HTML Preview University Strategic Fundraising Plan page number 1.
Funding Pathways to Excellence 2010-2015
An Institutional Advancement External Funding Plan for Supporting Cheyney University
Introduction/Analysis/Forecast
A Cheyney University Institutional Advancement Comprehensive Fundraising Plan was developed in June
2009. It was designed to give vision to the needs of the university both programmatic and
infrastructural that could leverage the engagement of “a community of interests” (internal and external
constituencies). The plan featured a three-year campaign to raise $9 million.
Since the 2009 release of this plan, we have witnessed a persistent weakness in the economy locally
which has mirrored national trends (i.e. unemployment statistics, housing sales and personal and
business bankruptcy filings among other indicators). The impact on charitable giving is detailed in Giving
USA 2011: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2010 released in June by The Giving USA
Foundation and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. This report states that donations by
individuals (who contribute the vast majority of philanthropic dollars) fell by nearly 15%, adjusting for
inflation, over 2008 and 2009 – the highest percentages of decline in the past fifty years. While total
charitable giving rose 3.8% in 2010, the report cautions that the persistent recession could mean that
donations may not return to pre-2008 levels until 2016.
It is against this backdrop that Institutional Advancement decided to re-examine its plan; not just the
financial goals but the approach itself. In times of generosity, it is permissible and even encouraged to
“dream big” and engage constituencies in supporting a wide range of large-scale fundraising endeavors.
These are different times.
Cheyney University adopted a new strategic plan in June 2010 entitled Pathways to Excellence: 2010-
2015. The plan is driven by six overarching goals which inform university-wide planning, budgeting,
implementation and execution, reporting, assessment and continuous improvement. In alignment with
this new plan, the Office of Institutional Advancement (aka OIA) now reports on the receipt of external
funds primarily according to strategic goal(s) supported by those funds and secondarily by income
source. This enables Advancement and, indeed, all stakeholders to take note of the degree to which
various programs, initiatives and aspects of the university are compelling with respect to financial
support. By analyzing support both by strategic goal and by income source, we can better predict giving
patterns programmatically and can assess which areas may need strategic triage in terms of inadequate
financial support.
Institutional Advancement’s new External Funding Plan takes into account the economic landscape
referenced above as well as the new political realities in Pennsylvania which cut support of Cheyney
University and its thirteen fellow member institutions of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher
Education by 18%. Further, this new Plan is conceived within the strategic goals and timeframe of
Pathways to Excellence.