NASPA Online Learning Community

Building Fundraising Opportunities for First-gen Student Success

Presenters will share strategies for building a dynamic relationship with your University Advancement team and developing your own skills as a compelling fundraiser. Specifically, presenters will discuss getting started with University Advancement; development professional-subject matter expert role differentiation; and leveraging support for your initiatives. Presenters will focus on securing support for first-generation college student scholarships and programmatic initiatives, yet the skills and strategies offered during this webinar are beneficial to all student affairs practitioners (regardless of functional area or programmatic focus).

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will:

  • examine two first-generation college student programs that have received several million dollars in private funding thanks to collaborative relationships with University Advancement officers;
  • understand the role of development officers and deepen their knowledge of their function on campus; and
  • summarize the donor engagement cycle and identify ways in which student affairs practitioners can engage with the gift cycle. 

Erin Kimura-Walsh, Ph.D.

Director, LEAD Scholars Program

Santa Clara University

Erin Kimura-Walsh has worked with underrepresented students in higher education and conducted research on educational equity issues for several years. In 2003, she helped to found the LEAD Scholars Program and has directly overseen the program for the past 14 years–during which the program has expanded and garnered significant financial support from corporations, foundations, and individuals.

Leslie Pendleton, Ph.D.

Executive Director, University Advancement

University of Florida

Leslie Pendleton helped launch the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program at the University of Florida (UF) in 2006 and served as the inaugural director from 2009 through 2022. To date, the program has supported 5,200 first-generation, low-income students and graduated nearly 4,000 of them. Costing nearly $11 million annually, the program is funded through state, university, and private sources. After three years in a shared role with UF Advancement, she transitioned into a full-time fundraising position in June 2022. In this role, she leads a team of six fundraisers who raise support for university initiatives, including the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program.

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