“There is no single way
to finance anything
anymore. We think of
every project as a package
and begin by thinkng
about how to leverage
a variety of funding
sources. ”
—Marsha Bordner,
president,
Terra Community College
opportunities to better serve the
students.”
Direct-Support Organizations
When Florida Keys Community College
(FKCC) decided three years ago to build
on-campus student housing, the goal
was to attract more students by providing a lower-cost-of-living option.
“An on-campus residence hall seemed
like a way for us to leverage our
strengths and attract more students
from far and wide,” says Amber L.
Ernst-Leonard, FKCC’s director of
college and public relations.
The Lagoon Landing building project
was approved by the state legislature
in 2008. But it had limitations. The
facility was limited to 100 beds, and the
college was not allowed to use taxpayer
or state funds or to incur further debt
related to the project.
Committed to moving forward,
administrators established two direct-
support organizations (DSOs). DSOs are
often established to fund large projects
through the use of gifts and grants.
( TOP RIGh T) PhO TO ©JAMES S TEINKAMP, S TEINKAMP PhO TOGRAPh Y; ARChI TEC T: LEGAT ARChITECTS, INC.
(LEFT) PhOTO ©TIMOTh Y hURSLEY; ARChITECT: LEGAT ARChITECTS, INC./BRUBAKER dESIGN
University Center of Lake County, Ill.
