Mission Education

When asked about the challenges the institution faces in terms of funding its education mission, Blackwelder noted:

*the uncertainty of the economy;

*competition for philanthropic dollars;

*explaining the increased costs of education; and

*the decline in state support.

Blackwelder says one of the ways the organization overcomes these challenges is by enhancing donor relations to ensure responsiveness to donor interests and characteristics. Other methods include cultivating relatively untapped, specialized donor bases such as women, faculty and young alumni; using gifts in hand to create challenge grants; providing estate-planning assistance; and using the cost of education and the decline in state support to elicit donor support.