How to Secure New Funding Streams for Your Career Center (feat. Briana Randall)

In this episode, University of Washington Executive Director of the Career and Internship Center Briana Randall shares her team’s four-year journey to expand their budget and find new funding sources for career services.She walks through what worked (and what didn’t) when it came to pursuing new revenue streams—from donor campaigns that fell flat, to creative partnerships across campus, to the major success that changed everything: securing funding through a Student Tech Fee grant.Briana breaks down exactly how she made her case to the student committee that manages the fund, what data and endorsements helped seal the deal, and how those grants now sustain core tools like uConnect, LinkedIn Learning, Interstride, Jobscan, and Yoodli.She also reflects on the realities of working within limited budgets, why some fundraising attempts with alumni and corporations didn’t pan out, and how she’s learned to think strategically (and bravely) about asking for support.Key topics:How the University of Washington Career and Internship Center used the Student Tech Fee grant to fund key technology and tools that directly serve studentsThe exact process Briana used to apply for and win multiple rounds of funding—including tips for presenting to student committeesWhat funding approaches didn’t work (like alumni donation drives and corporate sponsorships) and whyHow Briana built partnerships across campus to share costs and resourcesAdvice for other career center leaders seeking sustainable, creative funding modelsAbout Briana Randall:Briana Randall is the Executive Director of the Career and Internship Center at the University of Washington in Seattle. She’s been with the center since 2004 and has served as director for the past five years. A longtime Career Everywhere Champion, Briana is known for her innovative approach to expanding access to career resources—even in the face of tight budgets.Resources from the episode:Briana’s LinkedIn profileBriana’s email: [email protected] UW’s Virtual Career Center (powered by uConnect)Find a copy of Briana’s successful Student Tech Fee grant application for uConnect in this articleCareer Everywhere Community (free and open to any higher ed career services professional) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community