This document discusses approaches for funding Bonner programs and community engagement centers. It provides examples from Christopher Newport University and Siena College of how their centers and Bonner programs are funded through various sources like public and private funds, scholarships, grants, and federal work study. Challenges discussed include limited resources and budgeting. Strategies proposed for leveraging funding include building relationships across campus, coordinating efforts between departments, and showing impact through data and stories.

1. Show Us the
Money?
Innovative Approaches for Funding
Bonner Programs and Beyond
Vanessa Buelman, Christopher Newport University
Allison Schultz, Siena College

2. What does the environment look like?
Christopher Newport University Center for Community Engagement (CCE)
● Located in Newport News, VA
● Public, 4- year Institution
● Urban with 5,000 undergraduate students
● Academic Affairs
● CCE Programs: Bonner, CE Fellows, Faculty CEL Fellows, etc.
● Size of Bonner Program: 31
● Size of Center/Bonner staff: 2.5 (FT Director & Coordinator; PT Acad Dir)
● Budgeting
● Relationship building across campus and in community
● Funding Sources (Public & Private Funds, Scholarships, FWS, Grants, etc.)

3. How Our Center is Funded
● Public/State Funds
○ Board of Visitors “Funds for Excellence”: Site Team Leader Program
○ Day One of Service for incoming first year class
○ Operational Expenses
○ Some Bonner
● Private Funds (Ferguson Enterprises)
○ Bonner Program
○ Service Distinction Program
○ Special Engagement Programs (STEM Mentoring Program & Comm Eng Fellowship Program, etc.)
○ Faculty Development & CEL
○ Events
● Scholarships (Partner with Financial Aid and Advancement Offices)
○ Bonner Program
● Federal Work Study
○ Bonner Program
● Grants (Bonner Foundation)
○ CEL
○ Racial Justice Community Fund

4. How Our Bonner Program is Funded
● Public/State Funds
○ 1-2 Bonner stipends
○ Some Bonner expenses
● Scholarships (Financial Aid and Advancement Offices)
○ Three separate external scholarships earmarked for Bonners
○ Cover 5 Bonner stipends annually
● Federal Work Study (Financial Aid)
○ Covers 6-10 Bonner stipends annually
● Private Funds (Ferguson Enterprises)
○ Covers rest of Bonner program

5. What does the environment look like?
Siena College Center for Academic Community Engagement
(ACE)
● Private, 4-year institution
● Franciscan—one of two campus engagement centers
● Suburban with @3000 undergrads
● Academic Affairs — Certificate in Community Development
● ACE programs for students, faculty, and VISTAs
● Size of Bonner Program: 35-40
● Size of Center/Bonner staff: 6 permanent +VISTA Leaders
● Budgeting
● Relationship building across campus and the community
● Funding Sources

6. How Our Center is Funded
● Federal
○ Federal Work Study funds approximately half of our Bonner student payroll
○ AmeriCorps Grant
■ Year round VISTA program
■ Summer programs: SPIn and Summer Service Fellows
■ Partial and full compensation for three administrative team members
● Private/Community Funds
○ Center-wide training and events (SGU, Winter Retreat, etc.)
○ NExT Program (SEFCU partnership and alumni champion)
○ Bonner Program
■ Service Shuttle
■ Student Payroll
○ Bonner Endowment earnings
■ Faculty Development & CEL
○ Summer Coordinator funds (United Way partnership)
● Institutional Funds — Operating Funds
○ Service Shuttle
○ Student and faculty stipends

7. What does the environment look like?
How our Bonner Program is funded:
● Federal Funding
○ Work Study
○ Summer VISTA grants for a variety of Bonner opportunities
● Scholarships (Financial Aid)
○ Academic-based scholarships
● Dake Foundation funds
● Endowment earnings
● Alumni and local foundations
○ Willets
○ Touhey

8. What does your environment look like?
Please introduce yourself and share a bit about your engagement center
including:
● Name, School, Position, How long in position?
● Campus basics (Where? Public/private? Size? Setting - urban, etc,)
● Center/Bonner Basics (size of program, staffing)
● Funding sources
● How budgets are determined
● Biggest challenge

9. Gallery Walk
When you think about funding challenges:
● What has worked?
● What keeps you up at night?
● What does the future look like?
When you think about how resources are distributed:
● What has worked?
● What keeps you up at night?
● What does the future look like?

10. Leveraging and Juggling Multiple Funding Sources
● Institutional buy-in
○ Working with advancement and financial aid—building relationships
○ “Having a seat at the table” (committees, etc.)
○ Faculty support (tenure and promotion, etc.)
○ Strategic plan, accreditation goals
● Coordinating efforts across divisions to increase student opportunities
○ Working with other high impact centers—building relationships
● Showing impact through stories and data
○ Assessment
○ Reporting
○ Social media—university-wide and center specific
● Other ideas?

11. Ideas — in small groups with a report out
● How can you leverage limited resources?
○ Networking in the community
○ Joining Rotary or other local organizations
○ Finding outside funders interested in building nonprofit capacity (VISTA)
○ Cost sharing
● Standing meetings with campus or community colleagues—relationship
building
● Think local and consider your alumni base
● [Additional ideas from our gallery]

12. Questions?

13. Contact Us
Vanessa Buehlman
Director, Center for Community
Engagement
Christopher Newport University
vanessa.buehlman@cnu.edu
757-594-7492 (work)
Allison Schultz
Director, Center for Academic
Community Engagement
Siena College
ajschultz@siena.edu
518-782-6942