This issue splits me down the middle. On one end, as a university employee, I know rising tuition is necessary to more resources and continued competitiveness. Colleges must earn their students these days, sometimes more than students must earn their way into choice universities. On the other end, I know university policy can become greedy very quickly: bodies in seats and dollars in the door overwhelm the threshold of quality very easily, especially with the pressure put on presidents, provosts, and deans to produce upticks immediately. We've seen a lot of bubbles in recent decades (tech, housing). The growth rate of the university degree and its perceived value seem to be trending in a similar direction. No predictions of doom here. Just something to watch for those of us who believe in providing excellent education to all, especially at the highest level offered.
- M
Cost of Attending College Rose Faster Than Inflation, Reports Find
With institutions of higher education struggling to manage the effects of state budget cuts and declines in the value of their endowments, tuition and fees at colleges and universities around the country continued to rise in 2009-10, two new reports from the College Board find.
The first report, Trends in College Pricing 2009 (20 pages, PDF), found that the average published price of tuition and fees for in-state students at four-year public colleges in 2009-10 was $7,020 — 6.5 percent higher than in 2008-09 — while tuition and fees at four-year private colleges averaged $26,273 — 4.4 percent higher than the year before.
The report also found that tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities rose at an annual average rate of 4.9 percent above and beyond the rate of inflation from 1999-2000 to 2009-10 — faster than the 3 percent and 4 percent rates of the previous two decades. At the same time, the rate of growth at private four-year institutions (2.6 precent) and public two-year colleges (1.8 percent) was lower over that ten-year period than in either of the two previous decades.
The second report, Trends in Student Aid 2009 (20 pages, PDF), found that although the amount of grant aid distributed to students increased significantly in 2008-09 (the latest year for which data is available), student borrowing also increased, as did the gap between available resources and the overall cost of attending college.
As was the case for tuition and fees, spending on food, housing, books, supplies, and other student costs increased more rapidly than the rate of inflation in 2009-10. Only at public two-year colleges did grant aid for the average student stretch beyond tuition and fees.
"It is vital that we assure access to a high-quality college education for all students," said College Board president Gaston Caperton. "While a college education is critical to long-term financial security, it feels out of reach to many students and families in today's economy. States and institutions must increase their efforts to reduce costs and to prevent tuition from rising as rapidly as it has in the past. We must provide generous financial aid for those who most need the funds and help students and families to understand the wide array of options available to them in our diverse educational system."
“Public Four-Year Tuition Continues to Rise at Faster Rate than Private Four-Year Tuition.” College Board Press Release 10/20/09.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
More Literacy Grants: Big Read Program 2010-11
I love libraries, literature, and reading. I hope programs like this will help future generations feel the same way. - M
Big Read Program Offers Grants to Support Community Reading Projects
The Big Read, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest, is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations to conduct month-long community-wide reads between September 2010 and June 2011.
The Big Read is a national program designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture. Organizations selected to participate in the program will receive a grant ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 each, access to online training resources, educational and promotional materials, inclusion of the organization and activities on the Big Read Web site, and the prestige of participating in a highly visible national program. Approximately seventy-five organizations from across the United States will be selected to participate.
Grants must be matched at least one-to-one with non-federal funds. Grant funds may be used for expenses such as book purchases, speaker fees and travel, salaries, advertising, and venue rental.
Applicant organizations must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; a division of state, local, or tribal government; or a tax-exempt public library. Eligible applicants include such organizations as literary centers, libraries, museums, colleges and universities, art centers, historical societies, arts councils, tribal governments, humanities councils, literary festivals, and arts organizations. Applicant organizations must partner with a library (if the applicant organization itself is not a library). K-12 schools and school districts, whether public or private, may not be lead applicants but are strongly encouraged to partner with libraries, literary centers, museums, and other eligible applicants.
Applicants can select one of the thirty-one available reading choices.
Visit the Big Read Web site for complete program information.
Contact:
Link to Complete RFP
Big Read Program Offers Grants to Support Community Reading Projects
The Big Read, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest, is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations to conduct month-long community-wide reads between September 2010 and June 2011.
The Big Read is a national program designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture. Organizations selected to participate in the program will receive a grant ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 each, access to online training resources, educational and promotional materials, inclusion of the organization and activities on the Big Read Web site, and the prestige of participating in a highly visible national program. Approximately seventy-five organizations from across the United States will be selected to participate.
Grants must be matched at least one-to-one with non-federal funds. Grant funds may be used for expenses such as book purchases, speaker fees and travel, salaries, advertising, and venue rental.
Applicant organizations must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; a division of state, local, or tribal government; or a tax-exempt public library. Eligible applicants include such organizations as literary centers, libraries, museums, colleges and universities, art centers, historical societies, arts councils, tribal governments, humanities councils, literary festivals, and arts organizations. Applicant organizations must partner with a library (if the applicant organization itself is not a library). K-12 schools and school districts, whether public or private, may not be lead applicants but are strongly encouraged to partner with libraries, literary centers, museums, and other eligible applicants.
Applicants can select one of the thirty-one available reading choices.
Visit the Big Read Web site for complete program information.
Contact:
Link to Complete RFP
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
FYI: Tough NEO Stats from Nonprofit Finance Fund
Thought the below article and stats might be helpful for some in the region.
- M
Survey: Northeast Ohio Nonprofits Brace for Tough 2010; Turn to Collaboration and Financial Planning
BVU and Nonprofit Finance Fund Find Only 29% of Area Nonprofits Expect to Cover 2009 and 2010 Expenses
Cleveland, Ohio – October 8, 2009 – Nonprofits in Northeast Ohio are facing decreased revenue and an increase in demand as they look toward 2010, according to a survey released today by Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU) and Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF). More than 100 respondents painted a grim financial picture of the sector, but also detailed extensive and promising collaboration efforts that outpace national counterparts.
Summary Survey Findings | Full Survey Results
Read about the survey in Philanthropy News Digest, and cleveland.com.
Key findings include:
Only 17% of respondents expect to be above break-even for the current fiscal year, down from 35% the prior fiscal year.
Of the nonprofits that receive each type of funding, 67% expect a decrease in foundation revenues, 54% expect a decrease in government revenues, and 40% expect a decrease in gifts from individual and corporate donors.
80% of nonprofits predict an increase in demand for services for the remainder of 2009 and in 2010.
Fewer than half of nonprofits that expect an increase in demand are planning to reduce programs.
Nonprofits are responding aggressively to economic challenges in order to meet the needs of their constituents. They are taking action in myriad ways:
- 59% have collaborated with other organizations on programs and/or administration
in the past 12 months.
- 51% have developed a "worst-case scenario" contingency budget.
- 56% have engaged more closely with their board.
"Northeast Ohio nonprofits are working together and getting creative in the face of significant financial challenges," said Ann Kent, Vice President, Services to Nonprofits of Business Volunteers Unlimited. "If there is a silver lining to the economic uncertainty, it is that organizations are going beyond survival mode to pursue fundamental improvements in strategy, finance, and service delivery."
In addition to steps that Northeast Ohio nonprofits have already taken, 55% of nonprofits expect to collaborate on programs in the next 12 months, 26% will collaborate to reduce administrative expenses, 55% are planning closer board engagement, and 50% plan to hold conversations with funders to discuss financial realities. Local interest in collaboration is high when compared to findings from Nonprofit Finance Fund's March 2009 survey of nonprofits nationwide, where 42% of respondents either had or were planning to collaborate on programs, and 13% had or were planning to partner to reduce administrative costs.
"For many nonprofits, 2010 will be even more difficult than 2009 as economic uncertainty continues to buffet the sector and exacerbate long-standing problems," said Dione Alexander, Vice President, Midwest Region, Nonprofit Finance Fund. "The actions that Northeast Ohio nonprofits are taking to address systemic issues give hope that they will emerge from these tough times stronger and able to continue to meet the growing needs of the communities they serve."
- M
Survey: Northeast Ohio Nonprofits Brace for Tough 2010; Turn to Collaboration and Financial Planning
BVU and Nonprofit Finance Fund Find Only 29% of Area Nonprofits Expect to Cover 2009 and 2010 Expenses
Cleveland, Ohio – October 8, 2009 – Nonprofits in Northeast Ohio are facing decreased revenue and an increase in demand as they look toward 2010, according to a survey released today by Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU) and Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF). More than 100 respondents painted a grim financial picture of the sector, but also detailed extensive and promising collaboration efforts that outpace national counterparts.
Summary Survey Findings | Full Survey Results
Read about the survey in Philanthropy News Digest, and cleveland.com.
Key findings include:
Only 17% of respondents expect to be above break-even for the current fiscal year, down from 35% the prior fiscal year.
Of the nonprofits that receive each type of funding, 67% expect a decrease in foundation revenues, 54% expect a decrease in government revenues, and 40% expect a decrease in gifts from individual and corporate donors.
80% of nonprofits predict an increase in demand for services for the remainder of 2009 and in 2010.
Fewer than half of nonprofits that expect an increase in demand are planning to reduce programs.
Nonprofits are responding aggressively to economic challenges in order to meet the needs of their constituents. They are taking action in myriad ways:
- 59% have collaborated with other organizations on programs and/or administration
in the past 12 months.
- 51% have developed a "worst-case scenario" contingency budget.
- 56% have engaged more closely with their board.
"Northeast Ohio nonprofits are working together and getting creative in the face of significant financial challenges," said Ann Kent, Vice President, Services to Nonprofits of Business Volunteers Unlimited. "If there is a silver lining to the economic uncertainty, it is that organizations are going beyond survival mode to pursue fundamental improvements in strategy, finance, and service delivery."
In addition to steps that Northeast Ohio nonprofits have already taken, 55% of nonprofits expect to collaborate on programs in the next 12 months, 26% will collaborate to reduce administrative expenses, 55% are planning closer board engagement, and 50% plan to hold conversations with funders to discuss financial realities. Local interest in collaboration is high when compared to findings from Nonprofit Finance Fund's March 2009 survey of nonprofits nationwide, where 42% of respondents either had or were planning to collaborate on programs, and 13% had or were planning to partner to reduce administrative costs.
"For many nonprofits, 2010 will be even more difficult than 2009 as economic uncertainty continues to buffet the sector and exacerbate long-standing problems," said Dione Alexander, Vice President, Midwest Region, Nonprofit Finance Fund. "The actions that Northeast Ohio nonprofits are taking to address systemic issues give hope that they will emerge from these tough times stronger and able to continue to meet the growing needs of the communities they serve."
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