With the combination of Tuesday’s budget compact and
Thursday’s May budget revise, the financial outlook for
university outreach programs appears more promising than it was
earlier this year.
But additional funding for outreach is still needed given that
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s revised budget only offers a
slight improvement from the initially proposed 100 percent cut.
Anticipating budget cuts, outreach programs have been increasing
efforts to find external funding sources.
“Budget cuts are certainly a catalyst for our enhanced
focus on alternative funding options,” said Soncia Lilly,
associate vice chancellor of Student Affairs Administration.
Lilly added that it is not new for Student Affairs as a whole to
seek outside funding.
It is currently redirecting resources toward fund-raising for
university outreach programs, such as Early Academic Outreach
Programs.
“We have directed a portion of the time of two key staff
members to identify opportunities for EAOP and other related
projects to seek funding,” she said.
In addition to applying for state and federal grants, the most
promising sources for outside funding include donations from
corporations and foundations.
“We haven’t completely shifted from seeking state
funding. However, there is a need, given the state economy, to
partner with those who have a vested interest in outreach, which
includes certain corporations and foundations,” she said.
Smaller scale student-led outreach programs are also focusing
more on obtaining funding from additional sources, especially since
they are being affected both directly and indirectly by state
budget cuts.
The Student Initiated Outreach Coalition, which funds seven
different outreach programs, receives significant funding from
student fees and community partnerships in addition to allotments
from the chancellor’s office and the state, said committee
chair Patricia Lopez, a fourth-year Chicana/o studies and
psychology student.
Since next year’s student enrollment is expected to drop,
Lopez said funding for the coalition is not secure.
“For this year, we had a reserve that helped us deal with
budget cuts, but now that has been depleted,” she said.
Lopez said the committee has prepared a packet of information
about its outreach programs to present to possible donors.
But she said it is difficult to add grant writing and funding
proposals onto the numerous responsibilities already borne by
student members.
Individual outreach projects within the coalition are directing
time and effort to raise funds from outside sources.
Students Heightening Academic Performance through Education, a
program through the coalition and the African Student Union, has
applied for about five grants from private corporations but did not
receive any, according to fifth-year anthropology student and
African Student Union financial coordinator Jarrell Davis.
Davis added that one corporation said the program did not
qualify for the grant because the university should be responsible
for funding it.
Director Jullien Gordon said the program hopes to work closer
with Student Affairs to be included in its grant writing
projects.
Other funding options that the group will be focusing on include
school district partnerships, fund-raising events and donations
from individuals.
“Some people who we ask for funds from don’t
recognize the importance of outreach. … Until the public
education system is equal, outreach is justified,” he
said.
Aimee Dorr, UCLA outreach co-chair, said there is currently a
redirection of efforts toward fund-raising, but she does not see
the shift as permanent because when the economy improves, there
will be reinvestment.
In the meantime, Lopez emphasizes that efforts need to be made
to sustain current levels of outreach.
“We are trying our best to be self-sufficient, but we have
to put more responsibility on the university, which is ultimately
responsible for outreach as a public institution,” she
said.