单项选择题

Much of a parent’s job is to provide the gifts of caring, love, and emotional support to children. But one gift is often beyond their reach: the resources to meet the financial demands of college tuition.
For more than 54 years, the United Negro College Fund has fulfilled the dreams of deserving students by closing the gap between the cost of college and what their parents can afford. More than 300,000 students have graduated from United Negro College Fund member colleges since 1944, and 54,000 more are currently enrolled.
The oldest and most successful minority higher education support organization, the United Negro College Fund is a combination of 39 private, historically black member colleges and universities. Since its founding, it has raised more than 21.3 billion to keep the dream alive for needy families across the country.
What is it that makes the United Negro College Fund so important to America’s families As well as raising funds and giving technical support to member colleges and universities, it creates hope and opportunity by providing financial assistance to deserving students. Consider the contributions of just a few of the distinguished graduates who have realized the benefits: civil fights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , opera diva (歌剧女主角) Leontyne Price, Olympic track star Edwin Moses; and filmmaker Spike Lee.

What does the word "raise" means（）

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