Chapter 12: Encouraging Giving Among Graduate And Professional Degree Alumni At Hbcus

Philanthropy, and therefore fundraising strategies and practices, has long been associated with “a relatively small number of White families and individuals [mostly men] who enjoyed access to education, owned major businesses, held leadership positions in government, dominated professions and inherited wealth” (Council on Foundations, 1999, p. 7). And, within higher education fundraising, the focus has almost entirely been on undergraduate alumni, with little concerted effort being placed on graduate and professional degree alumni (Poock & Siegel, 2005). Given the current economic instability and the resulting decreased funding for higher education, institutions are turning more and more to private giving in order to meet budgetary demands. Therefore, there is an increased importance to engage all populations in advancement strategies, including graduate and professional degree alumni.