In 2015 while higher educational institutions received $40 billion in gifts, community colleges only received about 1.5 percent of that amount--despite the fact that they account for about half of students at any one time, according to an estimate provided by the Council for Aid to Education, which maintains data on educational giving. The reason is believed to be that community colleges are far behind four-year schools in being set up to ask people for money. Although they undoubtedly face resource-related challenges, community colleges can and should do more to cultivate donors and turn them into long-term contributors. Building those relationships takes time, and community colleges need to have the right people in the room when the time comes to ask. What it takes to build such relationships is a long-lasting commitment from institutional leaders, particularly the chief investment officer and president. A strong synergy between those two individuals is needed, and a president who is personally involved with both donors and prospects on a regular basis are necessary. Given that they typically have a small number of fundraisers wearing numerous hats and with less than state-of-the art technological tools, it's important that community colleges hone in on their most likely prospects. Donor cultivation is all about building relationships and remembering that great things can come from donor cultivation.