I’m hoping most of you won’t need to read this column. Unfortunately, I think many of you will. Why? This is about community college presidents’ involvement in advancement. 

You lucky advancement leaders who have engaged presidents can skip this one, because you’ve developed a strong relationship with your president focused on a shared vision for your college. Your president knows fundraising isn’t up to one person—the whole college embraces a culture of philanthropy, with the president as its Chief Fundraiser. You are respected for your expertise and your foundation is not seen as a special events shop or scholarship check processor. You are the president’s partner in something big, something rewarding. You may stop reading here.

OK, now that those blessed people are on their way, let’s deal with some realities that the rest of you may be facing, and I’ll provide some tips that may help you open the door to a conversation you’ve been avoiding with your president. Feel free to copy and paste whatever you need in an email to your president, but these suggestions may be more appropriate for a heart-to-heart chat. 

Major gift donors and prospects want to talk to the president. Let’s face it: if someone is going to invest in your community college, they want to speak to the person in charge. They want to hear the president’s vision and learn more about why they love leading your school so much. The prospect may want to share their ideas for a special lecture series, a new program, or a new building with the person who can make that happen. That’s not you—that’s the president. According to our 2025 “What Successful Community Colleges Do Differently” survey, 96% of the respondents reported that their presidents were engaged—22% VERY engaged—with major gift asks. Their participation is key.

Your president doesn’t have to “know” advancement—that’s your job! The donor cycle, pipelines, the pyramid, moves management, monitoring your fundraising return on investment, gift fees, managing your foundation board—depending on your role, this stuff is what you know and manage. Your president should see you as their advancement coach.  How do you get there? Here are a few ways to strengthen your president’s engagement:

              1) Serve on your president’s cabinet or senior leadership team. If you aren’t on it, set a meeting with your president to explain that you need to be on it to know what campus programs need funding and why, and to share fundraising updates with senior leaders. This helps build a culture of philanthropy in which everyone is engaged and responsible for fundraising success; 91% of the respondents to the successful community college survey I mentioned above serve on their president’s cabinet. It matters. 

              2) If you can’t serve on the cabinet, meet with your president at least monthly, even if you don’t report to them. Provide the president with their advancement to-do list so it’s clear what type of engagement—meeting with a foundation board member, going to an event, hosting a breakfast—is needed. Provide monthly fundraising updates (including good news/stories) via email, copying their chief of staff so they don’t get buried. (If you don’t have a close relationship with the chief of staff/executive assistant, add that to your to-do list!) If you only provide an update at annual giving time, you aren’t building a relationship with your president. You’re just another person placing “important” numbers in front of them.

Special events are strategic. Do you collaborate with your president to determine who will be in their foursome at the next golf outing? Do they know everything about the people seated at their table at an event? Have you provided background information and key points the president should discuss with all top prospects? Special events are a lot of work for presidents, but these are fantastic opportunities to meet community and corporate leaders who may not know a lot about your school. Or these folks may have strong partnerships with your faculty and workforce teams, and they deserve a presidential thank you. And the follow-up after an event is just as important—who should get a tour of your campus? Who should meet the president with a small group, and who should meet one-on-one to discuss a current or dream project? You should have a system at events so your president can tell you next steps of engagement for specific guests. Bottom line: When approached strategically, special events are for accelerating donor pipelines, not just schmoozing. 

Get your president out there. Your president should be at events throughout your community, meeting with business leaders, community organizations, and those attending fairs and festivals to tell your school’s success stories. Whatever your community needs—nurses, welders, teachers—your president should be comfortable telling your community how your college is addressing those changes. Your college is the community’s change agent, or “poverty abolitionist,” as highlighted recently at the American Association for Community College’s convention. Notice that the president isn’t asking for money—this is about relationship-building. But if there’s a community need that isn’t being met due to a lack of funding, they should feel comfortable noting that, when the circumstances are appropriate.

Presidents engage boards in philanthropy. Presidents also shape expectations for the people closest to them—their boards. I may be a bit too New Jersey-direct when I say foundation board members should “Give, Get, or Get Off,” but it’s true. Providing financial support for your college and identifying—and asking—their friends to do the same are basic responsibilities of all foundation board members. College board members often look the other way because they have different responsibilities, but as your college’s advocates and ambassadors, they should support fundraising efforts, too. The nudge for both boards to engage in philanthropy should come from the president.

Stewardship starts at the top: Hand-written thank you notes, happy birthday phone calls, and unexpected congratulatory videos are all ways that your president can make prospects, donors, and community and corporate leaders feel special. Work with the president’s chief of staff to set aside time in the president’s calendar to get these done. “Friendraising” like this is one of the most important parts of fundraising!

Presidential engagement isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence. When presidents show up, tell the college’s story, and treat philanthropy as mission‑critical, everything else gets easier. Donors and board members are confident. Your role is clarified and the advancement team feels supported. If you aren’t there yet, start with one conversation, one shared donor visit, one small win. Advancement leaders like you can guide the work, but presidents elevate it. When they lean in, even a little, everyone feels the shift.