Higher Education

Over the years, Douglas Gould and Company has played a crucial role in fueling the national dialogue on access to higher education for all, by providing communications strategies and technical assistance to support the policy and public advocacy initiatives of foundations, their grantees, professional networks and educational advocate organizations. Our commitment to this issue and our experience in the field has led to productive partnerships with advocates who can make a strong case for college education access as the lynchpin for social and economic opportunity for Americans and people throughout the world.

The scope of our work encompasses conducting communications audits and needs assessments and translating jargon-heavy research-based data into convincing, media friendly messaging. We identify and train appropriate spokespersons and partner with the media as well as develop new media streams (Web sites, blogging, etc.) and collateral materials, all of which enable our clients to communicate effectively with their constituents and with policymakers.

For the Bridges to Opportunity initiative, we led a national opinion research and message development project that included multiple focus groups and a national poll. We also prepared strategic recommendations and provided training to numerous spokespeople. In addition, we have worked intensively on strategic communications planning and implementation of local programs, press strategies and the development of materials, events and other resources. We developed CommunityCollegeCentral.Org, and have used this as a national hub for the dissemination of Bridges resources. We are currently completing the publication of a series of six toolkits and have successfully initiated Webinars to build a wider audience for the Bridges knowledge products.


Reforming K-12 education policy and best practices to improve outcomes and facilitate access to higher education for underserved students is the goal of the Pathways to College Network. Beginning with an assessment of needs and advice on fine-tuning the organization’s communications infrastructure, we continued our work by developing a multi-faceted action plan that promoted and leveraged their signature piece, "A Shared Agenda," a call-to-action report for policymakers and practitioners that recommended research-based strategies for improving college access for low income, ethnically diverse and first generation students, and those with physical challenges. To further articulate the mission and encourage others to join in its efforts and support the Network, our research-based framing and messaging brief has been shared widely throughout the college access field.


Providing opportunities to improve the lives of individuals, families and communities, through access to higher education, is a worldwide issue that we are proud to support. Douglas Gould and Company has created numerous materials designed to support efforts that enable greater numbers of poor, minority, or otherwise under-represented students to obtain a university degree. These efforts to transform the practices of higher education institutions outside the United States include developing a Web site, www.pathwaystohighereducation.org that offers information on more than 50 universities, along with resources such as research, reports, books, news articles and presentations. Another important component of our messaging program was creating a brochure of case studies focused on five universities in Latin America and their efforts to include a wider student body. We continue to build on this work, developing and updating Web site content and writing new case study brochures to include universities in Asia and Africa.

Hewlett and Irvine Foundations
As advisors on statewide opinion research and message development in California, Douglas Gould and Company, on behalf of the Hewlett and Irvine Foundations, helped to inform research and messaging strategies and assisted Bates Neimand, the direct grantee, to make the final presentation to community college leaders.

Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, our two-year partnership with the Community College Research Center at Teacher's College included enhancing communications tools to help inform the national dialogue regarding enrollment and equity issues for college access. Our ongoing media relations around these issues and for CCRC's award-winning book Defending the Equity Agenda have resulted in placements in both the major trade and top-market national daily newspapers consumer publications, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Education, Education Week, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Community College Week, and ABC Eyewitness News. Douglas Gould and Company also produced podcasts, improved online communications products, wrote talking points and full length speeches, and drafted and placed op-ed pieces.