The time has come for community colleges to realize the potential of alumni private funding gifts. While some community colleges have developed alumni associations with success as a source for private fundraising, there are many that have not been successful. Today leaders are still perplexed as to the strategies and factors that contribute to the success of alumni fundraising in the community college environment. Alumni associations can be a funding source and alumni can be advocates, volunteers, and recruiting ambassadors for the colleges. Many community colleges do not know how to engage former students as alumni or begin the process of grooming current students for their role as alumni. Community colleges must begin to realize how its alumni can be a source to address the needs of the college. The purpose of this study is to analyze the literature to determine the most effective strategies to create successful alumni associations. Evidence based research was be used to analyze how community colleges can identify and engage former students as alumni, what the role of the community college president and chief development officer is in establishing successful community college alumni associations, and what factors are important in developing successful alumni programs to realize the potential of private fundraising gifts. Invest, communicate, engage, and then make the ask! This study will contribute to the community college literature and provide community college leadership with the strategies and factors for success in creating alumni associations to assist with the needs for additional funding sources and to utilize alumni as advocates, volunteers, and recruiting ambassadors for the colleges. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]