Q. How can we get our campus GLBT resource center funded?

A. Funding can be a complicated issue, but there are some steps to follow to increase your chances of success.

First, find out about your campus's budget-setting process and work throughthis process. Many campuses have a time-line for setting budgets for the coming fiscal year, and most of these processes require that you have done your homework and have a good solid proposal. These procedures may be different for different sources of money (e.g., student fees vs. general funds). Be strategic about how this proposal will be presented. You may be able to get a high-level administrator to champion your cause and bring your proposal forward, or you may be able to garner support from many segments of the campus community. Be sure your supporters provide their rationale for why they support the university's expenditure of money. For example, your institution may talk about student retention as a key goal. If so, tie your proposal in with this goal and address how funding this center will increase retention and would be a sound expenditure of funds.

Second, develop alternative sources of funding. Some institutions or administrators may be afraid of funding GLBT issues even when they know it's the right thing to do. For example, at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Regents (governing board of the university) prohibited general funds and student fee moneys from being used to fund the proposed resource center. In response, a group of campus people launched a fundraising drive to raise money, both from individuals and foundations, for the center's first year. Since that time, a fund-raising plan has been developed that utilizes donations from students (through a $5 optional donation when they register), staff and faculty (through payroll deductions), other individuals (solicited through our newsletter, annual letters, and individual requests), foundation grants, parents' funds, special events and other sources.

According to Kim Klein, author of Fundraising for Social Change (1996, Chardon Press: Berkeley, CA), there are 4 steps to successful fundraising. They are: 1) plan, 2) plan, 3) plan, and 4) work! I have found Kim Klein's book very useful for the type of work we do. It includes sections on asking for money, building a donor base, identifying prospects, using direct mail effectively, special events, capital campaigns, getting volunteers to do fundraising, and additional resources. The Gill Foundation, a large funder of GLBT organizations, often hosts fundraising free or low-cost "how-to" sessions. Visit http://www.gillfoundation.org for the latest offerings. Additional helpful resources can be found on the web.

Check out the grants and fundraising links that David Barnett assembled.

Submitted by Beverly D. Tuel, Ph.D., Director, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder

This FAQ was submitted 7/5/00.

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