Advancement director reports $5.37 million raised year-to-date; corporate giving soft amid questions about university stability

Tennessee State University's institutional advancement team reported on June 12 that it had secured roughly $5.37 million in donations through May 24, 2025, an increase in alumni giving but a drop in corporate contributions that the office attributed to concerns among corporate partners about leadership stability and execution.

Dr. Toney, who presented the advancement update to trustees, said corporate funding had softened and that faculty and staff had been working to restore corporate confidence by having the interim president participate in donor conversations. "Many of our corporate partners have cited some concerns about the university regarding some of the narratives and some of the questionable stability," Dr. Toney said.

The presentation highlighted several positive indicators: a 15% year-over-year increase in alumni giving and a 134% increase in student giving, according to materials Dr. Toney summarized for trustees. Advancement staff also reported progress migrating donor records and fundraising workflows to the Blackbaud platform, which the team said will be complete by fall 2025 and is expected to improve stewardship, reporting and prospect segmentation.

Trustees asked detailed questions about the composition of giving, the amounts tied to one-time gifts versus recurring corporate commitments, and the status of foundation and alumni-chapter funds. Dr. Toney said some large one-time gifts in prior years (for example, an example cited in discussion was a major church donation) do not recur; other corporate commitments have been delayed while the university works to satisfy deliverables or rebuild relationships. She said the advancement office had identified about $15 million in foundation-held funds overall but that the foundation and the university need to analyze how much of that is truly unrestricted and available for university use.

Trustees also asked about new donor-engagement activities: class reunions raised roughly $434,258 as of the report, and a Day of Giving tied to Founders Day aims at a $300,000 target. Dr. Toney said alumni and student engagement efforts were showing early signs of momentum and noted ongoing stewardship work to deliver impact reports to donors.

Why it matters: Philanthropic revenue is a material part of the university's diversified revenue plan as the institution seeks to address budget gaps. Declines in corporate giving, if not reversed, increase pressure on tuition and state funding.

What trustees asked for: Multiple trustees requested follow-up data: final FY2024 and FY2025 year-end gift totals, a breakdown of how much giving is new money versus payments on prior pledges, the amount of unrestricted foundation funds, average and median gift sizes by donor category, and clarity on which corporate gifts were one-time versus recurring. Dr. Toney agreed to provide the requested figures.

Ending note: Advancement officials said they would continue donor stewardship, finalize Blackbaud migration, and brief trustees with updated, itemized data in the board packet to accompany the full-board meeting the following day.