FOUNDATION FOR INDEPENDENT HIGHER EDUCATION

  • 2012 State Funds Annual Conference
    The State Funds Annual Conference provides State Fund Member executives and fundraising staff with a forum for face-to-face networking and an opportunity to share best practices with colleagues.
     
  • FIHE/UPS First Opportunity Venture Fund Grant Awards
    The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) announced that grants to support college access, success, and retention programming for at-risk students were awarded to four state fundraising consortia of independent colleges in South Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Illinois.
     
  • Scholarship Challenge Grants Awarded
    CIC has approved challenge grants of $25,000 each for seven State Fund Members as part of a new program designed to increase gifts for scholarship support for State Funds and their member colleges. With commitments ranging from $25,000 to $75,000, if all State Funds meet their objective, an additional $470,000 in scholarship aid will be provided to students at member colleges in 2012.
     
Recently merged into CIC, the Foundation for Independent Higher Education (FIHE) was established in 1958 as the national partner for a network of state-based consortial fundraising associations. These 32 associations, now State Fund Members of CIC, generate financial resources for, and coordinate beneficial collaborative programs among, member independent colleges and universities in their respective states.
 
Continuing the historical mission of FIHE, CIC provides member services for the State Fund Members, including conferences and other organizational and professional development opportunities. In addition, the State Fund Members are eligible for grant support from CIC from the $35 million endowment that FIHE brought with it to the merger. Known now as the CIC-FIHE Endowment, the fund originated with gifts from the UPS Foundation over 25 years ago, so among the signature grant programs benefitting State Fund Members is a scholarship program honoring UPS:
  • UPS Scholarship Program - Provides over $1 million each year in scholarship support for students at State Funds' member colleges.
  • National Venture Fund - Supports innovative, collaborative projects benefitting State Funds' member colleges.
  • First Opportunity Partners Fund - Supports initiatives to enhance access and success for low-income, minority, first-generation, and new American students.
  • Capacity Building Grants - Provide seed money for State Funds to develop or enhance their regional fundraising initiatives.
  • Scholarship Challenge Grants - Provide leverage for the State Funds to raise additional money for scholarships at their member colleges.
The member services provided to State Fund Members have expanded greatly as a result of the affiliation with CIC. Among the long-standing CIC programs now available to state executives for organizational and professional development are:
  • Presidents Institute - The premiere annual national conference for college presidents and other leaders in independent higher education.
  • Making the Case - Charts, data, and other resources on the strength and value of independent higher education.
  • Foundation Conversation - The annual meeting between executives of major private foundations and leaders in the private college sector.