Noah D. Drezner

For Alma Mater and the Fund: The United Negro College Fund’s National Pre-Alumni Council and the Creation of the Next Generation of Donors

Member colleges of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), like most other colleges and universities, require voluntary support in order to balance their budgets and achieve their institutional missions. While acknowledging the need for alumni support as a result of decreases in funding from federal and state governments, many private and public institutional advancement programs do not instill a culture of giving in their students, nor do they teach the importance of providing financial support to their alma mater after receiving their diploma (Dysart, 1989; Zusman, 1999). Nancy Dysart (1989) suggests that colleges may be forced to teach a culture of giving to their students in order to encourage future alumni participation in development campaigns. The UNCF, through its National Pre-Alumni Council (NPAC), aims to involve students in fund-raising in order to encourage their support after graduation. Alumni support accounts for the majority of voluntary giving to the general academy. For instance, alumni provided 28% of the private donations to higher education in the fiscal year 2001 (American Association of Fundraising Counsel [AAFRC], 2003). However, only 12.2% of alumni solicited support to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the same year (Voluntary Support ofEducation survey, 2005).

Fundraising for Black Colleges During the 1960s and 1970s The Case of Hampton Institute

The purpose of this article is to examine the fundraising approaches and challenges of the Hampton Institute during the 1960s and 1970s—a time of racial turmoil and great change throughout the country. This turmoil, combined with a push for integration within the larger Black community and among White liberals, made for an uncertain fundraising environment. In addition, this article explores Hampton Institute’s decision to withdraw from the United Negro College Fund, a fundraising organization for private Black colleges, in 1968 and the impact of this action on Hampton’s ability to raise necessary funds.

The Black Church and Millennial Philanthropy: Influences on College Student Prosocial Behaviors at a Church-Affiliated Black College

Colleges and universities are increasingly relying on philanthropic contributions to allow them to continue to provide high-quality education. Christian higher education is no different. African Americans give a larger percentage of their disposable income to nonprofits than any other racial group; this giving is primarily directed to the Black church. Limited literature addresses Black giving to higher education, and even less focuses on fundraising for church-affiliated Black colleges and universities. As part of a larger case study of the United Negro College Funds (UNCF) National Pre-Alumni Council (NPAC), this research examined how African Americans in the millennial generation think about and choose to act philanthropically and the role that Black colleges and the African American church play in the cultivation of these behaviors. The findings in this article draw upon a case study dataset of interviews with 21 students and four NPAC advisors from 13 UNCF institutions, representing one third of the member colleges. More specifically, this article focuses on the document analysis and interviews of four students from Tougaloo College. This work is supported by and advances our understanding of the theoretical literature surrounding philanthropy, fund-raising, prosocial behavior, and the involvement of religion, specifically the Black church, on giving within African American communities. Beyond adding to the scholarly discourse, this paper offers recommendations for practice to increase prosocial behaviors of college students at religiously affiliated institutions.

Challenges and Sacrifices

For the leaders featured in this book, the road to success had many twists and turns. They came from different backgrounds—poor, rich; urban, rural—but all worked hard to attain higher education. All had supportive parents who taught them the value of working hard and actively encouraged them to succeed. Some landed in the philanthropy and nonprofit worlds after false starts in other arenas. Some turned their backs on more lucrative professions to make a career helping others. Most put in long hours at work, sometimes sacrificing contact with family and friends. One of the most common—and most interesting—themes was the complex role that race and gender played in these leaders’ rise to the top. Many braved race and gender discrimination to arrive at their chosen profession, and in some cases it was discrimination that pushed them toward a career aimed at building a better world. A few acknowledged the difficulty of attempting to right the world’s wrongs from within the privileged arena of philanthropy or the gnarled complexity of the nonprofit world.

Background and Family Influences

Although among the respondents to our research there were as many family situations as there were leaders, common themes stood out, particularly in the area of education and community. In this chapter we examine the various background influences that shaped the lives of these nonprofit leaders. As well as the home environment, we also examined the historical events that were important to them and their development. We looked, too, at the influence of socioeconomic status and family composition. What kind of expectations did their parents and communities have for them, and how did these expectations shape their development? In what ways did their families engage in philanthropic activities and civic involvement?

Religion and Spirituality

All of the world’s religions ask their followers to give of themselves through wealth and service. Whether according to the concept of tzedakah in Judaism, the idea of charity in Christianity, or the belief of zakat in Islam, there is an understanding that anyone, no matter how meek, can give of himself or herself to help others. Religion’s influence on American philanthropy predates the founding of the country by over a century. The first solicitations of education, hospitals, and support for the underprivileged were all made by clergy or on behalf of the church.1 How does religion influence the current generation of America’s foundation and nonprofit leaders? And how, in particular, does it affect the lives and careers of Black and female leaders? This chapter explores the influence of religion on the work of those who engage in philanthropy professionally. We begin with a brief look at how the major religions engage in philanthropic giving.

Race, Gender, and Identity

According to Gara La Marche, president and chief executive officer of The Atlantic Philanthropies, “racial history and racial identities infuse every aspect of life … no separation of the personal and professional [is possible].”1 Such is the case, too, with gender: to understand the role of race and gender in the philanthropic and nonprofit world, it is necessary to first clarify what we mean by “race” and “gender.” We must also understand the mechanisms by which they work: identity, socialization, culture. This chapter builds a lens through which to view race and gender and attempts to give a way to detect and understand their influence. It then uses this lens to examine data in the interviews and gives an overview of identity in this group of leaders. Later chapters delve into the specifics of how race and gender have affected their work, the culture of the organizations they lead, and their effectiveness in dealing with diverse communities. We will begin with definitions of race and gender and then proceed to some general observations about the role they have had in U.S. society, both historically and recently. We will also review what previous research has said about their impact on the philanthropic and nonprofit world.