HBCU News – Collaboration and Partnerships Become Crucial to HBCUs

By Lois Elfman

Collaboration and innovation are now key components of financial sustainability and vibrance at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In mid-July, Delaware State University hosted the 16th annual HBCU Philanthropy Symposium, attended by more than 300 participants. Among those in attendance were representatives of approximately half of the nation’s HBCU institutions as well as corporate, foundation and federal partners. The theme was Building HBCU Capacity in an Era of Disruption.

“Regardless of administration, there has been historical underfunding of HBCUs,” said Dr. Tony Allen, president of DSU. “Now, how we’ve had to adjust really has to do with fortifying our existing portfolio.

That means being able to take advantaDr. LaShawne A. Pryor (right), interim vice president for institutional advancement, Delaware State University, stands with an honoree at the 16th annual HBCU Philanthropy Symposium.ge of what we’ve seen as new influxes of African American students coming back to HBCUs. We’ve had a 31% increase at Delaware State.”

Recently, DSU has been focused on state support, receiving nearly $100 million from the Delaware General Assembly, the largest amount of money received from the state in the university’s history. Allen said it shows that people in the locale DSU serves are committed to the university’s future. These funds enable the university to prepare for the influx of new students as well as be able to maximize modern technology.

“The biggest piece really was around collaboration,” said Dr. LaShawne A. Pryor, DSU interim vice president for institutional advancement. “Private philanthropy’s shift of what they termed a single site to looking to see how their support can impact a broader network of institutions and of students.”

Pryor said at the symposium there was much discussion about forming partnerships and looking at things collaboratively. “The goal and the sentiment was let’s come together and look at how we can form different partnerships with industry, with the private philanthropic community and address the challenges that are affecting all of us collectively,” he said. “How we build the HBCU ecosystem and community…and come together and not so much the silos of a single institution.”

South Carolina provides an example of collaboration. In 2022, the seven HBCUs in South Carolina formed the Institutes of Innovation and Information (SCIII, https://www.theeduledger.com/from-the-magazine/article/15295384/a-palmetto-state-partnership) with the aim of boosting state funding, attracting corporate partners and increasing scholarships and internship opportunities for students. Each college or university developed an institute that addressed an area of expertise. The South Carolina state legislature provided funding.

South Carolina State University developed the Institute of Business, Environment, Communications and Transportation (BECT). “My charge was to develop programs and activities that would make students more career ready in those four areas as it relates to teaching and learning as well as the research and also things that may have an impact on the community,” said Dr. Barbara L. Adams, executive director of BECT. “We’ve had a number of projects that focused only on students, some that focused on community and others focused on faculty and students.”

Adams was able to leverage the state funding along with funding from the university to get additional grants. She noted that BECT provided around $200,000 in scholarships through grants and other programs. During the years 2022–25, the representatives of the seven institutes met annually to discuss what each institute was doing as well as other meetings that would include two to four institutions to establish how they could work together on certain projects.

“At South Carolina State we had a transportation summit where all of the seven HBCUs participated,” said Adams. “We brought students from each of the seven HBCUs. We had representatives from both state and federal agencies in the transportation industry…to inform students about opportunities at each of their agencies that they could apply for.”

BECT also started a faculty-student research symposium to which all seven South Carolina HBCUs were invited. Adams said two other schools sent students to participate. Each of the seven institutions have had meetings on their campus for the directors of the institutes.

In 2025, the South Carolina state legislation did not renew funding for SCIII. While the SCIII foundation still exists, at present each institution is individually addressing its specified area. SCSU determined that BECT has played a significant role in the university and would be continued. Adams said she envisions collaborations going forward, but what form those will take is yet to be determined.

Showing solid economic purpose has become crucial. Allen noted when it comes to athletics, there is heightened corporate interest for HBCU schools due to the positive returns these companies have seen from the fandom. “People really want to do business with us. It’s promising for the future,” said Allen.

Private philanthropy is rising. Huston-Tillotson University has received $150 million from the Moody Foundation. Multiple HBCU institutions have received generous support from MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving foundation. Some of the organizations receiving support are DSU, Hampton University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Tuskegee University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Alabama State University, Alcorn State University, Bowie State University, Clark Atlanta University, Dillard University and others.

“There’s no question that [Scott] has been a chief mechanism in our ecosystem and with other funders,” Allen said. “The notion that she continued to give, I believe, is a significant driver for other folks. My own view is that HBCUs are the best return on investment in higher education.”

Emphasizing that this is an investment not just a gift remains crucial. Allen points out that HBCU institutions and graduates collectively have a massive positive impact on the nation’s economy. Pryor said approaching potential corporate and philanthropic partners involves telling the story of what has been accomplished, adding that HBCUs are coming together to see that there will be funding commensurate with how other higher education institutions are funded.

While federal funding to institutions is in question, the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act (H.R. 8791) remains open for discussion. It has bipartisan support, but it has been before Congress for five years (https://www.theeduledger.com/print/content/15113713). Congresswoman Dr. Alma S. Adams of North Carolina is the founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus. This legislation would authorize a grant program to modernize HBCU campuses and build digital infrastructure. Adams has called for decisive advocacy to move it forward.

“Our resilience is what has brought us through every time,” said Allen. “We need to fortify ourselves. … We have weathered storm after storm, usually doing more with less. The moment now is to say that less is no longer acceptable.”