A BluePrint for Success: Case Studies of Successful - Educational ...

A Blueprint for Success
the traditional summer component including Saturday College (2006) and Crossing the Bridge
(2010) comes from annual reoccurring gifts from private sources.
While BBF is a Furman University program, eight percent of the entire budget ($39,000) is operational
funding from Furman University. It is university policy to spend 4.5 percent of the endowment
annually, so the endowment and Furman University funding can support approximately 50
percent of the entire program budget. This makes it necessary to raise additional annual funding to
support the summer program and any new initiatives, projects or student needs. Forty-two-percent
of funding is raised by foundations, donors, grants, and corporations. Included in the private support
is an annual grant from The Jolley Foundation to fund Saturday College and an annual gift
from an anonymous donor for Crossing the Bridge. In addition, the program maintains a small student
needs fund supported by individual donors to meet the needs of individual students. The fund
supports school supplies, clothing, graduation fees, and testing fees.
In earlier years, before the improved outcomes data, it was far more challenging to raise these additional
funds. However, with the new-and-improved program and the measurable successes, Director
Tobi Swartz indicated that she is frequently contacted by corporations and organizations wishing to
develop partnerships. Some organizations wish to be involved with the successful program through
volunteer opportunities for their employees. Others are looking to provide internship opportunities
for the BBF students in college through the Crossing the Bridge program. The external interest –
regionally and nationally from corporations and foundations, has increased to a level where the program
needs to be intentional in forming new partnerships to ensure that the program remains true to
its mission. Additionally, there are about 10-20 individual donors who are highly invested in Bridges.
The program reports to the Furman University Board of Trustees and does not have a separate advisory
board, although they have considered developing one. Instead, an informal board of community
members, such as the superintendent of the school district and other local stakeholders, meets with
the director yearly.
What We Do Best
Director Swartz indicated that she believes that BBF is “most successful in creating a program that
promotes a unique family atmosphere beyond that of a typical summer program.” She based her response
on feedback she frequently gets from participating students, who use the term “family” to
describe the feeling of the program. To overcome the isolation and lack of support from which many
participants come, Bridges actively fosters this sense of connection. She noted, “when students are
selected for Bridges to a Brighter Future, they join a program of committed participants who unconditionally
accept, support, encourage, trust, and love each other. Our program values and culture
support this type of environment.” Bridges is very successful in creating an environment where di-
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