Colleges and universities are creating emergency funds to help students who are struggling financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Recently, a development advisory group of higher ed advancement professionals from nearly 10 institutions reconvened to discuss their online giving best practices as they shift from having in-person donor meetings and sending direct mailers to adopting online fundraising initiatives.
Many schools such as the California Institute of Technology have canceled their scheduled giving days to raise funds from alumni by communicating how their contributions can help current students who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
At Northeastern University in Boston, the advancement office worked with student support services to create the We Care Fund to help with basic necessities such as paying for rent and gas. Meanwhile, officials at Fort Lewis College in Colorado created the Skyhawk Emergency Fund to provide students with laptops and other equipment due to concerns that they didn’t have internet access at home.
Higher ed promoting student emergency funds
CASE has compiled a list of colleges and universities that have been promoting student emergency funds:
- Brandeis University – Support Brandeis students through the Student Emergency GSrant Fund
- Connecticut College – Support Connecticut College
- Dartmouth College – Emergency Student Relief Fund
- Florida State University – Helping Our FSU Students
- Kansas State University – #KStateStrong Emergency Response Fund
- Northeastern Illinois University – Student Emergency Fund
- Northern Virginia Community College – NOVA COVID-19 Emergency Student Aid Fund
- Penn State University – Student Care & Advocacy Emergency Fund
- University of Arkansas – Support U of A Students In Need
- University at Buffalo – Student Emergency Funds
- University of Tennessee-Knoxville – Student Emergency Fund for COVID-19
- University of Texas at El Paso – Student Emergency Fund
- Wichita State University – Shockers Up – COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund
For more information, view the CASE emergency aid fund subject guide.
“Many schools are worried that students don’t have enough money for tuition in the fall either because they or their parents are unemployed and can’t find a job,” says Senior Vice President of Development Linda Durant at the Council for Advancement and Support Education who attended the development advisory group. “Institutions are thinking about how they can raise enough funds to pay that tuition bill.”
Stewardship through phonathons
While many institutions have switched to online giving, others are pursuing stewardship through phonathons to raise gifts for their student emergency funds.
“Advancement officers are trying to schedule calls for presidents and senior leaders to thank donors and share how their support will help students during this important time,” says Durant. “One of the most important first steps is therefore to work with colleagues in student affairs or student services to find out what the needs of your students are.”
These offices can also locate and contact students to help with donor stewardship by calling donors and alumni themselves to thank them for their gifts.
“It’s important to not only communicate these kinds of stories to donors and alumni but to keep that relationship with them alive,” she says.
Online giving campaign raising funds
Last week, Northwest Florida State College started an online giving campaign for students affected by the coronavirus. Alumni are encouraged to donate to a preexisting student emergency fund that was established in 2018. Like before, students are referred by staff and faculty to apply for financial support via the online platform and can receive a maximum of $1,000. “We do have the ability to raise that limit higher in extenuating circumstances,” says Cristie Kedroski, senior vice president. “So far, the highest amount a student has needed to help them persist and continue their education here since the coronavirus started was $700 dollars.”
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Currently, 15 donors have donated $4,525 since the online fundraising campaign launched a week ago with a $5,000 check from a local business on the way.
To create this online giving initiative, the college first suspended the silent phase of a major gifts campaign. Next, the college communicated the shift via social media and sent a recorded message from the college president to a VIP list via email. “Our leadership team felt that student need would grow so we changed our messaging to say that we would be temporarily focusing on raising money for our student emergency funds.”
She adds, “It’s important for colleges to stay focused on the mission at hand, which is serving students. When there’s a will, there’s a way.”
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