PHILADELPHIA — Marybeth Gasman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, has co-authored “A Guide to Fundraising at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: An All-Campus Approach.” The book, written with Nelson Bowman III, the director of development at Prairie View A&M University, is a comprehensive research-based work that delivers the best practices, recommendations and expertise about philanthropy for minority-serving institutions.

“A Guide to Fundraising” addresses the roles of the university president, deans and faculty; alumni giving; engagement with key audiences; working with affinity groups; corporate and foundation giving; how to build an endowment; telling a better story; and innovative fundraising.

Gasman and Bowman have collaborated for the past few years on fundraising among HBCUs and how it’s linked to their sustainability.

“Our work outlines how critical HBCUs are to meeting our nation’s educational attainment goals but at the same time how their future really depends on fundraising,” Gasman said. 

Gasman and Bowman interviewed successful HBCU presidents and institutional-advancement authorities across the country. 

“Everyone we spoke with, while eager to share their successes, was even more elated that we were expanding the research in this field and creating a user-friendly guide,” Bowman said.  “The overwhelming consensus centered on wanting all HBCUs to enhance their growth and prosperity.  It will be interesting to see what type of shift happens in HBCU fundraising over the next few years.”