Increasing philanthropic support through entrepreneurial activities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Abstract

Historically Black College and University (HBCU) leaders face great impediments when raising private funds to support their institutional initiatives ( Brown and Hendrickson, 1997 ; Allen and Jewell, 2002 ). While alumni who attended HBCUs tend to value the nurturing education they received, those same alumni rarely give back to the institutions that gave them the affi rmation and care necessary to be successful college graduates ( Journal of Blacks in Higher Education , 1996; 2000). Raising money at public HBCUs is particularly important given the decline in public funding in recent years. Developing a strategic, innovative and comprehensive fund raising plan is critical to the survival of HBCUs. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the extent to which presidents of public HBCUs exhibited, used and exercised entrepreneurial framework leadership traits in order to secure funding given the context within which minority serving institutions operate. In analyzing the results of this study, the research revealed that HBCU leaders who have raised signifi cantly more money than their peers use specifi c entrepreneurial leadership traits in their fundraising endeavors .

Philanthropic Support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the 21st Century

“…Philanthropic scholarship focused on HBCUs remains siloed. The extant literature on HBCU philanthropy can be categorized into three broad domains: individuals' philanthropy focused on student and alumni giving (Cohen, 2006;Drezner, 2010;Gasman & Anderson-Thompkins, 2003;Gasman & Bowman, 2011;Hunter et al, 1999;Williams, 2010), corporate and foundation giving (Gasman, 2010;Gasman & Drezner, 2008), and historical examinations of philanthropy's role in the development of HBCUs (Anderson, 1988;Anderson & Moss Jr., 1999;Freeman, 2010;Gasman, 2007;Peeps, 1981;Williamson, 2017).…”

“…Although not focused entirely on alumni giving or philanthropic giving, Gasman and Bowman (2011) and Williams (2010), discuss engaging alumni and non-alumni donors as well as foundations in giving. Both studies involve qualitative interviews with presidents.…”

“…Gasman and Bowman analyze the strategies and unique approaches that HBCU presidents use to develop relationships with donors and to engage alumni who may have disengaged due to negative experiences. Williams (2010) discusses the entrepreneurial leadership styles of presidents as they raise money for HBCUs, finding that most HBCU presidents use traditional approaches and have little fundraising background.…”

Hispanic Serving Institutions and Philanthropic Support: A Retrospective Overview, 2006–2018

“…Much like HSIs, there are just a few thematic areas where the research exists. These include: individuals' philanthropy focused on student and alumni giving (Cohen, 2006;Drezner, 2010;Gasman & Anderson-Thompkins, 2003;Gasman & Bowman, 2012Hunter et al, 1999;Williams, 2010), corporate and foundation giving (Gasman, 2010;Gasman & Drezener, 2008), and historical examinations of philanthropy's role in the development of HBCUs (J. D. Anderson, 1988;E. Anderson & Moss, 1999;Freeman, 2010;Gasman, 2007;Peeps, 1981;Williamson, 2017).…”