HBCUs to reach out, seek alumni support
http://heraldsun.southern...s.com/durham/4-998675.cfm
By Gregory Childress : The Herald-Sun
gchildress@heraldsun.com
Oct 15, 2008
http://nccudurhameagles.com/nccualumni.html
Durham -- Randall Childs, director of major gifts at N.C. Central University, believes Bill Cosby made a good point last week when he said black colleges must be more aggressive in asking graduates to give back.
But Childs, himself the product of a black college, Morehouse College in Atlanta, also believes historically black colleges and universities can catch more alums with honey than they can with vinegar, with the honey being a continuous and effective communications strategy.
"The more often we communicate the success that happens here at the university, the more often we do that, it puts us in a better position to share our vision about where we're going," Childs said.
Cosby took a hard-line while in Durham last week to speak at a conference about the financial future of black colleges. He insisted that historically black colleges and universities can no longer afford to be nice when approaching alums for money.
"Don't be nice about it. Tell them you're broke and need some money," Cosby thundered.
While Cosby's words have merit, Childs said the reality is that demanding money is no guarantee universities will get it from alums.
"Saying that doesn't make them do it," Childs said.
Childs said charitable giving by NCCU alums amounted to $1.47 million for fiscal year 2007-08. He said the money -- pledges, commitments and cash -- came from 2,941 donors. That gave NCCU a 12.25 percent alumni participation when it came to charitable giving, the same as it has been the past couple of years."I've seen a steady increase," said Childs. "We're not perfect, but we're continuing to work at it."
Ideally, Childs said the university would like to see the alumni participation rate grow to 20 percent or better, which would top the 12 percent national rate for all colleges.
"That's a goal that is worthy of pursuing," Childs said. "That would get us to around 4,800 giving based on good addresses for our alums."
Childs said one strategy the university will begin to use more often is soliciting alums through the various schools from which they earned degrees. He said because many alums feel connected to those schools, getting a letter from a dean will serve as a powerful incentive to give.
Chancellor Charlie Nelms said with the economic challenges the nation is now facing, that it is more important now than ever for alumni of historically black colleges to support their schools.
"Everyone can be a philanthropist, just not at the same level," Nelms said. "Whether it's giving of their time or money, we need the ongoing support of our alumni."
© 2008 by The Durham Herald Company. All rights reserved.
