At many institutions, the vice president of institutional advancement oversees the functions of development, alumni relations, and marketing and communications. University leaders expect these functions to be integrated and to work hand-in-hand to advance the institution's mission, particularly in the area of private donations. The reality is that…

Many small-shop alumni directors with no-frills budgets have found volunteer alumni help worth the organizing efforts. Some creative ways that colleges and universities have found to inspire new interest among the uninvolved are described. (MLW)

Provides advice for small alumni offices on how to sponsor an alumni travel program, focusing on booking a travel agent, deciding where to go, using faculty as tour guides or lecturers, making time for alumni office staff to go along, remembering special touches, visiting local alumni, avoiding overt fund raising, and being prepared for problems.…

One of the hottest movements in banking right now is affinity credit cards. For banks, they mean a new source of credit customers. For institutions and alumni organizations, they can mean an easy, inexpensive way to keep the institutional name in front of alumni. (MLW)

Provides advice to small alumni offices on how to manage alumni relations and the annual fund campaign, noting that small offices need to develop a flexible attitude, consider the benefits of performing both tasks, work with people they can count on, manage their time carefully, and balance both activities. (MDM)

Institutions are finding that a campus alumni center can bring a substantial return on the investment, in alumni events, visits to campus, and contributions. Institutions around the country are building new buildings, recycling existing buildings, and restoring historical landmarks as focal points for alumni activities. (MSE)

Five innovative programs found at entrepreneurial alumni associations around the country are described including: camps and vacation centers, sports newsletter, book publishing, audio tapes, and seminars.

Advice is offered for making college alumni reunions fun and memorable, illustrated with anecdotes from various institutions. Suggestions include exciting opening activities, focusing on the particular habits or characteristics of a class, appealing to a variety of tastes, emphasizing class identity, savoring favorite campus traditions, and…

Suggestions on how to write a handbook for alumni volunteers are presented. Before putting together a handbook for volunteers, two points need to be defined: the purpose of the handbook and who will read it. The contents should cover the volunteer program, activities and how to run them, etc. (MLW)

Provides advice to alumni officers on how to start an alumni World Wide Web page with support from students, faculty, and others. Alumni offices can use students to design their Web sites, get faculty and alumni involved in the project, and work with campus Webmasters to produce a superior site. (MDM)

In developing programs for nontraditional alumni, aim for a series of targeted programs that play on the human need to belong, to be recognized, and to look good by association with success. The University of Missouri at Saint Louis' lunchtime meetings for business professionals is one such successful program. (MLW)

In a time of decreasing institutional resources, the ability to refine and target donor campaigns is more critical than ever. Using examples from analyses of donating patterns and behaviors of Binghamton University (SUNY) alumni, this chapter demonstrates how geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to better understand where alumni are…

Advice is offered for making the children of alumni welcome at campus events and reunions, illustrated with the experiences of several colleges. Suggestions include cooperating with the campus legal office concerning risk and liability of child care, using community facilities that cater to children, starting small and expanding with success, and…

Young college alumni have characteristics making it difficult to involve them in alumni activities: age, lack of money, lack of time, frequent moves, family responsibilities, and possibly intimidation by older alumni. Encouraging the involvement of young alumni means changing their beliefs, letting them develop their own programs, designating…

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)