How do you raise money for a problem donors don't even know exists? Many community colleges face a challenge: People assume your college is publicly funded, tuition is affordable, financial aid exists, scholarships fill the gaps, and once a student is enrolled success is guaranteed. Before donors will give, they first have to believe a funding gap exists, that it's significant, that the college can't solve it alone, and that the donors' contribution is the essential bridge to student success.


In this session, you'll learn how Marin Community College Foundation built a donor campaign to do double duty: making student need visible while making the foundation essential. You'll leave inspired and with a replicable framework, plus a case-for-support and messaging formula that balances urgency, emotion, and rationale to move donors from misunderstanding to to action.