Corporate Support for Work Colleges: Building a Bridge Out of Poverty

Abstract

This study examined corporate philanthropic support at work colleges. Based on interviews with work college fundraising and administrative staff, we found that a work-study education assists in breaking the cycle of poverty, that work colleges are constrained in their ability to raise funds from corporations, have little to no strategy to overcome these constraints, and in some cases, are financially vulnerable. Through an analysis of 20 corporate fundraising programs, we found that corporations view education as a legitimate philanthropic cause. The Work Colleges Consortium was identified as a valuable alliance that could lead corporate fundraising on behalf of work colleges, and this project recommends a pilot study to determine the feasibility of such an approach.