#157 | How are HBCU schools ensuring that they recieve their fair share of the philanthropic pie?

Today I had the pleasure of connecting with Glenn Davis, the Vice President of Advancement at Simmons College of Kentucky; as well as Theresa Lee, Responsive’s Principal Consultant in New England. Glenn was recently one of Theresa’s students in Boston College’s fundraising program, and it was great to hear them both share about their experience. Since 2005, enrollment at Simmons has increased at an unprecedented rate resulting in an expansion of class offerings and degree programs. During this time, the school has reacquired its original campus, secured accreditation, and been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a member of Historically Black CollegGlenn Davises and Universities (HBCU).

A leader at a HBCU school, Glenn shared his thoughts about Robert Smith’s 2019 gift to Morehouse College which certainly caught the attention of many of us in fundraising a year ago. I believe that gifts of this magnitude will occur with increasing regularity and suspect that colleges like Simmons that have historically been overlooked by big philanthropy might find themselves next on the list. It was intriguing to hear how Glenn is navigating his new fundraising role after enjoying a successful career in advertising and how he is helping to ensure that Simmons is receiving their fair share of the philanthropic pie.

As always, we are grateful to OneCause for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast.