Community College Crowdfunding: New Strategy or Latest Fad?. Issue 9 (2nd September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gearhart, G. David; Smith, Everrett A.; Miller, Michael T.
• Is Part Of: Community college journal of research and practice. Volume 43:Issue 9(2019)
• Page Start: 618
• Page End: 621
• Publication Date: 2019-09-02
• Subjects: Community colleges -- United States -- Periodicals; 378.15430973
• DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2018.1520660
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1066-8926

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The community college sector of higher education has, over the past 20 years, become highly engaged in fundraising. Typically relying on business and industry sponsorships, institutional leaders have begun to shift their development strategies to focus increasingly on individuals who have the capacity and disposition to support the work of their colleges. Crowdsourcing is a relatively new process for garnering the interest and timely collection of interests and moving them toward the action of financially supporting an institution. This study explored how crowdsourcing is being used by community colleges, what institutional leaders expect from the process, and how these funds are used. Study findings revealed that crowdsourcing is used primarily to raise gifts for immediate expenditure, to identify potential long-term donors, and to electronically engage persons who have an interest in the welfare of the college.