In an effort to provide an overview of the history of private financial support to public two-year colleges, this paper presents a synthesis of 20 relevant publications and discusses the implications of the findings for fund-raising at the Marin Community Colleges (MCC). Following information on the purpose and methods of the study and its significance for MCC, a literature review is presented, indicating: (1) private gifts and funds accounted for no more than 3% of the revenue of public community colleges between 1918 and 1980; (2) individual public two-year colleges received an average of $85,450 each year from private gifts and grants during 1968 through 1971, the last years for which accurate data were available; (3) between 1960 and 1963, foundations were the source of most private financial support to community colleges, followed by non-alumni, corporations and businesses, and alumni; (4) community colleges increased their efforts to gain private financial support beginning in the late 1960's with resulting contributions of equipment, land, and buildings, but little increase in operating funds; and (5) private per capita aid to public community colleges decreased 15.5% between 1972-73 and 1979-80. (LAL)