Funders: Who and How Much?
Academic institutions have complex accounting structures and it pays to understand them as best you can. A common problem is that budgets allocated to upgrading buildings are completely separate from those allocated to paying utility bills. This means that using money from the building budget to generate savings in utilities may meet resistance because the manager of the building budget will not actually see the financial benefit, whereas the utility budget manager will see the savings without having to pay for bringing them about.
With this example in mind, it will be wise to ask how the accounting works in the departments that you have targeted for potential funding partnership. Sooner or later, you will need to come up with a good rationale for whose budget should provide the funding and how that department will ultimately see the benefit of its investment.
Funding can come from a multitude of sources and in varying degrees. The university, or specific departments therein, may agree to provide start-up funds for the entire program or just for the salary of the manager, whose job it would then be to seek funding for the program's operating expenses. If the funders decide to support the program in full, the manager should remain on the lookout for other funding sources to ensure the program can be self-sustaining in case support is withdrawn for some reason.
Other sources of funding may include grants from foundations or government agencies, donations from alumni, or sponsorship from other departments on campus. Depending on the financial policies at your institution, private sector sponsors such as local businesses and corporations can be approached for contributions. Office supplies, equipment and special materials for outreach purposes often can be obtained through donations. Because funders (or the lack thereof) can make or break your program, this manual refers frequently to these important partners.