Chandler LeBoeuf, Vice President of Education for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and Executive Director of the LCTCS Foundation, has been part of the System since 2012, going from student affairs to advancement. Through public-private partnerships, he leads innovative workforce development programs, which work to get individuals credentialed in high-demand fields and into the workforce. Learn more about his career path ad advice on building similar programs. 

According to the most recent results from the Voluntary Support of Education Survey, CASE estimates that colleges and universities in the U.S. raised $52.9 billion during the 2020-2021 fiscal year, up from $49.5 billion the previous year.

Community colleges, however, experienced a net increase of 52.5% over that same period of time, thanks in large part to transformational gifts from MacKenzie Scott, American novelist, philanthropist and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. But if you exclude her gifts, how did community colleges fare?

In comparison to their university brethren, community college alumni relations programs remain at an early stage. But advancement professionals at Austin Community College District and Collin College are building a greater understanding of former students’ passion and dedication for the institutions.

Following a year of extreme variability, community colleges can learn from 2020’s fundraising data to further explore valuable aspects of advancement—including online/mobile giving, donor-advised funds, alumni relations, and institutional benchmarking.

The new documentary The Antidote spotlights Amarillo College and its efforts to break the cycle of poverty for its students. The institution’s leaders share their thoughts on the film and how it shows the impact of community colleges.

Last year saw transformative gifts given to certain community colleges (who no longer wistfully sing “If I Had a Million Dollars”). How can two-year institutions continue to illustrate return-on-investment value to increasingly savvy donors?

Advancement leaders from three community colleges share how they reorganized, strategized, and adapted in 2020 to continue to support the missions of their institutions.

To say the least, 2020 was an unpredictable year for community colleges. Let’s take stock of the challenges we met and the successes we achieved while looking forward to new opportunities in 2021.

Congratulations to Brenda Henderson, recipient of the Council for Resource Development Legacy Scholarship; thank you to the 2020 Federal Funding Task Force.

The COVID-19 pandemic wrecked colleges’ most carefully laid plans for in-person events. What are the best questions to ask, and resources to rely on, as we all adapt to the moment and an uncertain future?