This is the executive summary for the full report, "The Economic Value of the Maricopa County Community College District. Main Report." The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) creates value in many ways. The colleges play a key role in helping students increase their employability and achieve their individual potential.…

When Tim Clevenger became executive director of the University of Oregon Alumni Association in 2011, he was dismayed to learn that revenue, including paid memberships, was steadily declining. The association staff and board of directors considered multiple strategies to boost earnings, with stabilizing and growing dues revenue high on the list.…

In the current economic climate, alumni associations are taking hard looks at their budgets and making cuts where necessary. However, the recession is an opportunity for alumni associations to create and build alumni loyalty through networking and career services--when they are needed most. Many alumni association budgets are set through the end…

Even before the economy took a nosedive, many institutions were seeing affinity revenue stagnate or drop. With institutional budgets constricting and alumni wallets shrinking, funding the alumni association might require some creativity. This article describes what alumni leaders do to keep funding stable when affinity revenue falters.

Educators, researchers, and policy makers have long been interested in what happens to students after they graduate. For this reason as well as others, some high schools and most colleges and universities try to stay in contact with their alumni. While the quality of K-12 and postsecondary education in general has long been debated, in recent…

By all accounts, 2010 was a watershed year for community colleges. President Obama touted the role these institutions play in putting Americans back to work, and widespread enrollment increases lent credibility to the notion that students at long last are realizing the benefits of two-year quality and value compared with the higher price of…

Predominantly white colleges have had mixed results in efforts to raise money among minority alumni. Poor response to programs among this group is attributed to alienation because of campus racial incidents, limited family resources or heavier financial obligations, and resentment of their alma maters. (MSE)

Inflation posed a special financial threat to the University of Illinois Alumni Association because it sold life membership for one lump sum. The university's revised financial planning is discussed in terms of cost analysis, historical perspective, projection technique, and ultimate solution. (JMD)

Suggestions for improving alumni association membership recruitment and retention, for raising non-dues income, and for keeping records are made based on Kansas State University's experiences. (MSE)

An outspoken college fundraiser feels colleges and universities should spend development efforts on large gifts, through planned giving, and less time and money courting other sources, including annual funds. He argues that most colleges mistakenly try to emulate large, well-established institutions with large alumni pools. Focusing on young,…

Increasingly, colleges are offering affinity credit cards with attractive incentives as a marketing tool. Some in academe feel the trend may compromise educational objectives. Institutions may also face taxation on unrelated-business income generated through the cards. (MSE)

Now that the growth period for community colleges is over, and public funding has stabilized or decreased, many colleges are turning to alternative funding sources as a means of financing new projects and maintaining services. Among the funding approaches are the following: (1) grants development, which requires a library of material on funding…

Charitable remainder trusts and charitable income trusts are discussed as essentials in any "marketing mix" of gift-giving options. Unitrusts and annuity trusts are described and tax benefits of the charitable income trust are explained. (MLW)

A booklet about gifts of real property used in capital campaign literature describes six ways of giving: (l) outright gift, (2) life income trust, (3) place of residence, with right to use property, (4) "bargain sale" (5) outright gift by will, and (6) gift by will, establishing a life income trust for a beneficiary. (MLW)

Periodicals editors at higher education institutions constantly confront financial pressure. Some strategies used to pair expenses or raise revenue include consolidating two or more periodicals, pruning mailing lists, trimming printing and postage costs, selling advertising, and pursuing voluntary subscription programs. (MLW)