Foundation for Seminole State College of Florida Inc.

The everyday challenges facing a typical Seminole State College student are not the same as generations past. Most of us did not have to decide if the better investment was feeding a child or buying the textbook to succeed in class. Displaced students who find themselves unemployed or underemployed and asking themselves – how can I make my life and the life of my family better? The Foundation works every day to help students in need overcome these obstacles so they can reach their personal and educational dreams. Our goal is to raise enough funds so decisions like these are no longer needed to be made.

1. Expand the Donor Base The Foundation recognizes the need to expand the number, type, and diversity of donors. Our goals include increasing donors by 5% annually; involving increasing numbers of area businesses in giving at some level; reaching out to alumni, retirees, current faculty and staff, advisory and program areas, philanthropic foundations, and Weldon Society prospects. 2. Cultivate Alumni Support As a primarily two-year institution, one of our greatest alumni challenges is how to maintain the alumni relationship with students who continue on to higher institutions of learning. With the creation of an official Alumni Association, the implementation of new donor tracking software and additional event engaging opportunities, we look forward to bringing together over 50 years of alumni experiences and create a next level alumni outreach program. 3. Fully employing the full complement of giving opportunities Great utilization of our Foundation Board members, community organization and social media to provide greater awareness of the impact of giving and the benefits to our students and community.

The Foundation has experienced tremendous support from our donors and community throughout the school’s history. In 2012, the Foundation for Seminole State began its first-ever comprehensive campaign – “Changing Lives: The Campaign for Student Success” with an ambitious goal of $12 million. With a tremendous outpouring of community support, we successfully raised $13.553 million for scholarships, faculty support, instructional programs, and campus improvements. The Foundation for Seminole State College of Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our role as a Direct Support Organization (DSO), however, makes this ratio analysis a poor indicator of our organizational efficiency. As a DSO, the Foundation receives salary assistance from the College, which is included in our annual expenses. While these dollars give a clear picture of the true costs of operating the Foundation, they may be misleading to a donor, since private contributions are not used to underwrite salaries. A large portion of the Foundation's fundraising activity is focused on growing and maintaining our permanent endowment. Therefore, private dollars raised in a given year are not expressed as an output of our total expenses. Cost Per Dollar Raised (CPD), calculated by dividing the sum of administrative expenses and fundraising expenses by total revenue ((AE+FE) / TR), provides a more accurate measure of our organizational efficiency. This analysis tool allows our donors to more fully understand how much support is being directed to Seminole State College in proportion to our annual expenses.

The Foundation for Seminole State continues to meet or exceed its yearly growth targets.  Our team remains strongly committed to support Seminole State’s key performance indicators as well as college leadership’s strategic initiatives.  As has been the experience to date, the Foundation affirms its role and responsibility to provide the margin of excellence necessary for Seminole State College to remain one of the premier state colleges in the Florida College System, as well as a recognized leader in education throughout the United States.