 HBCU Duchess radio Duchess at the dark. This is a special edition for Giving Tuesday and our next guest up is the distinguished President of the HBCU the year Benedict College President Rosalind Clark artists. So madam president great to have you on again So today is the big Philanthropic day for HBCU's all over the country is given Tuesday, but you guys have built this as HBCU giving Tuesday So obviously, you know, we know why philanthropy matters, but what are some of the specifics that stand out for you and the Benedict community? Where gifts matter and what they actually support? So gets matter in every possible way for the institution we think about infrastructure technology and investments in our facilities But on a more granular level we think about direct support to our students scholarship assistance is needed So many of our students are first-generation Low wealth individuals who are Pell dependent as the federal government jockeys back and forth with Pell grants and student loans and work study scholarship aid to students becomes even more critical talk about some of the differences between Philanthropy for public institutions and for private institutions. We obviously know that Public schools get appropriations from the state government as taxpayer-funded dollars But when we think about giving to private schools specifically Why that's so important even just for operational's not even let's not even think about endowment Let's not even think about scholarship visit provision just for operations of a school How do those dollars break down and make such a big difference? They go directly to the bottom line Jarrett. We know that institutions continue to struggle to Simply make ends meet very much like our families in this country our institutions have to pay utility bills and All sorts of other both direct and indirect expenses to keep the lights on Literally and figuratively without state support without that state subsidy that comes to state institutions without Even really having to ask short of meeting metrics Our private institutions are left to their own devices to ensure that we're able to meet our obligations and provide a high quality Education for our students. So for private institutions, I dare say that Contributions are even more critical Now Benedict has had some a lot of success over a lot of areas over the last two years Or especially since your tenure, but one of the ways that the school has really Done some really marvelous things is encouraging more alumni giving the alumni giving ratings up overall dollars are up what has been the secret for Benedict to really engage with families and Organizations to get them supporting the institution Well, I'll tell you that the secret thoughts at Benedict College preceded me This institution is celebrating its fifth consecutive year of a million dollar or more in giving from alumni alone This past year we saw about 1.34 million dollars come directly from our alumni The institution has about 17,000 alumni across the country and so you can imagine that per capita They are punching significantly above their weight The truth is Tigers bleed purple and gold and they support this institution to a tremendous degree I Could not be more appreciative or happier what we need to try to do To improve on that number is really increase the participation rate We're still hovering around 17 18 percent of our alumni giving and when you think about 17 18 percent Accounting for nearly a million and a half dollars a year for percent of our annual budget Imagine if we could double the participation rate what that would need to benefit college So that's really our goal as we move forward increase participation at any level. Let's talk a little bit about that because Black folks are among the most philanthropic Ethnic groups in the country right we give we give you church. We give you fraternity sororities We give in a lot of weight But at the same time while that that giving among black folks is up or at least sustained We know that there there still remains a struggle to get a larger share of black college students coming to HBCUs right now We're still at about one out of every ten So do you think that there is strategy obviously their strategy in building enrollment But are there any measures that we take to get to communities or black folks who may not have Intimate ties to HBCUs and if so, how do you do that? So I think that the reality is the appearance of choice For our black children to go to any institution their heart's desire and their academic capacity Their intellectual capacity allows them is a bit of a mess We know from what we're seeing across the country that our students still are not wholly welcomed at a majority Of PWI institutions in this country However, those institutions are so much more well endowed that they're able to compete for and attract our best and brightest kids of color They're able to offer them full scholarships. They're able to offer them housing You're able to offer them, you know tuition fees room board books. You name it a full package Very few HBCUs particularly privates are able to meet Then in the marketplace to that extent because as we discussed earlier private institutions That's actual cash to the bottom line. That's not a write-off. That's not a subsidy. That is actual cash We have to have the money available to fund those scholarships So if we're going to continue to compete for our very best and brightest students who we know will Absolutely thrive in the culturally sensitive environment that we provide in a source of black colleges and universities We've got to have the ability to compete with direct scholarship offers and packages consistent with our predominant white peers There's so many areas that colleges period not just HBCs, but college period have to fundraise for they want to create more scholarship Opportunities for students. They want to renovate and build new facilities. They want to support athletics They want to build endowment If there if there is an area where you would tell an eager donor This is where your funds would best go. What would it be? Obviously, it would be something unrestricted But if you were to tell them what what here's where we here's where we can really really put your money to work Where what area of the academic enterprise would you direct them to? Academic enterprise being key Technology we absolutely have to update our labs our technology infrastructure and our facilities to do that Certainly we can establish designated funds for those for the upkeep and maintenance of our facilities We know that it's an arms race our students deserve the very best in terms of facilities to compete and to learn and to grow in and discover and we simply have not been able to keep pace because it's Literally generations of underfunding for historically black colleges and universities So if I had my greatest wish it would be that our alumni friends Supporters of historically black colleges recognize and appreciate the extent to which we absolutely need investments in our infrastructure In order for us to keep pace with the 21st century trick technology driven economy So many alums and friends want to have control over their philanthropy Back to be expected people want to know where their money is going There are lots of ways to ensure that your money goes where you intended right you can create an endowment Designate describe how you want your money to use that's a binding legal document And it will survive long into the future beyond any presidency beyond any administration And so I would urge Alumni and friends who have a heart and a mind and the capacity to be able to make gifts to our institutions to own your philanthropy You know designate your dollars where they can be most impactful Again, my preference would be for infrastructure support, you know, we laugh and we talk about Things look just the way they did when I graduated. That's not a good thing Right, that's not a good thing that our dorms don't look the same as they did when we graduated or that our lab Still look the same as they did when we graduated. We've won our institutions to grow We want our institutions to be consistent and competitive in the future in order to do that We have to have those critical infrastructure dollars and where would you direct people to give and we so much appreciate the time Especially on given Tuesday, but where where can people find more information and and really plug into to give those dollars today Listen www.benedict.edu You can text to give we're on Facebook. We're on Twitter. We're on Instagram Search for the best of DC Benedict College And you will find a way that is convenient for you to give and keeping with my colleagues here You know that there are several of us College president of HBCU presidents who've gotten together to support one another's institution. Yeah, you saw Mike Duvati, Makola Abdullah President of the year in his own right Stand up and make an appeal support the HBC That's in your neighborhood if you didn't graduate from HBCU or if you are a friend of HBCU support the HBCU closest to you Support your alma mater if you had the honor and privilege of going to an HBCU and support Benedict College, I wouldn't be the president of Benedict College if I didn't say first and foremost support Benedict College Are you gonna go shade like like Dr. Abdullah did he was he was shading Norfolk State in Virginia State? I mean and Virginia Union, so are you gonna take any shots at any competitors? No shade and sunny, South Carolina. We love Morris. We love Allen. We love class We love South Carolina State. We have eight HBCUs including Denmark check in South Carolina and It is it is right that they all thrive if we were all firing at a hundred percent We could not meet the needs for the kids in South Carolina that need an HBCU education So while I have a particular preference for Benedict College I would be grateful for your support for HBCUs more broadly particularly those locations in the state of South Carolina