Dear Mr. Culverhouse

Stillman College is a liberal arts institution with a historical and formal affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Also classified as a historically black college and university (HBCU). It is committed to fostering academic excellence, to providing opportunities for diverse populations, and to maintaining a strong tradition of preparing students for leadership and service by fostering experiential learning and community engagement designed to equip and empower Stillman’s students and its constituents.

HBCUs are critical access points to postsecondary education and serve an important function in promoting educational attainment, particularly for many black students. In addition, these institutions serve a significant proportion of first-generation students and those who require financial assistance to afford college—a growing segment of the college-going demographic within the United States. In recent years, Stillman has made strides to stay in keeping with educating an underserved populace by providing a world-class education. However, the caveat is that HBCUs do not receive the funding of that of their counterparts. Challenges that continue to plague these institutions include:

• Public HBCUs rely on federal, state, and local funding more heavily than their non-HBCU counterparts (54 percent of overall revenue vs. 38 percent).
• Private HBCUs are also more tuition-dependent than their non-HBCU counterparts (45 percent tuition-dependent compared with 37 percent tuition-dependent).
• Private gifts, grants, and contracts make up a smaller percentage of overall revenue for private HBCUs relative to their non-HBCU counterparts (17 percent vs. 25 percent).
• Both public and private HBCUs experienced the steepest declines in federal funding per full-time equivalent student between 2003 and 2015, with private HBCUs seeing a 42 percent reduction—the most substantial of all sectors.
• Within both public and private sectors, HBCU endowments lag behind those of non-HBCUs by at least 70 percent.

The Stillman College Millennial Council of the National Alumni Association of Stillman College is asking for donations towards our 10-year fundraising goal of $5 million. Your generous gift will ensure that Stillman College remains an institution of higher learning and beacon of hope in the Tuscaloosa, AL community for years to come. Please consider donating to help us reach our goal.
I look forward to hearing from you regarding this donation. Thank you for your time and consideration.