AHE NETWORK - SWOT

Strengths

- Have worked to increase key decision makers’ awareness of college access
- Strong relationships with eligible schools
- Growing relationships with stakeholders
- Development of "friends" who can open doors
- Strong support within network
- Diverse leadership in Network; committed and creative staff
- Program area is of interest; funding available (business/legislatures, etc.)
- Reputations of Program Directors/Program Hosts
- Small, nimble, and flexible non-partisan programs
- Work across college boundaries

Weaknesses

- Turf issues among funders and school districts
- Colleges’ service areas boundaries
- Limit on grants to schools in light of increasing transportation costs
- Lack of data
- Network needs its own results to establish track record
- Turnover in legislation; state political issues
- Lack of a strategic and marketing plan for the Network
- Absence of consistent funding; cash flow issues
- Lack of staff; one-person operations
- Lack of fund raising experience and expertise

- Fund raising takes time away from program

Opportunities

- Compliments other access programs
- Everyone agrees with the mission
- Work with both two and four year colleges
- Capacity to develop new projects/programs
- Serve most distressed counties in region
- Program is complementary
- (If 501c3 organization), ease of fund raising
- Ability to development partnerships

Threats

- Other programs operating in schools
- Administrative issues/changes
- Funding and resources; cessation of funding; no financial reserves
- Resistance within organizations and within the universities
- Faculty resistance: access cuts into research funds
- Programs are growing fast
- Lack of staff
- Education budget cuts