opportunities as they arise.
‘Ethic’ of Resource
Development
As organizations become more experi-
enced in the art of fundraising, an insti-
tutional “ethic” gradually evolves. Staff
and faculty begin to see the power of
fundraising to support projects at divi-
sion and departmental levels. As institu-
tional awareness develops, fundraising
outcomes are increasingly leveraged by
participation from across the college. It
then becomes essential for grants and
development officers to convene teams
by identifying faculty and staff who
bring expertise in an academic discipline
and who can provide insight into spe-
cific areas of professional practice. de-
velopment teams are generally formed
ad hoc, usually in response to a grant
proposal. Encouragement to join teams
often comes from staff and faculty who
have benefitted from external fund-
ing. Staff and faculty can encourage
their peers to devote the time and take
the risk that comes with a competitive
fundraising environment. It is often the
team of development professionals and
faculty allies that persuades other fac-
ulty and administrators to get behind a
project. This selling of a project inter-
nally usually includes convincing the
administration that the project is appro-
priate to institutional mission and goals;
that it is consistent with the funding
agency priorities and regulations; and
that it is well planned, understood, and
worthy of the administrative oversight
by the division and departmental chairs
and deans. Broad buy-in is also essential
to project sustainability and the good
stewardship of gifts.
Role of Faculty and Staff
While many community college grant
and gift proposals are prepared by
development staff, faculty can (and
often must) have a role in grant writ-
ing, as well as the identification and
cultivation of prospective donors.
Several federal agencies, particularly
the national Science Foundation and
the national Endowments, prefer to see
academic language reflected within the
proposal narrative. Grant development
professionals are in a position to col-
laborate with faculty in the design and
creation of the grant proposal. Faculty
can speak to the personal experiences
of their students and alumni; faculty
can make important connections to
donors by giving talks to local frater-
nal organizations and civic groups and
sharing their classroom experiences, an
effective way to raise awareness about
what a college offers. What’s more,
faculty stories and presentations can
make their way into the written case for
support, whether that case be general-
ized or tailored to a specific donor.
Proper Motivation
Faculty and staff participation in the
grant proposal process often is fueled by
the prospect of additional teaching and
classroom resources. The opportunity to
enhance courses and curricula, in addition to being professionally satisfying, is
often supported through the acquisition
of equipment, as well as professional
development and travel. Resources
acquired through grants often underwrite compensation for faculty for
summer hours and sometimes the ability
to fund special projects.
At most community colleges, the
motivation to participate in grants and
development is intrinsic. unlike research
institutions, where grant acquisition is
considered part of the workload that figures into evaluation and tenure, formal
recognition for participating in development is often lacking. Some faculty contract models subsume grant work under
community engagement requirements.
Other reward models include merit pay
for participating in grants as part of extraordinary college service. While motivators to participate in development are
often absent from established workload
expectations, the prospect of advancing
teaching and learning, especially in one’s
discipline, remains a powerful motivator
Cultivating the Institutional Ethic
An institutional ethic of fundraising that cuts across the organization engages
employees at all levels. There are many ways faculty and staff can contribute to
development.
•;Identify;funding;opportunities;through;professional;contacts;and;literature,;includ-ing;journals;and;newsletters,;meetings;and;conferences,;e-mail;listserves,;profes-sional;organizations,;and;other;contacts;that;might;identify;potential;donors.
•;Bring;donors,;program;officers;from;funding;organizations,;and;government
officials;into;the;classroom;for;presentations;and;lectures.
•;Invite;donors;and;potential;donors;to;view;student;presentations.
•;Participate;in;the;grant;review;process;by;sitting;on;grant;review;panels.;Many
funding organizations are always looking for faculty content experts to serve as
“readers.”;Participation;on;review;panels;is;perhaps;the;best;way;to;learn;about
a;funding;agency’s;priorities.;Participating;in;review;panels;also;provides;insight
into what constitutes a well-constructed proposal.
