An institutional development audit is a comprehensive evaluation of a program, its operations, and its people. Information is analyzed to assess: institutional mission, personnel and organizational structure, financial resources, program management, communication, and overall program effectiveness and efficiency. (MLW)

Institutions are turning to marketing to combat the trends of declining enrollments, decreasing applicant pools, diminishing interest in traditional degrees, competition for students, and increasing costs. A marketing audit can analyze an institution's strengths and needs. (MLW)

A public relations audit can show how efforts measure up, whether they are parents programs, media relations, or faculty/staff communication. A sample inventory form is included. (MLW)

An actual case of successful university gift solicitation is chronicled from beginning to end, including identifying the prospect, doing appropriate research, setting a strategy, involving the prospect, making the request, closing the solicitation, and following up. Persistence and good communication skills were keys to success. (MSE)

Possible changes in U.S. Postal Service rates and services, resulting from a planned restructuring, are discussed. College administrators are encouraged to review mail class use, available discounts, and even the design and quantity of materials mailed out. (MSE)

Flexible endowments are a form of planned giving agreement letting highly motivated donors give endowment-level funding to colleges and universities before they are able to make an outright gift. The donor commits to giving the institution the amount of money an endowment would have generated each year until the endowment principle is fully…

Technological advances can be very helpful in managing college development functions, including organizing information on prospective individual and group donors, managing development staff, and precise and complex recordkeeping. Continued user demands promise to spur development of further program management techniques and tools. (MSE)

Statistical modeling provides a method for colleges to use alumni-development information to create an equation predicting who is likely to respond positively to fund-raising appeals. This can make fund raising more cost-effective, provide higher returns on minimal investment, provide results quickly, and improve competitiveness. Resources…

College public relations professionals offer advice to make the most of a small staff. Ideas include effective use of available technology, media services, and student intern and worker skills; use of external services; carefully planned dissemination of information; staff training in media relations; and setting priorities. (MSE)

Donor recognition societies, or gift clubs, are used by colleges and universities to thank and encourage donors. For such giving mechanisms to fulfill their potential, they must be carefully planned and administered. Issues to consider include setting gift levels based on institutional goals, establishing rules for counting eligible gifts, and…

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)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York) has coordinated a comprehensive fund-raising campaign with special emphasis on several regions of the country. Each regional component is a miniature of the overall campaign. Planning strategies include regional analysis, adaptation of the usual development resources, volunteers and staffing, good…

The University of Arizona's experience with a small-scale fund-raising project to establish a memorial scholarship illustrates that the development office's efforts in guiding a motivated group of donors can pay off. Planning elements included establishing a team, delegating tasks, handling mail and telephone calls, generating enthusiasm, and…

Advancement staff at the private Potomac School (Virginia) has evolved from a part-time volunteer to a six-woman team. The program has achieved high productivity and substantial success. The management style is characterized by teamwork, enthusiasm, mutual support, personal loyalty to the school, and some specialization. Volunteers are welcomed.…

Three high-technology approaches are suggested to make college and university development efforts more efficient: (1) use of automated systems for phonathons; (2) use of local area networks to speed access to databases; and (3) exchange of information on electronic bulletin boards. (MSE)