The Universidad de Colima launched a scholarship initiative in 2011 to provide food scholarships to economically vulnerable students.
When staff members at the Mexico university were planning the project, they considered what these students needed most, says Ana Lilia Moreno Osegueda, Director. They visualized that what the students wanted to see was a “cara amiga”—a friendly face, she says.
The Cara Amiga scholarships send students a message of support—that they’re among a community of friendly faces. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated that need, and the team sought to strengthen the program. The institution negotiated lease agreements with its 64 cafeterias to participate in Cara Amiga by financing a specific number of scholarships. In 2022, this resulted in scholarships that guarantee a hot meal for 172 students. The program won a 2023 CASE Circle of Excellence Award for fundraising campaigns.
“It was reassuring to know that these donations were already secured through lease agreements. That allowed us to design a parallel campaign to raise funds to grant economic Cara Amiga scholarships to students who did not qualify in the first call,” says Moreno Osegueda. “This support would contribute to ensuring [that students can maintain] enrollment in their immediate semesters.”
Universidad de Colima’s team fosters support from the community with identity kits. The team invests in limited-edition institutional merchandise, such as backpacks and sweatshirts, to strengthen the university’s identity with potential donors. Kits also act as a thank you and donor appreciation tool. In 2024, the institution shared its largest number of kits yet (230) to further position the brand of Cara Amiga.
One of the first donors to receive a kit was the university’s rector, Christian Jorge Torres Ortiz Zermeño.
“He has taken the Cara Amiga scholarship model by the hand and has invited the entire community to participate. His leadership is key for more people to join and feel proud to contribute to the program,” says Moreno Osegueda.
The university also builds the Cara Amiga brand online through hashtags of the campaign’s two slogans: #SoyCaraAmiga (“I am a friendly face”) and #regalaunasonrisa ("give a smile”).
Students who benefit from Cara Amiga have shared with the university team how the scholarship has impacted their daily lives.
“They tell us how having the certainty of the food scholarship for a semester allows them to take care of their school activities. It has been a surprise [for us] that they identify themselves as, ‘Soy Cara Amiga’ (I am Cara Amiga),” says Moreno Osegueda.
In 2024, the team is working to increase the number of scholarships by inviting graduates of the program and companies in the region to contribute and give smiles, says Moreno Osegueda.
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July - August 2024
Creating a Global Network: Dutch alumni teams extend their international reach. Also, meaningful donor and fundraiser relationships, meeting the mission at public regional universities, and connecting the pieces on a community college brand refresh.
