Volume XIl, Number 3 Mar. 29, 1990

Resource Development Office Established

With the arrival of Resource Development Officer Randi Duke, Cap is becoming part of a growing trend in community colleges. "Over half of B.C.'s community colleges now have resource development offices," says the personable new administrator, who plans to do for Cap what she did at Douglas College. Over 6-1/2 years at Douglas, Randi assisted the College in undertaking special projects by securing new sources of funding, established a college foundation which raised over $1M in endowment funds, and started their first alumni association.. "The first million is the hardest,” says Randi, who uses her considerable people skills to uncover sources of funding.

For the first six months, Randi's priority is to meet people and get to know the college community. Though she says "giving begins at home”, Randi promises we won't be receiving

begging letters with our pay stubs. Her first project is to build a list of College "friends" including both current and potential donors. At the same time, she will be seeking out volunteers to help in her fundraising activities. Once again, people are the key to her approach. “It is important to remember that “students are the cornerstone of our system. We’re not raising money just for bricks and mortar. We’re raising money to help people reach their educational goals.”

Randi's background in special education has given her experience in a range of areas: she has been Director of Training at the National Institute on Mental Retardation in Toronto, a faculty member in Special Education at UBC, Director of Training at the B.C. Association for Mentally Handicapped People, and Coordinator of Special Education at the College of New Caledonia. She went to Douglas College in 1983 as their Community Resource Development Officer and raised over one million dollars in endowment funds through the Douglas College Foundation which she helped to establish in 1986.

Along with working to expand the College’s coffers, Randi will be a resource person for faculty, administrators and staff seeking grants and will be responsible for maintaining a current list of granting bodies and funding sources. She sees herself as a support person in this capacity and will be available to anyone needing assistance or advice on grant applications. Further down the road, Cap can also look forward to the growth of endowment funds and an alumni association. Randi can be reached at 2709 and is temporarily located in A101.

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