Fundraising Department

Apr 12, 2022

The Fundraising and External Relations section exists to coordinate the University’s fundraising initiatives to expand non-tuition revenue streams for the university, and to establish a robust coordination mechanism with USIU-Africa’s stakeholders to achieve overall effectiveness in fundraising and social investment programs.

Fundraising is important for the viability and success of USIU-Africa because education is essential to our individual and societal health, wealth, and peace of mind. Improved fundraising efforts are critical to provide access to educational opportunities as well as to improve the quality and further the causes of those who participate in USIU-Africa’s fundraising endeavours, you being one of them.

Three major functions that the Fundraising and External Relations section pursues are:-

1. Researching and cultivating a wide range of potential funders to the university programs and projects:

Eligible partners include viable agencies, corporates and institutions of good repute, located in any part of the world. Establishment of new partners is based on the following partnership principles:-

a) Complementarity of purpose
Non-academic partners should share a common purpose with USIU-Africa on long and short term objectives.
b) Value addition
Both USIU-Africa and the identified partner should be able to provide knowledge, experience and skills for each to leverage and learn from one another.
c) Respect for intellectual property
The identified partner should abide by the existing intellectual property agreements that bind access to information, recognition and revenue sharing.

2. Generation of non-tuition revenue to support university development

Institutions of higher learning are increasingly looking towards their alumni and stakeholders to improve learning outcomes for future learners, in the spirit of “paying it forward”. United States International University–Africa has a long tradition of excellent financial stewardship. It is against this background that the University is consolidating efforts to establish strong partnerships and revenue diversification.

The need for comprehensive fundraising is core to USIU – Africa’s mission delivery, financial survival and continued relevance in the higher education sector. As a premier institution, USIU – Africa’s capacities and relationships for fundraising are already established and only require coordinated activation to achieve the set objectives.

USIU-Africa’s Annual Fund provides an excellent opportunity for past, current and future university constituents to participate in developing USIU-Africa’s learning environment. The Annual Fund’s target is KES 80 million in five years to attain broader fiscal health through attainment of non-tuition revenue. Everyone has a role to play in the realization of a strong and vibrant Annual Fund and the fundraising structure reflects this aspect. It is expected that all USIU-Africa constituents, including parents associated with the university, will pull their weight in contributing for the Fund.

3. Supporting the implementation of USIU-Africa CSR programs

Service to community is a distinctive mark of USIU-Africa learning outcomes. The Fundraising and External Relations sections maintains oversight of externally and internally focused Community Social Responsibility programs in collaboration with other divisions.

In the context of USIU-Africa, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) means environmental, social and economic performance and the impacts of such performance on internal and external stakeholders. In this case, USIU-Africa’s stakeholders are deemed to include alumni, employees, the Government of Kenya, local communities, partners, students, suppliers, and the international community.