Abstract:
This study is a comparison to establish similarities between the funding
resources of college and university athletic bands. The secondary objective is to
determine the funding potential that exists as a result of alumni relations. In order to
obtain funding information for a variety of athletic band programs, a survey was sent
out to the College Band Directors National Association email list. Fifty-four responses
were returned from across the country. In an effort to assimilate a variety of raw data
formats, schools were ranked according to their performance in the 2009-10 NACDA
Directors’ Cup standings. A similarity in funding profiles among schools near the top of
these standings depicts high average funding levels. The use of alumni associations as
funding sources is not universal amongst survey respondents. The results show that an
effectively organized and maintained alumni association can provide tens of thousands
of dollars in scholarship or operating costs. It is the recommendation of the author that
band directors pursue alumni organizations within athletic band programs to secure
additional funding.
