Giving back to HBCUs: Will it ever get better?


N

Newspaperman

New Member
It's no secret that black people, in large part, do not give back to their alma maters -- for whatever reason (bad experience, student loans, or just don't care enough). And seeing that our schools are made up of about 99 percent black folks, most HBCUs get little or nothing from their former students. My question is do you give back to your alma mater? And if not, what could administrators do that would really make you want to give back?

Seeing that education is steadily getting cut from state budgets, HBCUs are going to rely more heavily on giving. What will come of our schools if we continue to sit on message boards like this and talk about our problems and never do anything about it?
 
Newspaperman said:
It's no secret that black people, in large part, do not give back to their alma maters -- for whatever reason (bad experience, student loans, or just don't care enough). And seeing that our schools are made up of about 99 percent black folks, most HBCUs get little or nothing from their former students. My question is do you give back to your alma mater? And if not, what could administrators do that would really make you want to give back?

Seeing that education is steadily getting cut from state budgets, HBCUs are going to rely more heavily on giving. What will come of our schools if we continue to sit on message boards like this and talk about our problems and never do anything about it?
Click to expand...

A lot don't give back because our own leaders at these schools give students and alumni the very real impression that they are not going to listen to anything you say or suggest unless you in one of their clicks. By the time most HBCU grads are in their mid-twenties, they are so frustrated with running into the same old brick wall leaders and clicks, they just say screw it and just show up on Homecomming for their once a year party reuinion.

Think about it.
Unless it is a football coach, and that take years to change sometimes, most alums don't have nada input or a chance of having their views taken into consideration. It's their war, the HBCU BIGS, or no way.

You can look at how SWAC athletics are run as a conference to see just how little the leaders listen to the "consumers of their product." :smh:
 



Newspaperman said:
It's no secret that black people, in large part, do not give back to their alma maters -- for whatever reason (bad experience, student loans, or just don't care enough). And seeing that our schools are made up of about 99 percent black folks, most HBCUs get little or nothing from their former students. My question is do you give back to your alma mater? And if not, what could administrators do that would really make you want to give back?

Seeing that education is steadily getting cut from state budgets, HBCUs are going to rely more heavily on giving. What will come of our schools if we continue to sit on message boards like this and talk about our problems and never do anything about it?
Click to expand...

I've heard a lot of people make the argument that WE don't give back to HBCUs. I don't believe that is the case. Until proven otherwise, it is MY belief that it's the administrators at HBCUs (responsible for advancement) who simply DO NOT know how to effectively raise money.
 
Kenn Rashad said:
I've heard a lot of people make the argument that WE don't give back to HBCUs. I don't believe that is the case. Until proven otherwise, it is MY belief that it's the administrators at HBCUs (responsible for advancement) who simply DO NOT know how to effectively raise money.
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So, Kenn, what exactly, in your honest opinion, could Advancement Departments at HBCUs do to raise more money? I honestly think that it doesn't matter who is in these big-time positions (President, Provost, Advancement Director); it simply boils down to who our schools serve: first-generation college students. Most of these students leave college with heavy debt and jobs paying less than $25k a year. I honestly think it doesn't matter how you spin it, most African-Americans aren't going to give back. There will always be a few that will understand the importance of giving, but the majority of HBCU students won't give back -- no matter how it is advertised to them. And it's not just an HBCU issue. Talk to black kids who went to PWIs. They don't give back either. So, it's not an HBCU or PWI argument, it's a black and white disparity. Black people have been taught to give to churches, not colleges.

And it's hard to ask a kid who's paying back $200-$300 a month in student loans to give back to the same institution where that debt incurred.
 
Newspaperman said:
So, Kenn, what exactly, in your honest opinion, could Advancement Departments at HBCUs do to raise more money? I honestly think that it doesn't matter who is in these big-time positions (President, Provost, Advancement Director); it simply boils down to who our schools serve: first-generation college students. Most of these students leave college with heavy debt and jobs paying less than $25k a year. I honestly think it doesn't matter how you spin it, most African-Americans aren't going to give back. There will always be a few that will understand the importance of giving, but the majority of HBCU students won't give back -- no matter how it is advertised to them. And it's not just an HBCU issue. Talk to black kids who went to PWIs. They don't give back either. So, it's not an HBCU or PWI argument, it's a black and white disparity. Black people have been taught to give to churches, not colleges.

And it's hard to ask a kid who's paying back $200-$300 a month in student loans to give back to the same institution where that debt incurred.
Click to expand...

Since you created this thread, let me throw it back at you. What proof do you have that suggests WE don't give back to HBCUs?
 
jsupop33 said:
A lot down give back because we just don't have expendable wealth like that.
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I think this thought process is a part of the problem. If 10K supporters gave an average of $10/month it would be $1.2M a year.

That's less than the cost of a bag of chips $.50 chips every day.
 
Newspaperman said:
So, Kenn, what exactly, in your honest opinion, could Advancement Departments at HBCUs do to raise more money? I honestly think that it doesn't matter who is in these big-time positions (President, Provost, Advancement Director); it simply boils down to who our schools serve: first-generation college students. Most of these students leave college with heavy debt and jobs paying less than $25k a year. I honestly think it doesn't matter how you spin it, most African-Americans aren't going to give back. There will always be a few that will understand the importance of giving, but the majority of HBCU students won't give back -- no matter how it is advertised to them. And it's not just an HBCU issue. Talk to black kids who went to PWIs. They don't give back either. So, it's not an HBCU or PWI argument, it's a black and white disparity. Black people have been taught to give to churches, not colleges.

And it's hard to ask a kid who's paying back $200-$300 a month in student loans to give back to the same institution where that debt incurred.
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Yep.

Kids across the board are graduation with more debt than ever before in a job market that is rough.
 
I have to ride with Kenn on this one. Well, I give back and have given back for years and work with the foundation to raise funds AND awareness...but that is not enough for a few to try to cover the multitude. When you mentioned that the schools don't do a good job of raising funds...I think you hit the nail on the head...as was stated when we were discussing Dr. Dre giving so much and how it wasn't to HBCUs...most of the HBCUs are NOT SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING THAT SCRILLA. It shows in our half-hearted attempts. now WHEN we get real about getting moolah, we will have an entire department of a 100 people trying to get your money through as many creative, inventive yet legal maneuvers out here...not the 3-5 they currently have and one of them is a secretary.

I think we haven't been taught the benefits of giving.
 
chocalate_topaz said:
I have to ride with Kenn on this one. Well, I give back and have given back for years and work with the foundation to raise funds AND awareness...but that is not enough for a few to try to cover the multitude. When you mentioned that the schools don't do a good job of raising funds...I think you hit the nail on the head...as was stated when we were discussing Dr. Dre giving so much and how it wasn't to HBCUs...most of the HBCUs are NOT SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING THAT SCRILLA. It shows in our half-hearted attempts. now WHEN we get real about getting moolah, we will have an entire department of a 100 people trying to get your money through as many creative, inventive yet legal maneuvers out here...not the 3-5 they currently have and one of them is a secretary.

I think we haven't been taught the benefits of giving.
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This is it right here. If it's not the Church, or the panhandler on the corner...we are not TAUGHT to give back.

There's plenty of corruption and bad decisions being made at PWC's, but those graduates still give back. Also...as someone else pointed out (I think Kenn) our universities don't know HOW to raise money. There's nothing really in place to catch those Graduates before they leave...and get them to understand the importance of giving back.
 
Kenn Rashad said:
Since you created this thread, let me throw it back at you. What proof do you have that suggests WE don't give back to HBCUs?
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A few reasons I have that belief:

1. Look at the disparity in facilities in among HBCU and PWIs. Small PWIs seem to have better facilities than the large HBCUs. I grew up right around the corner from MVSU before attending Mississippi State and Mississippi College. So, most of my family and friends either went to MVSU or knows someone in their immediate family that does. And it's a constant topic at Thanksgiving and other holidays. All of them will tell you the same story -- it was a bad experience and they won't ever pay a dime back.

2. I'm sorry, but I don't know any other way to phrase this. And I can only speak for MVSU, so take that into account. Look at the students. There are very few "professional-looking students." Women with blue, red and orange hair usually aren't the one's giving back to colleges years down the road.

3. And lastly, I'm black. And I KNOW I ain't giving back to any college and no one in my immediate circle does either. It's just a foreign concept to most of us. I'm sure older HBCU alums give back but they also didn't go $40k in debt in order to get a sheet of paper.
 
Newspaperman said:
A few reasons I have that belief:

1. Look at the disparity in facilities in among HBCU and PWIs. Small PWIs seem to have better facilities than the large HBCUs. I grew up right around the corner from MVSU before attending Mississippi State and Mississippi College. So, most of my family and friends either went to MVSU or knows someone in their immediate family that does. And it's a constant topic at Thanksgiving and other holidays. All of them will tell you the same story -- it was a bad experience and they won't ever pay a dime back.

2. I'm sorry, but I don't know any other way to phrase this. And I can only speak for MVSU, so take that into account. Look at the students. There are very few "professional-looking students." Women with blue, red and orange hair usually aren't the one's giving back to colleges years down the road.

3. And lastly, I'm black. And I KNOW I ain't giving back to any college and no one in my immediate circle does either. It's just a foreign concept to most of us. I'm sure older HBCU alums give back but they also didn't go $40k in debt in order to get a sheet of paper.
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Everything you've said is conjecture. Not proof. Where is the proof that we don't give back.
 
I think the concept many AAs don't get is return on investment. Your education is an investment that you should realize is a better investment than the no college route for the most part. No investment is made with a 100% guarantee of success or positivity...otherwise, everyone would be doing it. As one person said, you don't have to give a ton...give $10 a month and it would make a huge difference.
 



staggalee83 said:
A lot don't give back because our own leaders at these schools give students and alumni the very real impression that they are not going to listen to anything you say or suggest unless you in one of their clicks. By the time most HBCU grads are in their mid-twenties, they are so frustrated with running into the same old brick wall leaders and clicks, they just say screw it and just show up on Homecomming for their once a year party reuinion.

Think about it.
Unless it is a football coach, and that take years to change sometimes, most alums don't have nada input or a chance of having their views taken into consideration. It's their war, the HBCU BIGS, or no way.

You can look at how SWAC athletics are run as a conference to see just how little the leaders listen to the "consumers of their product." :smh:
Click to expand...

A leader can't always listen to what others have to say. That's like saying Obama does not listen to you. We have alumni associations that function as our voice but we don't join those either. You have to beg people to be active..and the excuse most of the time is that they are so busy. I guess I just sit around bored all day every day. :confused: EVERYBODY is busy.
 
Kenn Rashad said:
Everything you've said is conjecture. Not proof. Where is the proof that we don't give back.
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There are yearly reports that we don't give back. Also, I led the GaTech fundraising effort for the people in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York one year. .. nearly 90% of the people gave a donation! even if it was just $10. You think I could get that from JSU? I was scared to even take the job at first but it was the EASIEST thing I have ever done.

Let me tell you something REAL funny. One time the Tech President and his cabinet came to Philly. They took us to nice venue and fed us well.. and we had an open bar. We were all like, I know they gonna want a check. Nope, they just gave us an update on the campus, had a few major multimillion dollar donors to speak, and said goodnight. We were like, they don't want our money? :lol: But the thing is, we all came with checks in hand and I bet everyone there donated yearly anyway. We just expected them to ask for something extra. They didn't.
 
jag4life said:
I think this thought process is a part of the problem. If 10K supporters gave an average of $10/month it would be $1.2M a year.

That's less than the cost of a bag of chips $.50 chips every day.
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Exactly, I am no where near rich but Georgia Tech, Jackson State, and Hickory Block United Methodist Church where I was raised, get a check EVERY month. ...oh and my neice in college gets a check every month too. I don't break the bank, I just give a little. JSU will allow people to deduct $10/month as an autodebit.. you think alums do it?

I know everybody ain't able but a lot of alums who don't give back ARE.
 
Tigerpride said:
There are yearly reports that we don't give back. Also, I led the GaTech fundraising effort for the people in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York one year. .. nearly 90% of the people gave a donation! even if it was just $10. You think I could get that from JSU? I was scared to even take the job at first but it was the EASIEST thing I have ever done.

Let me tell you something REAL funny. One time the Tech President and his cabinet came to Philly. They took us to nice venue and fed us well.. and we had an open bar. We were all like, I know they gonna want a check. Nope, they just gave us an update on the campus, had a few major multimillion dollar donors to speak, and said goodnight. We were like, they don't want our money? :lol: But the thing is, we all came with checks in hand and I bet everyone there donated yearly anyway. We just expected them to ask for something extra. They didn't.
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But the reports don't indicate the methods/procedures used to raise fund. This is a variable that can't be ignored.
 
Newspaperman said:
2. I'm sorry, but I don't know any other way to phrase this. And I can only speak for MVSU, so take that into account. Look at the students. There are very few "professional-looking students." Women with blue, red and orange hair usually aren't the one's giving back to colleges years down the road.
Click to expand...

:lmao:

3. And lastly, I'm black. And I KNOW I ain't giving back to any college and no one in my immediate circle does either. It's just a foreign concept to most of us. I'm sure older HBCU alums give back but they also didn't go $40k in debt in order to get a sheet of paper.
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Well, if more of us gave back, that $40K might have been less.
 
Kenn Rashad said:
OK, Tech and JSU call you. But how do you know that Grambling calls me?
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Grambling use to call me. I haven't gotten a call in a few years. My wife graduated from FAMU and they call several times during the year asking for donations. They send letters and even call during football season to get the Alumni to come to the football games for the upcoming week. I think we need people in office that will call alums for donation and mail out letters. I have no problem donating money to GSU, but it just seems that the Alumni staff are not diligent in making the necessary contacts with the alumns.
 
I was in Tallahassee this past weekend. The Tallahassee airport has a FAMU visitor center which is another tool for recruiting students and letting Alumnus know that their money is being used to promote FAMU. Does JSU, Southern and other universities have similar things like this?
 
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