Making Friends andInfluencing People…

Priceless!:Building Support and

Funding for Your Organization

M. Dolores Cimini, Ph.D.University at Albany, SUNY

The 2007 National Conference for Advisors of Peer Education GroupsThe BACCHUS NetworkJune 17-20, 2007Marriott City Center – Denver, Colorado

Learning Objectives

• Familiarize participants with the effective program components of the Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program, particularly the alliances which have been developed with the student government, divisions of academic affairs and student affairs, university media and development offices, and other areas

• Teach participants how to seek out and build alliances and funding sources on their campuses

• Assist participants in identifying sources of external funding through foundations and corporations to support their peer education programs.

“STUDENTSHELPING

STUDENTS”

Our Mission

A Service of theUniversity Counseling Center,

Division of Student Affairsand funded in part by the

Student Association

Our Key Alliances

– Hotline

–Peer Education

–Staff Training and Staff Development

Program Components

• open noon-midnight, Mon.-Thurs. & 24 hours on weekends

• over 1,600 contacts per year

• serves campus and community

• only hotline of its type in Albany

Hotline Service

• provides peer education workshops for campus and community

• coordinates Sexuality Week and other campus-wide theme weeks

• sponsors the Middle Earth Players, a campus theater group

• authors Middle Earth Roots help column and a radio talk show on WCDB 90.9FM

Peer Education Program

• trains undergraduate students in hotline counseling, peer education, and important campus issues

• offers academic course credit (4 courses)

• prepares students for careers in the helping/ human services fields

Staff Training Program

• Director (Psychologist)

• Student Officers

• Psychology Intern

• Graduate Assistants

• 85 Hotline Counselors

• 16 Peer Educators

• 40 Trainees

Program Staff

Importance of Building Alliances

• What is an ally?

• The concept of networking

• Building a “safety net” for your organization

• The role of leadership in building alliances and networks

• Maintaining respect for others

• “One for all, and all for one”: Cooperation and collaboration builds strength

Types of Alliances and Networks

• Other students and student organizations

• Student government• Student Affairs staff• Academic departments• Community organizations• University development office and

private/corporate foundations• University and local media• Other colleges and universities• National and regional peer

education organizations

Having Alliances When the Going Gets Tough

• Peer program crises• Campus crises• Staffing issues• Funding issues• Other group resource issues (e.g.-

office space, etc.)• Controversial issues• National issues/crises affecting the

peer group

How to Recruit Alliesfor Your Program

Advertising avenuesPostcardsFleering

PesteringRadio

Television News Paper

Cool gifts to remind othersFree tickets to come

Talking to RA’sEmail

Tell professorsAnnounce in Class

Alliances are Priceless:Where to Get Funding

Ask college or university

Get grants

Ask student government

Private stores for possible donations for prizes or food

Bake sales

Candy Sales

Car wash

Dance marathons

What About A Grant?

• Good idea• Significant• Need based• Can be institutionalized• Focused• Content-holistic and inclusive to

achieve the goals• Manageable and structured• Feasible

Planning

• Network, particularly w/in SUNY• Meet with OSP• Share successful grant applications• Familiarize yourself with current

literature • Establish priorities-strategic

planning• Gather pilot data• Call sponsors

Types of Sponsors

• Federal• State• Foundation• Corporate• Non profit• Gifts• Local government• Other

On-line Databases

• SPIN www.infoed.org/new_spin/spinmain.asp

• IRIS www.library.uiuc.edu/iris

• COS www.cos.com

• Bigonline Database www.bigdatabase.com

• Foundation Center www.fdncenter.org• Grants.gov www.grants.gov

Automatic Email Notifications

• Campus listserv from any databases above

• Notifications by sponsor– ED, EdInfo send email to:

listproc@inet.ed.gov– NSF, E-Bulletin:

www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/ebulletin/mailit.pl

Other Sources

• Prior awards to the institution• Internal seed funds (ASC,

SCAP, OSP)• Abstracts on sponsor web

pages or professional journals, media

• Contact sponsors for funding referrals

Contact Information

Middle Earth Peer Assistance ProgramUniversity Counseling Center

Health & Counseling Building, Second FloorUniversity at Albany, SUNY

Albany, NY 12222

Program DirectorM. Dolores Cimini, Ph.D.Phone: 518-442-5800

Fax: 518-442-3096Email Address: dcimini@uamail.albany.edu

Web Address: http://www.albany.edu/counseling_center/