Notes

1 The Presidents Leadership Group.Be Vocal, Be Visible, Be Visionary:Recommendations for College andUniversity Presidents on Alcohol andOther Drug Prevention. Newton, MA:Higher Education Center for Alcoholand Other Drug Prevention, 1997.

2 DeJong W, Vince-Whitman C,Colthurst T, Cretella M, Gilbreath M,Rosati M, Zweig K. EnvironmentalManagement: A Comprehensive Strategyfor Reducing Alcohol and Other DrugUse on College Campuses. Washington,DC: US Department of Education,Higher Education Center for Alcoholand Other Drug Prevention, 1998.

3 Carnegie Foundation for theAdvancement of Teaching. CampusLife: In Search of Community.Princeton, NJ: 1990.

4 Anderson DS, Gadaleto AF. Resultsof the 1997 College Alcohol Survey:Comparison with 1994 Results andBaseline Year. Fairfax, VA: Center forthe Advancement of Public Health,George Mason University, 1998.

5 DeJong W, Langenbahn S. Settingand Improving Policies for ReducingAlcohol and Other Drug Problems onCampus: A Guide for Administrators.Washington, DC: US Departmentof Education, Higher EducationCenter for Alcohol and Other DrugPrevention, 1995, reprinted 1997.

6 Ryan BE, Colthurst T, Segars L.College Alcohol Risk Assessment Guide:Environmental Approaches to Prevention.Washington, DC: US Department ofEducation, Higher Education Centerfor Alcohol and Other DrugPrevention, revised 1997.

7 Wechsler H, Austin B, DeJong W.Secondary Effects of Binge Drinking onCollege Campuses. Washington, DC:US Department of Education, HigherEducation Center for Alcohol andOther Drug Prevention, 1996.

8 Ryan B, DeJong W. Making the Link:Faculty and Prevention. Washington,DC: US Department of Education,Higher Education Center for Alcoholand Other Drug Prevention, 1998.

9 DeJong W, Winsten JA. The Mediaand the Message: Lessons Learnedfrom Past Public Service Campaigns.Washington, DC: The NationalCampaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy,1998.

Resources

The following is a recap of resources described in this publication.The Websites for these resourcescan be accessed through links on the Higher Education Center’s Website, www.edc.org/hec/, whichalso features current grant opportunities of particular interest to AOD prevention planners.

Prevention Program 15

Building Long-Term Support

2

Building Long-Term Support for Alcoholand Other Drug Prevention Programs

by William DeJong, Ph.D., and Laurie Davidson

The Presidents Leadership Group—convened by the Higher EducationCenter for Alcohol and Other DrugPrevention in 1997—has stronglyrecommended that colleges devote“sufficient resources” to support acomprehensive approach to alcoholand other drug prevention, anapproach that focuses on changing thecampus and community environmentin which students make decisionsabout substance use.1 Many of theinitiatives that schools might pursueas part of this environmental ap-proach—for example, academicreform, changes in infrastructure, andnew prevention programs—requireboth long-term support from topadministrators and substantialfinancing.2

Although college presidents believethat high-risk drinking by students isamong the most serious threats facedby their institution,3 and althoughthey acknowledge their duty toprovide a safe and drug-free campus,the typical college alcohol and otherdrug (AOD) prevention budget stillfails to reflect this priority.4 Staffcoordinators responsible for alcoholand other drug prevention often say

that the toughest challenge they face isa lack of adequate funding for theirprogram efforts.

The reality, of course, is that, even withheightened concern about studentdrinking, there are many competingdemands on college budgets, especiallyin an era of public concern about thecosts of higher education. Top collegeofficials need to be reminded, however,that the absence of these preventioninitiatives also has its price: highliability insurance premiums, costlyproperty damage, and increasedstudent health services and securitycosts.

The purpose of this publication is todescribe actions that campus-basedAOD prevention coordinators can taketo develop long-term administrativeand financial support for campusalcohol and other drug prevention.The challenge of creating a newprevention program is difficultenough, even with ample seed money.Sustaining support for the programover time, once a start-up grant hasended, can be even harder.

Program institutionalization requireslong-term planning. In fact, expertsagree that the best time to beginthinking about a program’s long-rangefuture is at the very beginning of theplanning process. Thus, the best timeto use this publication is during theearly planning stages—even as early aswhen an application for initial pro-gram funding is being assembled.

This publication has been funded with Federalfunds from the U.S. Department of Educationunder contracts number SS9-30-25-001 andED-99-CO-0094. The content of thispublication does not necessarily reflect theviews or policies of the U.S. Department ofEducation nor does mention of trade names,commercial products, or organizations implyendorsement by the U.S. Government.

First published in 1995 under the titleInstitutionalizing Alcohol and Other DrugPrevention Programs; revised 2000.

Programs that are already under waymay also find the advice in this publi-cation helpful in redirecting their workor in identifying potential new sourcesof funding. Early adjustments maymake the difference in whether a newprevention program survives.

The publication is divided into twomajor sections:

Section 1

Building a Program for Long-TermSurvival, which describes features ofprevention programs that can increasea program’s survival chances

Section 2

Identifying Alternative Sources ofFunding, which describes possiblefunding sources to replace a start-upgrant or seed money

This information comes in part frominterviews conducted with programcoordinators from across the country,representing both large and smallschools. Each of these individuals hasoverseen the development of an alcoholand other drug prevention programthat has stood the test of time andbecome a vital and institutionalizedpart of his or her college. The lessonsthey have to teach are a simple, yetessential, guide to long-term programsurvival.

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Technical Assistance Services to Communities

(301) 459-1591, ext. 244; www.covesoft.com/csap.html

For information on CSAP grants: www.samhsa.gov/grant/gfa_kda.htm

For Directory of State and Territory Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Agencies, call (301) 589-6760

• Technical assistance on grantsmanship and fund-raising

The Foundation Center

(800) 424-9836; (212) 807-3690 in New York state; http://fdncenter.org

• Cooperating Collections for publications and technical assistance• Directories of funding sources• Proposal writing guidelines

Join Together Online

(617) 437-1500; www.jointogether.org

• “Funding News,” including “Grant Deadline Calendar” and link to the Federal Register• “News,” “Community Action,” “Public Policy” features• Searchable national database of community prevention contacts• Working the Web: Using the Internet to Fight Substance Abuse

Illinois Researcher Information Service

(217) 333-0284; E-mail: iris-alert@carousel.lis.uiuc.edu

• Database of more than 7,700 federal and nonfederal funding opportunities• E-mail notification of newly listed opportunities• Fee charged to subscribers

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI)

(800) 729-6686; www.health.org

• Prevline Website• Information on federal grant announcements• CSAP’s Foundation Resource Packet

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

State and Community Services: (202) 366-2121For information on regional offices administering NHTSA’s grant programs:www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/whatis/regions

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)

For an overview of Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Program:http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/programs/programs.html

• Governors’ offices of each state administer funds for this program.

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)

(800) 666-3332; www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

• Grant Program Points of Contact by State:www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/policy/grants/appen-c.html

• Responding to Drug Use and Violence: A Directory and Resource Guide of Public- and Private-SectorDrug Control Grants

ScienceWise Alert

(301) 975-0103; www.usalert.com

• Automatic electronic search service to identify federal funding opportunities• Fee charged to subscribers

Section 1

Building a Program for

Long-Term Survival

There is no substitute for a well-planned and well-executed preventionprogram, but that alone will notguarantee the program’s survival. Newprograms that do survive, experts say,have several additional characteristicsin common:

• Collaboration within the collegecommunity

• Strong commitment from topschool administrators

• An established long-range plan

• Objectives tied to the college’smission

• Networking outside the collegecommunity

• A focus on building institutionalcapacity

• A system of program accountability

• Strategic use of public relations

To help ensure a program’s long-termsurvival, early planning should focuson how to incorporate each of thesefeatures, as discussed below.

Collaboration within theCollege Community

The better alcohol and other drugprevention programs are campuswideefforts that involve as many parts ofthe college as possible, includingathletics, health services, studentactivities, residence life, and campussecurity. Bringing together varioussegments of the college community isvaluable for several reasons:

• Collaboration can create a criticalmass of support on campus foralcohol and other drug prevention.The program is more likely tosucceed when significant numbersof people care deeply about the

issue and are part of the effort to dosomething about it.

• Linkages among segments of thecollege community can also create aconstituency for long-term supportof the program. If the program isintegrated into the life of the college,and if various school officials there-fore gain first-hand experience withits work, they are more likely to urgethe administration to preserve it.

• During program planning, it isimportant to learn from as manycollege officials as possible who canshare their knowledge and expertiseabout campus conditions andeffective programming. If they havetried other prevention approachespreviously, it is important to learnfrom their experience.

• Joint funding of prevention activitiesby various academic departmentscan help stretch existing resources.In addition, the president, vicepresidents, and academic depart-ment chairs may have discretionaryfunds that they can allocate.

• Sharing credit will enhance, notdiminish, the program’s reputation.Cosponsored activities might alsohave greater appeal to students.Health services, for example, canlaunch a “wellness” program thatincludes, but is not focused exclu-sively on, alcohol and other drugprevention.

To formalize this kind of collaborativeeffort, the college president can appointa high-level advisory board of keyschool administrators, faculty, and staffwho provide overall guidance to theprogram but meet on a relativelyinfrequent basis. This advisory boardcan also include elected and othergovernment officials, business owners(such as liquor store owners, restaurantand bar owners), law enforcementofficials, and community developmentofficials from the local community.Having this kind of advisory board

“Expecting that one person or onedepartment is going to affect theculture of an entire institution ismisguided. You need allies. You needcollaboration. You need a sense of thisbeing a truly institutionwide effort.”

—Robert Ariosto, Vice Presidentfor Student Affairs, CentralConnecticut State University,New Britain, Connecticut

Building Long-Term Support

3

gives the program instant credibility oncampus.

The details of program developmentand implementation are best handledby a planning committee or task forcethat meets frequently. The committeeshould include school administrators,faculty, students, and staff who aremore closely involved in work relatedto alcohol and other drug prevention.5

Depending on funding levels, a schoolmay be able to hire or assign a programcoordinator. However, given that aprogram’s success depends in part onactive collaboration among differentsegments of the college community,and given the year-to-year uncertaintiesof a school’s administrative budget, theplanning committee should continueto be the program’s center of action.

Strong Commitment fromTop School Administrators

The long-term survival of a newprevention program eventually requiresstrong support and financial commit-ment from the school’s top administra-tors. Without that, the new programwill probably lapse as soon as fundingruns out. It is essential that the pro-gram planning committee have the earof a top college official—ideally, thepresident—who will be an advocate forthe program, is committed to itsinstitutionalization, and understandshow it can interface with every part ofthe school, from admissions to alumnirelations.

The planning committee’s work will begreatly facilitated if the entire collegecommunity is made aware that theprogram has this level and type ofsupport. Busy and independent-minded college officials, whose col-laboration is required for the programto succeed, need a strong signal thatthe school’s top officials have made thisprogram a priority.

Ideally, the new program will beassociated with a department or centerthat can add credibility to its effortsand enhance its standing in the collegecommunity. This arrangement alsobenefits the program by facilitatingaccess to resources and information.For example, at the University of NorthCarolina at Wilmington, the alcoholand other drug prevention programwas overseen by Dean of StudentsPatricia Leonard. According toLeonard, having the program based inher office means it has “high visibility,high credibility, and strong advocacy.”

An Established Long-RangePlan

When a seed grant is obtained, theplanning committee should see thegrant as part of a long-range plan thatthe school is committed to carryingout. In other words, the seed money isto be used not just to fund the programtemporarily but to help make the long-term plan a reality.

The key is to develop a long-term planin advance as part of the applicationfor initial funding. To this end, theprogram planning committee mightdo the following:

• Conduct a needs assessment,including a survey of students andan environmental assessment thatlooks for physical evidence thatalcohol and other drug use is aproblem.6

• Review how college rules, theirenforcement, and other aspects ofthe college environment might becontributing to alcohol and otherdrug use.

• Examine any prevention effortscurrently under way, and assess whathas contributed to their success orfailure.

• Identify potential collaborators bothon and off campus.

Required ReportOffers Opportunity

The Drug-Free Schools andCampuses Regulations requirecolleges and universities toprepare a written review of theirprograms every two years to (1)determine their effectiveness andimplement any needed changesand (2) ensure that the schools’sanctions are being consistentlyenforced. The written biennialreview must be made available toanyone who asks for a copy.

Work to prepare the biennialreport can be the impetus forcomprehensive program planningand help lock in top administra-tive support to make preventiona strategic priority.

See Complying with the Drug-Free Schools and CampusesRegulations [34 CFR Part 86]:A Guide for University andCollege Administrators—downloadable from the HigherEducation Center’s Website atwww.edc.org/hec/—for moreinformation.

4

Waiting to use seed money to do thisgroundwork later on may prevent anew program from becoming fullydeveloped by the time the initial granthas ended.

The needs assessment can play acritical role in building administrativesupport for the program. Institutionaldenial of the problem cannot easilywithstand data that demonstrate theactual extent of misuse of alcohol andother drugs and their impact on theschool’s educational environment.

Objectives Tied to theCollege’s Mission

Ultimately, colleges are in the businessof preparing students to lead produc-tive lives. If school administrators areto care about the program and supportits continuation, they must come tosee alcohol and other drug preventionas an important way to further thismission.

To help administrators see this connec-tion, the planning committee willwant to articulate objectives thatconnect the prevention program withthe larger set of issues that the collegecommunity cares about, includingacademic success, student health (or“wellness”), campus security, and fiscalmanagement of the college.

The program’s broader message shouldbe that prevention is not pursued forits own sake but because of the seriousharm that alcohol and other drugs cancause students, even students who do notuse them.7

At the same time, prevention coordi-nators may wish to include programelements that help individual depart-ments meet their objectives. Preven-tion staff at Montana State University(MSU) recommend finding out eachdepartment’s priorities, then designingprograms that incorporate alcohol and

other drug prevention strategies whilealso helping the departments achievetheir objectives. For example, a statedgoal of MSU’s residential life office wasto create a sense of community oncampus. An MSU prevention specialistthen offered an experiential educationprogram designed both to buildcommunity connectedness and deliver astrong alcohol and other drug preven-tion message.

Networking Outside theCollege Community

Building coalitions with local commu-nity leaders is also key. College cam-puses do not exist in isolation. Alcoholand other drug prevention plannersneed to collaborate with local leaders tolimit student access to alcohol, preventintoxication, and support the efforts oflocal law enforcement.

Collaboration with local officials alsoserves as a public statement of thecollege’s commitment to reduce studentuse of alcohol and other drugs and theirimpact on the surrounding community.In turn, coordination with community-based programs makes it more difficultfor school administrators to withdrawtheir support from the program, sincedoing so would run the risk of worsen-ing town-gown relations.

Connections with programs on othercampuses are also important. If analcohol and other drug preventionprogram is actively involved in aregional or statewide consortium,school administrators will be morereluctant to end the program, especiallyif the consortium has political ties to astate agency or key legislators withinfluence over the school.

At the national level, the programplanning committee might considerenrolling the school in the Network ofColleges and Universities Committed tothe Elimination of Drug and Alcohol

“When we look at a grant, we don’tlook at it as just a piece of money forthe short-term. We look at how it’sconnected to our college’s planning andto the college’s goals.”

—Ruth Nicholson, AssistantVice President of EconomicDevelopment, Valencia Commu-nity College, Orlando, Florida

“If administrators can’t see a connec-tion between prevention programs andstudent academic success or crimes oncampus, then your ability to gathersupport is going to be diminished.”

—Eileen Coughlin, AssociateVice President, Student Services,Northern Arizona University,Flagstaff, Arizona

5

Building Long-Term Support

Abuse. The Network, through itsregional coordinators, is an importantsource of technical assistance, sincemembers are encouraged to shareinformation with their colleagues atother colleges and universities. (Seewww.edc.org/hec/network.htm forfurther information, including how tojoin the Network.)

Focus on BuildingInstitutional Capacity

Unfortunately, not every school willmake a long-term commitment tocontinue the prevention program orkeep a central coordinator on staff. Ifthis is the case, the program planningcommittee might focus during theinitial grant period on training faculty,staff, and students who can continuethe program’s prevention activitieswithout additional funding.

Consider these examples:

• Curriculum Infusion. If faculty aretrained or are provided money tosupport classroom innovation,integrating issues related to alcoholand other drugs in their courses cancontinue for years, even in theabsence of additional funds.Infusion of this material is appro-priate in a wide range of coursesfrom every major academic disci-pline.8 Leaders in this field havebeen Northeastern Illinois Univer-sity and other commuter schools,where student contact is largelyrestricted to the classroom.

• Course Development. Support fornew courses is another possibility.At Mount San Antonio College inCalifornia, an initial grant was usedto create a nine-hour, creditedcourse on alcohol and other drugprevention that student athletestake as a prerequisite to playingtheir sport. The course is now anofficial part of the curriculum,taught by paid instructors. (See

Making the Link: Faculty andPrevention—downloadable fromwww.edc.org/hec/—for moreinformation on integrating aca-demic and prevention effortsthrough course development andcurriculum infusion.)

• Student Assistance Program. Facultymembers are in a unique position toidentify and help students who areexperiencing problems related toalcohol and other drug use. Theprogram can train faculty and staffto recognize when students mightbe having substance use–relatedproblems and to refer them to theappropriate campus office. Schoolofficials can continue to providethese services even if the preventionprogram does not survive.

• Student-Led Organizations. Studentclubs that develop alcohol and otherdrug prevention programming cansustain their work without addi-tional help over a long period oftime. Central Connecticut StateUniversity helped launch a studentorganization focused on fitness andhealthy lifestyles that incorporatesan anti–substance use message.Leaders of the organization nowtrain new members, who eventuallyassume positions of leadership.

A new program should avoid introduc-ing labor-intensive projects when thecollege’s top officials are unwilling tocontinue funding a staff positiondedicated to alcohol and other drugprevention. At one university, forexample, a student internship program,which required intensive facultysupervision, had to be disbanded whenthe school’s FIPSE (Fund for theImprovement of Postsecondary Educa-tion) grant ended and the school didnot pick up the cost.

Related to capacity building is the ideaof decentralizing the alcohol and otherdrug prevention budget rather thanhaving a single office assume sole

“You need to get tied into communitygroups that will say, ‘This is a worth-while program you have, and we wantit continued.’”

—Peter Myers, Director,Addiction Counselor TrainingProgram, Essex County Commu-nity College, Newark, New Jersey

6

funding responsibility for preventionactivities. At Valencia CommunityCollege in Orlando, Florida, adminis-trators changed the job descriptions forseveral officials to include prevention-related duties. For example, the headof the student affairs office is nowresponsible for holding a certainnumber of prevention-awarenessevents each year. Obviously, this kindof decentralization is more likely tosucceed when an advisory board and aplanning committee have beeninvolved from the beginning of theprogram and continue to provideoversight.

It is also important to remember thatmany of the most effective programideas do not take a great deal of moneyto implement. For example, beingactive in local community efforts tocontrol alcohol availability costs theschool very little—only the staff timeneeded to participate in a campus andcommunity coalition. Speaking out infavor of state or local policy proposalsthat could contribute to students’safety and well-being requires stafftime but not a line item in the budget.

A System of ProgramAccountability

The program will want to makeevaluation a priority. In an era of fiscalrestraint, long-term financial supportfor alcohol and other drug prevention,whether it comes from outside fundingsources or is part of the school’s regularbudget, will be forthcoming only if theprogram’s evaluation results warrant it.

Beyond keeping detailed records ofprogram activities, the program mightcollect two types of evaluation data:(1) surveys of student substance useand (2) assessments of the campusenvironment and how it affects the useand impact of alcohol and other drugs.

Administrators will find studies thatestablish a program’s cost-effectiveness

to be especially persuasive. If theprevention program can put a dollaramount on substance use–related costs(e.g., campus security, student healthservices, liability insurance, propertydamage), then it should be possible todocument cost savings as studentmisuse of alcohol and other drugsdeclines.

Evaluation results can also help theplanning committee sort out whichelements of the program need to bemodified or discontinued. Schooladministrators are more likely tocontinue financing a program if theyare confident in the planningcommittee’s ability to make these kindsof hard decisions. The program can usebrief questionnaires for participants inworkshops and other preventionactivities to report what they learnedand provide constructive feedback.

Strategic Use of PublicRelations

Because of its association with politicalcampaigns and commercial advertising,the field of public relations has a sulliedreputation, especially in academiccircles. In practice, however, publicrelations is nothing more than theeffective communication of accurateinformation that supports a particularpoint of view.

Building a constituency for a preventionprogram can be greatly assisted by thethoughtful application of publicrelations strategies. The programplanning committee might considerundertaking the following activities:

• Develop a program name and logothat is simple, memorable, andpowerfully conveys the program’smission. At Northern ArizonaUniversity, the name “ProjectDaylight” is used. At the Universityof North Texas, the program name is“NT Challenge.” At some schools, a

“We didn’t hire an outside person tolaunch our prevention work. For us itwas better to find a group of [schoolofficials] who were invested in this issueand could find time in their jobs to doone additional thing.”

—R. Kipp Hassell, Dean ofStudent Development,Northeastern Illinois University,Chicago, Illinois

7

Building Long-Term Support

student contest to name theprogram has been used successfullyto launch a new effort.

• Keep the school’s top administra-tors informed through regular andeasily read reports that highlightthe program’s accomplishments.

• Solicit endorsements from otherschool officials and from the localcommunity.

• Help implement high-profileawareness events, both on campusand in the surrounding commu-nity, that make the program wellknown among faculty, staff,students, and local opinionleaders.

• Provide opportunities for topadministrators to participate inpublicity events. At Mount SanAntonio College, the schoolpresident was often invited tointroduce guest speakers at specialprevention events.

• Have a designated location oncampus where prevention materi-als are available, preferably in ahigh-traffic area such as thestudent union or cafeteria.

• Use a mix of Web pages, bro-chures, bulletins, posters, paidadvertising, newspaper columns,letters to the editor, radio talkshows, and newsletters to parentsto achieve visibility and raisecampus awareness.

• Become established as a source ofaccurate information for campusnews outlets through offering pressbriefings, issuing news releases,and helping set up interviews withcommunity-based experts.

• Capitalize on program visibilitythat is gained at the local, state, ornational level through involvementin cosponsored programs, radioand television interviews, awards,or other means. Let key members

of the campus community knowabout any public recognition theprogram receives.

Two cautions must be raised. First,accuracy is key. Incorrect or misleadinginformation will eventually be foundout, bringing disrepute to the programand loss of school support. Second,before releasing information aboutstudent substance use or even about theprogram, the planning committeeshould obtain clearance from a top-level school administrator, who willhave justified concerns about protect-ing the school’s image.

Section 2

Identifying Alternative

Sources of Funding

From the beginning, as part of its long-range planning, the program planningcommittee will want to identify outsidesources to support the program beyondan initial seed grant, through eitherdirect funding or in-kind contributionsof goods and services. This is necessaryeven when top administrators havecommitted themselves to continuingthe program, since they are still un-likely to provide all of the funds theprogram needs.

Two tried-and-true methods for raisingmoney for special initiatives are raisingstudent fees and alumni donations.Combined, these methods can result insubstantial additional resources. Inboth cases, it is paramount that therebe a binding arrangement by which theraised funds will be allocated specifi-cally to prevention and not added to ageneral account.

Raising student fees is always contro-versial, but given the scope of theproblem, higher fees dedicated tosupport prevention work could easilybe justified. The program at theUniversity of North Texas has relied

8

entirely on student service fees since itsFIPSE grant ended. Parking fees orcharges for registering on-campusparties are other potential sources ofrevenue. Fines assessed against studentswho violate college rules related toalcohol possession or use—for ex-ample, use of fake IDs, hosting anunregistered party, serving alcohol tounderage students, committing acts ofvandalism—can also be directed tofund substance use prevention efforts.

Many alumni, perhaps havingstruggled with alcohol problemsthemselves, will be concerned aboutwhat is happening at their alma materand could be approached aboutsupporting a new prevention initiative.Often, alumni gifts will pay directlyfor program services or special initia-tives. At Northern Arizona University,an account was established to receiveprogram endowment funds fromalumni, parents, and foundations. Ifthis option is viable, it is a solid routefor institutionalizing the program.

The other major fund-raising route is agrant or donation from a corporationor a foundation. Many successfulcollege programs have been able tocontinue or even expand because ofthe staff ’s successful grantsmanship.There are several components tosuccessful grant-writing:

• Developing a clear programconcept

• Thinking like a marketer

• Working in partnership with thecollege development office

• Locating sources of informationand assistance

Each of these components is discussedbelow.

Developing a Clear ProgramConcept

Thinking through the specific directionof the program—its mission, goals,objectives, and activities—is an obviousbut difficult first step. A good strategicplan, which weaves these elementstogether into a coherent plan of action,is the most essential ingredient to agood funding proposal.

Mission. A program’s mission is astatement of the program’s reason forbeing. It identifies the problem to beaddressed and the program’s underlyingphilosophy.

Goals. Goals are broad statements ofwhat the program needs to accomplishin order to satisfy its mission. Goalstatements should identify end resultsor accomplishments, not the processesor steps needed to accomplish them.

Objectives. Objectives itemize theprecise and measurable results that theprogram intends to achieve. Eachobjective should be linked to a particu-lar goal, identify only a single result,and be tied to an established timeframe. Collectively, objectives establishthe program’s criteria or minimumstandards for success.

Activities. Activities are the specific tasksthat make up the work of the program.There must be a direct link betweenthese activities and the program’sobjectives. Typical activities includeprogram services, training, programadministration, coordination withoutside agencies, and public informa-tion and education activities.

Thinking about the program in thisway will also make clear exactly whatlevel and types of resources are needed.In considering this issue, the programplanning committee might discover thatthe program is too ambitious, that clearpriorities were not set, or that a propersequence for the program’s work wasnot worked out.

Building Long-Term Support

9

Preparing a FundingRequest

Mary Hill, a former alcohol/drugcoordinator at West Texas A&MUniversity, recommends usingthe following outline whenpreparing a funding request:

• What are the vision, goals,and objectives of your pro-gram?

• What do you do (or propose todo) to achieve your goals andobjectives?

• What is unique about yourprogram?

• How does your programbenefit the campus andcommunity?

• What are some of the keyconstituencies for yourprogram?

• What support do you need toreach your goals?

• How will the support be used?

• Who will endorse your pro-gram? Who supports younow?

• What are the benefits to thedonor?

Thinking Like a Marketer

Some college administrators approachgrant-writing rather naively, believingthat potential donors’ commitment to“good works” will put them in therunning for “big bucks.” It is seldomthat simple. Grant-making institu-tions and the people who run themhave their own priorities, objectives,and needs. Successful fund-raisingrequires positioning a project as onethat can help meet the funder’s needs.It requires, in short, that fund-raisersthink like marketers.

Cause-Related Marketing

There may have been a time whencorporations gave to good causes fortheir own sake, but with today’scompetitive pressures, companyofficials are looking for a return ontheir public service investment. Mostoften, corporations are looking for anopportunity to garner publicity forpromoting specific products andservices, creating brand recognition,or building up public goodwill bypositioning the company (or, in somecases, an entire industry) as a “goodcitizen” in the community andassociating it with an importantcause.9

Local businesses, not just majorcorporations, think this way, too.They can be a good source of fundingfor special events, or they might bewilling to provide in-kind contribu-tions of food, drinks, and othersupplies. Radio and television stationscan help with fund-raising drives,provide publicity for special events,or donate time to broadcast publicservice announcements.

In approaching any potential businesssponsor, then, it is vital to thinkthrough what the company canreceive in return to make it a “win”for both parties. This is the essence ofwhat has come to be called “cause-related marketing.”

Colleges Reconsider AlcoholIndustry Support

College administrators may be temptedto accept support from the alcoholindustry, which is sometimes offeredeven without solicitation. The “alcoholindustry” includes distillers, brewers,wineries, and their subsidiaries; distribu-tors, wholesalers, and retailers whoseprimary income is derived from trade inalcohol products; trade associationswhose principal mission is to further thebusiness interests of alcohol producers,distributors, wholesalers, or retailers; andnonprofit public service organizationsthat receive the majority of their fundsfrom alcohol interests, either directly orindirectly.

The alcohol industry’s motive forwanting to provide support is obvious,but also instructive. The college marketis important to them, not only becauseof current sales but also because collegestudents are forming lifelong preferencesfor certain alcohol brands. Supportingbasic education about alcohol abuse orunderwriting harm-reduction programssuch as designated driver or “safe rides”helps an individual company earngoodwill while also increasing brandrecognition.

Increasing numbers of college adminis-trators are beginning to questionwhether to accept donations from thealcohol industry, believing that it mightcompromise their credibility withstudents or restrict their freedom ofaction to take steps that industryrepresentatives might find objectionable.

10

”Getting to know your potential funderis key. Talk to their staff, review othergrants funded by them, and decide ifyou have something to offer. . . . Don’thesitate to invite a potential funder tovisit your campus; they want to knowthey are investing in a winningprogram.”

—Louise Stanger, ResearchFaculty, Center on SubstanceAbuse, San Diego State University,California

Approaching Foundations

The marketing concept also applies inapproaching foundations. Today, manyfoundations are agenda driven, withwell-articulated goals and objectivesguiding their philanthropy. This goeswell beyond wanting to fund “good”programs, but instead means seekingto achieve a larger vision of how toimprove society.

With this in view, it is important thatfunding proposals show how theprogram can help the foundation meetits stated needs. There must be apositive vision for change. In somecases, the project might have to beshaped somewhat to meet thefoundation’s stated priorities, but thismust be done, of course, withoutdoing violence to the essence of theproject. Effective prevention is theobjective, not bringing in money forits own sake.

Beyond that, foundations want to beassociated with work that is cuttingedge, not routine. They want tosupport ground-breaking innovationsthat will have a large impact. Projectsthat meet these criteria share commonfeatures:

• Leverage. Foundations will be moreinterested in a project that canproduce permanent change,certainly within the recipientorganization itself, but even beyondthat. Generally, foundations areinterested in investing in change,not in donating to programs.

• Reach. The project should bereplicable. This means that othergroups could adopt the coreelements of the program, whileadapting it to local conditions orneeds.

• Continuity. The project should beone that can be institutionalized,rather than one that will be con-tinually dependent on outsidesupport.

• Evaluation. To serve as a potentialmodel, the project should beevaluated, meaning that it hasmeasurable goals and objectives anda specific plan of action for achievingthem.

• Dissemination. There should be adissemination plan for makingothers aware of the findings and theproject’s potential.

Fund-raisers should remember thatmost foundations, like corporations,seek publicity. Foundation staff find itgratifying to see the name of thefoundation associated with good works,while also enjoying the recognition theycan earn within the foundation forcreating a successful, high-visibilityprogram.

In sum, a key to successful fund-raisingis to adopt a marketing perspective, tothink about how the potential funder’sneeds might be met through theproposed project. Before submitting aproposal, fund-raisers need to stop andthink:

• Will this project help the donormeet its stated philanthropic objec-tives? If not, can it be shaped to doso and still meet the institution’sobjectives?

• Will the funder get good publicityfor sponsoring the project? Whatsteps can be taken to help make thathappen?

• Will the project lead to permanentchange or otherwise have a largeimpact? How can its potential fordoing so be presented?

Adopting this marketing perspectivewould be a radical departure for manycampus-based administrators, who toooften focus on what they need to theexclusion of what the potential funderneeds. Thinking “win/win” is morelikely to pay off.

Building Long-Term Support

11

Key Principles ofSuccessful Fund-Raising

Meet the funder’s needs

• Think win/win.

• Give the funder a reason toinvest.

• Shape the project to matchthe funder’s objectives.

• Provide ample publicity.

Offer a specific idea

• Articulate a positive vision.

• Emphasize innovation andimpact.

• Focus on projects that can beinstitutionalized and arereplicable elsewhere.

Show the project’s potentialinfluence

• Establish a “model” program.

• Conduct an evaluation andpublish the results.

• Disseminate findings toencourage replication.

Working in Partnership withthe College DevelopmentOffice

Within the institution, the collegedevelopment office is a source of fund-raising expertise sometimes overlookedby prevention staff. At the very least,development officers are a rich sourceof information about national, state,and local funding sources and are likelyto have directories, databases, andknowledge of Web searching tech-niques to share.

Beyond that, development offices atsome public institutions of highereducation also manage auxiliaryfoundations for handling privatedonations for specific purposes,through which donors could contrib-ute to alcohol and other drug preven-tion efforts.

The development office is also criticalfor soliciting donations from alumniwho have an interest in alcohol andother drug issues on campus. At WestTexas A&M University, the dean ofstudent affairs worked with thedevelopment office to identify poten-tial donors among students—that is,future alumni—and their families.Donations are divided between thedevelopment and student affairsoffices, which has resulted in a steadysource of revenue for preventionactivities.

A further example of successfulcollaboration is that between thealumni affairs office and student healthservices at Montana State University. Adonation from a class of 1966 frater-nity member (who was concernedabout the glamorization of alcoholabuse by a group of students on aGreek parade float) helped set up aGreek Wellness Fund.

State and Federal Sources ofPrevention Funding

Much of the federal funding that oncewent into direct grants is now beingbundled into block grants to stategovernments, each of which has its ownsystem for making program grants. Insome cases, the state will make directgrants for alcohol and other drugprevention. In others, the money isallocated to counties or cities, which inturn make individual grants.

Prevention coordinators can learn moreabout block grant funding related toalcohol and other drug prevention bycontacting the “single state agencies”(SSAs) in their state that are responsiblefor overseeing specific federal initia-tives. Contact information for thefollowing federal agencies providingfunding to states is listed in Resourcesat the end of this publication.

Center for Substance Abuse Preven-tion (CSAP). Depending on the state,the contact point for CSAP fundsmight be the state’s department ofsubstance abuse services, mental health,or health and human development.

National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA). Thegovernor’s highway safety bureauadministers NHTSA’s Section 410grants, which are devoted to reducingdriving-after-drinking among underagedrivers.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delin-quency Prevention (OJJDP). Grantmonies for reducing underage drinkingare administered through the governor’soffice of each state.

Office of National Drug ControlPolicy (ONDCP). The contact pointfor ONDCP funds might be the state’sdepartment of substance abuse services,education, or criminal justice.

The federal government directlyoperates several additional grant

12

initiatives. There are several availableresources for staying abreast of theseopportunities. Links to each of theseresources is provided on the HigherEducation Center’s Website.

CSAP’s National Clearinghouse forAlcohol and Drug Information(NCADI) is the world’s largest re-source for current information andmaterials on substance abuse preven-tion. Through Prevline (CSAP’sWebsite), NCADI disseminates federalgrant announcements for alcohol andother drug prevention programs.

The Website operated by Join To-gether, a national resource center thathelps communities fight substanceabuse, provides extensive informationon funding opportunities. Featuresinclude a Grant Deadline Calendar anda link to the Federal Register, a dailylisting of regulations and notices byfederal agencies, including requests forfunding proposals.

Paid subscribers to the ScienceWiseAlert (formerly U.S. OpportunityAlert) automatically receive the resultsof a daily search of federal, corporate,and foundation opportunities. Thesearch is tailored through a subscriber-created profile based on keywords(e.g., “drugs & substance abuse,”“alcohol & alcoholism”). A similarsubscriber service is provided by theIllinois Researcher InformationService (IRIS) at the University ofIllinois, which operates a databaseof more than 7,700 federal andnonfederal funding opportunities inthe sciences, social sciences, arts, andhumanities.

Locating Sources ofInformation and Assistance

Many sources of information andassistance are available free of charge.Many college and university librarieswill maintain a collection of grantspublications. If so, a knowledgeable

reference librarian can provide anorientation to these resources, especiallythose which list state and local fundingopportunities.

The Foundation Center is a nonprofitorganization that compiles informationon private institutional funding. Theorganization offers many nationaldirectories and indexes for sale, includ-ing subject directories in areas related toalcohol and other drug prevention inhigher education: higher education;health; substance abuse; children,youth, and families; and women andgirls.

The Foundation Center’s CooperatingCollections provide free public access toa basic set of Foundation Centerpublications, including the above-listedsubject directories, and offer freeguidance on funding research. TheCooperating Collections are located inpublic and private university libraries,community foundations, and nonprofitdevelopment centers in 211 cities in the50 states and Puerto Rico.

Technical Assistance Services toCommunities is one component of theCSAP Training System, which providestraining and technical assistance toprofessionals and volunteers working toprevent alcohol and other drug prob-lems. Through this unique federalprogram, expert consultants are avail-able to provide help for a wide range ofprevention-related topics, includinggrantsmanship and fund-raising.

Free publications worth obtaininginclude the CSAP Foundation ResourcePacket, available through NCADI,which provides information on long-range planning for program funding. In1998, ONDCP published Responding toDrug Use and Violence: A Directory andResource Guide of Public- and Private-Sector Drug Control Grants. Thisdocument provides an overview of thefederal grant-making process, plusinformation on federal program grantsauthorized in 1998.

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Building Long-Term Support

Although Join Together does notspecialize in prevention efforts oncollege campuses, the Join TogetherOnline Website provides extensiveinformation about communityprevention efforts nationwide thatmay be helpful to college programplanners seeking to make links intheir respective communities. Thesearchable national database of60,000 community contacts may beof particular interest. In addition, JoinTogether has published Working theWeb: Using the Internet to FightSubstance Abuse as part of its MonthlyAction Kit series.

JTO Direct, a free service of JoinTogether, is a custom news feed,which can be delivered direct via adaily or weekly e-mail message. Oneof the available options is “FundingNews,” which includes foundationprofiles, grant announcements(including the full text of FederalRegister announcements), coverage ofinnovative fund-raising practices, andother valuable news and tips.

Summary

The advice offered in this publicationon how to build long-term supportfor an alcohol and other drug preven-tion program can be summarized bythese several simple principles:

• Create a collaborative programthat involves as many areas of thecollege as possible. Substance useprevention requires a multifacetedteam approach.

• Get the strong support of topschool administrators who will beadvocates for the program.

• Work from a long-range blueprint,which includes a plan for using theinitial grant to begin institutional-izing alcohol and other drugprevention efforts on campus.

• Link the program’s objectives withgoals that are important to theinstitution, especially those tied toits academic mission.

• Establish ties with local officials andwith regional and statewide preven-tion consortia.

• During the earliest stages of pro-gram planning, focus on buildinginstitutional capacity for programsand activities that can continue inthe absence of dedicated funding.

• Establish a system of programaccountability based on evaluation.

• Look for publicity opportunities tomake the program front-and-centerin the college’s fight against themisuse of alcohol and other drugs.

• Think like a marketer when seekingexternal support from foundations,corporations, and private donors.Take into account the funder’sinstitutional and personal needs.

• When fund-raising, offer a positivevision for what the program canachieve, emphasizing itsinnovativeness and potential impact.

Neglecting to think about theprogram’s long-term prospects duringearly planning is a recipe for failure.Perhaps the most important advice ofall is to think about program institu-tionalization and future funding fromthe very beginning.

Share YourSuccess Stories

Help the Higher Education Centerfor Alcohol and Other DrugPrevention learn about and shareyour ideas for building long-termsupport for campus-basedprevention. Send an e-maildescription to us atHigherEdCtr@edc.org.

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Notes

1 The Presidents Leadership Group.Be Vocal, Be Visible, Be Visionary:Recommendations for College andUniversity Presidents on Alcohol andOther Drug Prevention. Newton, MA:Higher Education Center for Alcoholand Other Drug Prevention, 1997.

2 DeJong W, Vince-Whitman C,Colthurst T, Cretella M, Gilbreath M,Rosati M, Zweig K. EnvironmentalManagement: A Comprehensive Strategyfor Reducing Alcohol and Other DrugUse on College Campuses. Washington,DC: US Department of Education,Higher Education Center for Alcoholand Other Drug Prevention, 1998.

3 Carnegie Foundation for theAdvancement of Teaching. CampusLife: In Search of Community.Princeton, NJ: 1990.

4 Anderson DS, Gadaleto AF. Resultsof the 1997 College Alcohol Survey:Comparison with 1994 Results andBaseline Year. Fairfax, VA: Center forthe Advancement of Public Health,George Mason University, 1998.

5 DeJong W, Langenbahn S. Settingand Improving Policies for ReducingAlcohol and Other Drug Problems onCampus: A Guide for Administrators.Washington, DC: US Departmentof Education, Higher EducationCenter for Alcohol and Other DrugPrevention, 1995, reprinted 1997.

6 Ryan BE, Colthurst T, Segars L.College Alcohol Risk Assessment Guide:Environmental Approaches to Prevention.Washington, DC: US Department ofEducation, Higher Education Centerfor Alcohol and Other DrugPrevention, revised 1997.

7 Wechsler H, Austin B, DeJong W.Secondary Effects of Binge Drinking onCollege Campuses. Washington, DC:US Department of Education, HigherEducation Center for Alcohol andOther Drug Prevention, 1996.

8 Ryan B, DeJong W. Making the Link:Faculty and Prevention. Washington,DC: US Department of Education,Higher Education Center for Alcoholand Other Drug Prevention, 1998.

9 DeJong W, Winsten JA. The Mediaand the Message: Lessons Learnedfrom Past Public Service Campaigns.Washington, DC: The NationalCampaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy,1998.

Resources

The following is a recap of resources described in this publication.The Websites for these resourcescan be accessed through links on the Higher Education Center’s Website, www.edc.org/hec/, whichalso features current grant opportunities of particular interest to AOD prevention planners.

Prevention Program 15

Building Long-Term Support

2

Building Long-Term Support for Alcoholand Other Drug Prevention Programs

by William DeJong, Ph.D., and Laurie Davidson

The Presidents Leadership Group—convened by the Higher EducationCenter for Alcohol and Other DrugPrevention in 1997—has stronglyrecommended that colleges devote“sufficient resources” to support acomprehensive approach to alcoholand other drug prevention, anapproach that focuses on changing thecampus and community environmentin which students make decisionsabout substance use.1 Many of theinitiatives that schools might pursueas part of this environmental ap-proach—for example, academicreform, changes in infrastructure, andnew prevention programs—requireboth long-term support from topadministrators and substantialfinancing.2

Although college presidents believethat high-risk drinking by students isamong the most serious threats facedby their institution,3 and althoughthey acknowledge their duty toprovide a safe and drug-free campus,the typical college alcohol and otherdrug (AOD) prevention budget stillfails to reflect this priority.4 Staffcoordinators responsible for alcoholand other drug prevention often say

that the toughest challenge they face isa lack of adequate funding for theirprogram efforts.

The reality, of course, is that, even withheightened concern about studentdrinking, there are many competingdemands on college budgets, especiallyin an era of public concern about thecosts of higher education. Top collegeofficials need to be reminded, however,that the absence of these preventioninitiatives also has its price: highliability insurance premiums, costlyproperty damage, and increasedstudent health services and securitycosts.

The purpose of this publication is todescribe actions that campus-basedAOD prevention coordinators can taketo develop long-term administrativeand financial support for campusalcohol and other drug prevention.The challenge of creating a newprevention program is difficultenough, even with ample seed money.Sustaining support for the programover time, once a start-up grant hasended, can be even harder.

Program institutionalization requireslong-term planning. In fact, expertsagree that the best time to beginthinking about a program’s long-rangefuture is at the very beginning of theplanning process. Thus, the best timeto use this publication is during theearly planning stages—even as early aswhen an application for initial pro-gram funding is being assembled.

This publication has been funded with Federalfunds from the U.S. Department of Educationunder contracts number SS9-30-25-001 andED-99-CO-0094. The content of thispublication does not necessarily reflect theviews or policies of the U.S. Department ofEducation nor does mention of trade names,commercial products, or organizations implyendorsement by the U.S. Government.

First published in 1995 under the titleInstitutionalizing Alcohol and Other DrugPrevention Programs; revised 2000.

Programs that are already under waymay also find the advice in this publi-cation helpful in redirecting their workor in identifying potential new sourcesof funding. Early adjustments maymake the difference in whether a newprevention program survives.

The publication is divided into twomajor sections:

Section 1

Building a Program for Long-TermSurvival, which describes features ofprevention programs that can increasea program’s survival chances

Section 2

Identifying Alternative Sources ofFunding, which describes possiblefunding sources to replace a start-upgrant or seed money

This information comes in part frominterviews conducted with programcoordinators from across the country,representing both large and smallschools. Each of these individuals hasoverseen the development of an alcoholand other drug prevention programthat has stood the test of time andbecome a vital and institutionalizedpart of his or her college. The lessonsthey have to teach are a simple, yetessential, guide to long-term programsurvival.

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Technical Assistance Services to Communities

(301) 459-1591, ext. 244; www.covesoft.com/csap.html

For information on CSAP grants: www.samhsa.gov/grant/gfa_kda.htm

For Directory of State and Territory Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Agencies, call (301) 589-6760

• Technical assistance on grantsmanship and fund-raising

The Foundation Center

(800) 424-9836; (212) 807-3690 in New York state; http://fdncenter.org

• Cooperating Collections for publications and technical assistance• Directories of funding sources• Proposal writing guidelines

Join Together Online

(617) 437-1500; www.jointogether.org

• “Funding News,” including “Grant Deadline Calendar” and link to the Federal Register• “News,” “Community Action,” “Public Policy” features• Searchable national database of community prevention contacts• Working the Web: Using the Internet to Fight Substance Abuse

Illinois Researcher Information Service

(217) 333-0284; E-mail: iris-alert@carousel.lis.uiuc.edu

• Database of more than 7,700 federal and nonfederal funding opportunities• E-mail notification of newly listed opportunities• Fee charged to subscribers

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI)

(800) 729-6686; www.health.org

• Prevline Website• Information on federal grant announcements• CSAP’s Foundation Resource Packet

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

State and Community Services: (202) 366-2121For information on regional offices administering NHTSA’s grant programs:www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/whatis/regions

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)

For an overview of Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Program:http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/programs/programs.html

• Governors’ offices of each state administer funds for this program.

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)

(800) 666-3332; www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

• Grant Program Points of Contact by State:www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/policy/grants/appen-c.html

• Responding to Drug Use and Violence: A Directory and Resource Guide of Public- and Private-SectorDrug Control Grants

ScienceWise Alert

(301) 975-0103; www.usalert.com

• Automatic electronic search service to identify federal funding opportunities• Fee charged to subscribers