INFLUENCE OF ENDOWMENT FUNDS AND CROWD-FUNDING INITIATIVES ON THE SUSTAINABILITY OF COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed the extent to which endowment funds and crowd-funding initiatives influence the sustainability of Colleges of Education in North-East Nigeria. Many Colleges of Education in the region operate with dilapidated infrastructure, outdated laboratories, and poorly stocked libraries, threatening their long-term viability. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 882 college management and academic staff from selected State Colleges of Education in North-East Nigeria, with a sample of 265 respondents selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection, while mean, standard deviation, and simple linear regression analysis were used to test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that endowment funds (grand mean = 2.83) and crowd-funding initiatives (grand mean = 2.67) significantly influence institutional sustainability. Regression analysis confirmed that endowment funds significantly predicted sustainability [R = 0.76, R² = 0.58, F(3, 235) = 107.26, p < 0.05], and crowd-funding initiatives also significantly predicted sustainability [R = 0.85, R² = 0.72, F(3, 235) = 204.04, p < 0.05]. The study concludes that both endowment funds and crowd-funding initiatives are crucial for institutional sustainability, though their adoption remains moderate. Recommendations include establishing robust endowment funds with clear management policies and developing structured crowd-funding platforms with active alumni and community engagement.