It was not all that many years ago that advancement services was thought of as the "back office"--a term that still makes veterans in the field cringe. Historically, the role of advancement services was keeping donor and alumni records up-to-date, processing gifts, sending receipts, and generating fundraising progress reports. However,…

The ways in which Spence School, a New York private school for girls, and Dartmouth College (New Hampshire) cultivated and won top alumni donors are described. In each case, the development office and administration encouraged the donor's personal involvement in areas of interest at the institution, and donor enthusiasm and participation…