Developing a timetable for a college fund-raising campaign may be critical to success. Planning involves deciding what tasks to include, how to prioritize and schedule them, and how much time to allot, based on task requirements, institutional size/complexity, experience. Other factors include campus climate, board style, systems readiness, and…

Six ways for development officers to handle overload are identified: distinguish between urgency and importance; selectively ignore time demands; focus on where to make the greatest contribution; delegate tasks; tend interpersonal relationships; and make progress on critical long-term objectives. (MLW)

Five college presidents who were previously development officers tell what they have learned about the roles, including the importance of maintaining a vision for the campus; pressure on a college president to succeed in many areas and difficulty of scheduling; and the crucial role of mutual support in the development effort. (MSE)

College and university fund raisers are encouraged to test various strategies for direct-mail solicitation by comparing variations of five factors that influence direct mail response: copy; timing; package; offer; and list. Suggestions include forming a hypothesis, testing one variable at a time, choosing test and control groups carefully,…

A coherent, comprehensive communication plan to support college fund raising includes setting goals and objectives, determining target audiences, defining campaign themes, tying the plan to a campaign timetable and geographic priorities, determining the most effective tactics for delivering campaign messages, resolving cost questions, and…

Alumni associations wishing to attract younger graduates with their programming may find they need to assess the interests and needs of this group carefully including their reasons for participating in continuing education programs, time constraints, travel costs, family responsibilities, and professional development needs. (MSE)

Strategies for recruiting and keeping alumni for college volunteer programs address specific issues: demands on personal time; length of assignment; accommodating spouses and divorced alumni; generation gaps; advancing technology; economic climate; occupational and geographic mobility; and competition with other organizations for volunteers' time.…

College alumni program professionals offer specific ways to make good use of limited resources in the areas of program planning, scheduling, time management, staff communication, use of technology, involvement of board members, use of volunteers and student workers, coordination with other campus programs, and staff motivation and appreciation…