Category Archives: Philanthropy

School Name: Bennett College

Median Cost of Attendance: $25 653

Undergraduate Population: 736

Endowment Needed: $377 612 160

Analysis: Bennett College needs approximately $378 million to allow all of its undergraduates to attend the college debt free annually at its current population and cost of attendance. Often thought of as the “other” women’s college, Bennett College is actually 8 years older than its sister college in Atlanta. Comparisons between the two are natural but should not be made beyond their student body gender makeup. The school’s atmosphere is still intensely intimate with less than 800 students. Its need for growth goes without saying as it needs to double in size in order for more alumni in the field. At the same time it has an opportunity to develop extremely nurtured relationships with students and their families so that personalizing the donation relationship would not be complicated. The fields that it has shown to be strong in are very good growth and need areas for African America’s infrastructure. Bennett College faces some difficulties in terms of recruitment being in the middle of such an HBCU hotbed. Being such an extraordinarily small school can often time  leave it overlooked by potential students and donors. That being said it reports one of the healthiest if not the healthiest endowment amongst the small HBCUs. The coming decade for the endowment and its growth potential will be determined substantially as the board of trustees determines who the new leadership of the college will be and what their vision requires. With a strong willed leader this institution could see its endowment easily triple over the next decade. They are small but the ladies of Bennett College pack a mighty punch.

As always it should be noted that endowments provide a myriad of subsidies to the university for everything from scholarship, faculty & administration salaries, research, and much more.

School Name: Chicago State University

Median Cost of Attendance: $16 595

Undergraduate Population: 5 280

Endowment Needed: $1 752 432 000

Analysis: Chicago State University needs approximately $1.8 million to allow all of its students to attend debt free annually. The demographics are strongly in the school’s favor for building a formidable endowment. Chicago’s African American population in the city is almost 1 million and despite being in the hard hit Midwest, Chicago being the financial center has been able to somewhat hedge impact. This serves well for a school like Chicago State University as it recruits money from the community that has one of the larger African American middle classes. It also has the distinction of the city that is home to the first African American president – for better or worse. Whether the school has been able to secure any social, economic, or political favor would be largely based on its influence sphere. Although, not recognized as an HBCU by the federal government therefore not getting federal funding, it is recognized by the HBCU community. It should take advantage of this plus and make a move towards joining an HBCU conference. The SIAC would be ideal given its recent addition of Central State in Ohio. This could form a natural geographic rivalry and give the school even more integration into the HBCU community’s psyche. The new pharmacy program that the university has should do wonders for its endowment building if can get these alumni engaged especially with the coming health boom thanks to the baby boomer generation. Unfortunately, the city is also plagued with gun violence and the impact it could have on the university while hard to measure should be watched. There could be also an opportunity for the university in creating strong outreach programs and further integrate and endear itself within the community. It does face a major competitor in the University of Chicago for influence. Despite the headwinds in the Midwest and city of Chicago there is a strong history for African Americans in Chicago and CSU has the ability to institutionalize that history and use it to build itself into a driving force. The school’s growing size and pharmacy school could see it easily become a $100 million endowment over the next 20 years if it can manage its growth and integrate itself deeper into the fabric of the community.

As always it should be noted that endowments provide a myriad of subsidies to the university for everything from scholarship, faculty & administration salaries, research, and much more.

School Name: Tougaloo College

Median Cost of Attendance: $16 112

Undergraduate Population: 945

Endowment Needed: $304 516 800

Analysis: Tougaloo College needs approximately $305 million for all of its students to attend debt free annually. The amazing part of this is the number is that the school does not need that much. With its current endowment around $10 million it is not completely unfeasible to believe this amount could be accomplished within a decade. As with the other HBCUs in Mississippi it faces the demographic issues of the others. High levels of poverty in the state make it very difficult to build a large endowment for any higher education institution. It is often magnified within the HBCU sphere. Another major headwind is the student body size. Tougaloo simply is not producing a large enough number of students to create income power. The school has an excellent reputation among the inner HBCU circles but like many of the smaller HBCUs has a hard to leaving its footprint among the mainstream of African America. It is geographically close to Louisiana, which presents another problem area it must deal with. At the same token it also presents opportunity to influence parts of southeastern Louisiana. The enrollment at the school needs to grow at least double its current size, even healthier would be a growth of 150 percent in order for it to really make significant strides in earning power and potential donors. The school and its endowment are extremely well run for a school its size and thus as it continues down its current path, with any growth in demographics in its favor could see it becoming a major player in the HBCU endowment space.

As always it should be noted that endowments provide a myriad of subsidies to the university for everything from scholarship, faculty & administration salaries, research, and much more.

School Name: Coahoma Community College

Median Cost of Attendance: $7 054

Undergraduate Population: 2 216

Endowment Needed: $312 633 280

Analysis: Coahoma Community College needs an approximately $313 million endowment for all of its students to attend debt free annually. The school is located in Clarksdale, MS where almost 55 percent of the 20 000 plus population is African American. HBCUs in Mississippi either 2 year or 4 year face serious demographic issues in major part due to the median income for African Americans in the state being below the national poverty income.However, CCC is positioned with over 10 percent of the town’s population to greatly influence the public funding towards the institution. The ability to build its endowment could largely lie in it building intimate relationship with a number of HBCUs in the region and supplying them with quality graduates. With the growing importance of two year institutions as college grows more and more expensive and yet necessary, the influx of students through two year institutions will continue to spike. Coahoma Community College would be well served to create programs that are both four year tracks as well as tracks for non-academic careers like electricians, plumbers, and the advancing green job movement. However, it must do so with two things in mind. First, it must create a social connection for the students. They must feel that CCC was integral in their college experience whether they graduated at two years or went on to a four year. Secondly, and just as important for those focused on the two year track and non-academic studies they must offer a study in entrepreneurship for it. Not just teaching one to become an electrician but how to own and operate an electrician firm. Given that generational wealth is created via ownership of companies and firms this would ensure their students are job and wealth creators. This in turn will produce potential donors in the future that are intimately connected to the school.