In 2007, the USTTI corporate and government Board members, along with training sponsors from both academia and the IT, telecom and broadcast industries, provided $3.9 million in cash and in-kind contributions to support the USTTI, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. These contributions reflect the costs of offering 69 tuition-free training courses in 2007, as well as travel and subsistence funding, educational materials, and a host of other services provided to the USTTI.

The USTTI's overhead costs - program development expenses, salaries for our small staff, and institutional costs such as rent, utilities, and postage - are paid for by private sector contributions. The USTTI's 2007 operating budget of $700,554 was tightly controlled so that all revenues raised by the USTTI in excess of overhead costs were used to provide additional travel and subsistence support to qualified USTTI scholars from developing countries.

In addition to funding from the private sector, the USTTI received essential support from the Federal Government. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided significant funding to the USTTI in 2007 for the travel and subsistence needs of USTTI scholars from the developing world. In addition, ten participants from Middle East and North Africa received travel and subsistence through a grant from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Travel and subsistence funding also was provided by the Department of State to one qualified telecommunications official from Oman, for the Chairman of the newly created Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in Lebanon and one telecommunications official from each of the following Freely Associated States (FAS): Republic of Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), provided in-kind support for the USTTI. Voice of America underwrote a grant that provided funding for eight developing country broadcasters to attend training. International organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Organization of American States (OAS)/Inter American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) contributed additional in-kind support and funding to the USTTI in 2007.

The USTTI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, meeting all requirements for charitable contributions. In 2008, the USTTI will need approximately $1,850,000 in order to provide travel and subsistence of qualified applicants who are unable to support their own participation in USTTI training. Corporations and organizations wishing to support the USTTI should contact Curriculum Director Brian McCloskey or Curriculum Coordinators Jim O'Connor or Janet Concepcion.