春水堂视频

Carroll B. Christman鈥檚 landing in the world of donor development was 鈥渃ompletely accidental,鈥� she says. It鈥檚 become a happy accident.

This fall, Christman was named senior director of development for the University of Colorado Foundation, the nonprofit fund-raising arm of CU. In her new role, Christman will oversee donor-development efforts for the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest and oldest college at the state鈥檚 flagship institution of higher education.

鈥淪omehow, I just landed in development,鈥� she says. But the story鈥檚 a bit more involved than that.

Originally from suburban Chicago, Christman attended Marquette University in Wisconsin, where she realized a desire to work in a university environment, which is 鈥渏ust so alive.鈥�

At the time, her mother worked at a suburban Chicago hospital that was looking to start up a development office. Christman landed the job and became hooked on development.

She鈥檚 spent 17 years in nonprofit fund-raising and management, during which time she鈥檚 served as the development officer for former President Judith Albino, in a similar capacity for the College of Arts and Sciences, and most recently as a development officer at UC Denver.

In her newest role, which she says she intends to retain until retirement, Christman鈥檚 goals are both straightforward and daunting. She aims to continue strengthening an 鈥渙utstanding fund-raising team鈥� that doggedly supports arts and sciences.

Noting the current economy, Christman says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 an extremely challenging year.鈥� But, 鈥淢y goal is to do the very best we can to help people realize their philanthropic goals while understanding their circumstances鈥�

Still, she notes that making the case for supporting a public institution isn鈥檛 easy. 鈥淧eople think it鈥檚 tax-supported.鈥� The university is, indeed, supported by taxes, but for two decades state allocations have fallen鈥攂oth in real dollars and as measured by their contribution to the general fund.

As they grapple with how to cut even more money from the state budget, Colorado legislators have mulled over radical but unlikely ideas such as closing community colleges and withdrawing all state support to CU鈥攖hereby transforming Colorado鈥檚 first public university into a private institution.

Two decades ago, state funds accounted for more than 20 percent of CU鈥檚 budget. Today, state funds compose about 6 percent of the budget. Private gifts raised by the CU Foundation compose another 2.6 percent.

Statistics compiled by the CU-Boulder Office of Planning, Budget and Analysis further explain the situation. CU-Boulder鈥檚 2008-09 state appropriation per in-state student was $4,611, ranking second lowest among the 26 public 鈥減eer鈥� universities with available data.

CU鈥檚 combined total of state appropriations per full-time resident student plus tuition and fees ranked lowest among CU鈥檚 peers and was $9,509 less than the average for all institutions, the PBA reports.

鈥淭here is a true need and a true urgency鈥� to support CU, Christman says.

None of that seems to faze Christman. She says she鈥檚 always been an 鈥渙ff-the-chart extrovert.鈥� But fund-raising requires more than conviviality, she says.

鈥淵ou need to be a good listener.鈥�

And it seems to help to have a positive outlook. 鈥淭his is the best job in the non-profit sector that I can imagine,鈥� she says.