NCAA launches Foundations of Fundraising program

The NCAA leadership development staff, in conjunction with the National Association of Athletic Development Directors, has launched a program to further educate women and ethnic minorities interested in learning more about athletics fundraising and development.

Foundations of Fundraising features 30 women and ethnic minority leaders in athletics who will attend nine weeks of virtual courses to learn about fundraising principles, discuss case studies around development tactics, and hear experiences and issues solutions from fundraising experts. The program, which runs from January to April, is structured to introduce athletics fundraising as a career path to young leaders in the NCAA membership and to further educate current athletics development representatives as they step forward to potential senior-level athletics positions. 

The program curriculum will be taught through the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy. Upon completion of the program, the leaders will receive a certificate from the NCAA, IUPUI and NAADD. NAADD is the professional development/fundraising organization that is centered in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. 

Additionally, in the Foundations of Fundraising's inaugural year, the NCAA and the Indiana Sports Corp will honor longtime NCAA executive Tom Jernstedt, who died in 2020.  In honor of Jernstedt, the inaugural program will receive additional funding, and the first cohort will be named after him. 

"The Foundations of Fundraising program is significant as it provides education for individuals who want to excel in fundraising and development. It will enhance their skills should they have an opportunity to advance to an executive level in athletics and higher education," said Felicia Martin, interim senior vice president of inclusion education and community engagement.

"For almost 30 years, NAADD has a rich history of providing educational opportunities for its members at all levels across the profession," said Markus Jennings, president of the executive committee for NAADD and deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer at the University of Akron. "We are looking forward to partnering with the NCAA to add more programming for the future leaders of intercollegiate athletics fundraising. The Foundations of Fundraising program will greatly enhance the pipeline of qualified female and minority candidates as more of our veteran fundraisers move forward into leadership positions on their campuses."

"Foundations of Fundraising also addresses hiring concerns at the highest level. When you consider the current statistics in athletics development and fundraising, the numbers are low when it comes to ethnic and minority women hires. These low numbers have an impact on advancement because fundraising is a critical part of an executive leader's role," Martin said.

Athletics executives have referenced fundraising and development skills as necessary career competencies to ascend into a director of athletics position over the years. However, race and gender numbers have lagged in the industry. Minority men and women represent less than 8% of those in athletics fundraising/development in Divisions I, II and III, while white women represent around 30%. White men constitute around 50%-60% in the industry. 

Anticipated outcomes from the Foundations of Fundraising program include exposure and introduction of athletics development as a career path and visualization to leadership with this skill set. Program leaders also hope to prepare participating leaders for elevated senior roles. The program also has a tie to ongoing efforts around the NCAA Presidential Pledge as it relates to minority and gender hiring in the membership.

"We structured the Foundations of Fundraising program in a way that it lays a solid foundation of exposure and introduction to this industry," said DeeDee Merritt, director of NCAA leadership development, which coordinates educational programs at the national office. 

"We opened the program to a wide range of individuals in the first year, which includes those who may have an interest in learning more about fundraising, as well as those who have knowledge of it and are ready to advance. This helps us broaden the reach in this industry. And we also want to thank the Indiana Sports Corp, IUPUI and the Mays Institute for their support. We also are pleased that Tom Jernstedt is being honored through this initiative."