Publications can be helpful in promoting planned giving to colleges. Suggestions address basic brochures, response forms, a planned giving column, advertisements, bequest mailings, a year-end tax letter, newsletters, fund description, and assets inventory. Simple or sophisticated, they can be effective marketing tools. (MSE)

Seven simple ways for college fund-raisers to recognize donors successfully are outlined, illustrated with the experiences of colleges, universities, and other organizations. Institutions are urged to thank donors accurately, publicly, privately, frequently, appropriately, innovatively, and sincerely. (MSE)

Federal regulations governing receipts from fund-raising events at colleges and universities are summarized, including rules concerning tax deductions for raffle tickets, how and when to acknowledge donor gifts (cash or non-cash), and disclosure of fair market value. (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…

Large, flashy college fund drives may be falling out of favor with alumni and friends of the institution. Advancement professionals recount their experiences and suggest ways to adapt campaigns to new needs and environments. Inherent problems with large campaigns are enumerated, and the importance of clear communication to audiences on and off…

Ways in which colleges and universities have made connections within their local communities that have enhanced local fund raising are described. A central theme in successful programs has been presenting a purpose that is meaningful to the community. (MSE)

A new Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) advisory, designed for colleges and universities to use in accounting for gifts and pledges according to new Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) regulations, is summarized. The publication is entitled "The Impact of FASB Standards 116 & 117 on Development Operations: An…

College and university fund-raising programs should have a written policy to make donor thank-yous part of office routine. Reviewing existing donor files can help codify existing policy and practice. Larger offices may need policies for different gift types and sizes. Innovative ways of recognizing donors, such as special events, gifts, and…

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,…

Revised Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) standards for reporting college and university fund-raising income take effect in July 1997. Some of the changes affect what front-line fund raisers say to donors and what they ask them to sign. The major change is to present-value calculation of gifts, critical in reporting planned…

Five ethical dilemmas in college and university advancement are outlined, and responses of professionals to each are cited. Dilemmas include renaming a building, originally named for a generous donor, in honor of another donor funding renovation; paying for copying of sensitive documents; use of designated donations; handling of a donation made in…

College alumni who are corporate directors have significant fund-raising potential. Charitable award programs allow corporate directors to designate nonprofit organizations to receive gifts when they die or retire; employee stock ownership programs can provide a private stock market for a potential donor seeking philanthropic opportunity and tax…

In college and university advancement, prospect research has become streamlined with the Internet. Searchers can enter corporate, foundation, and other sites for up-to-date information on a variety of topics. Several campus development officers have established their own home pages to share information with colleagues. Online addresses for campus,…

An endowed chair that is not carefully conceived and fully funded can create problems for institutions of higher education. A well-thought-out policy should guide staff, faculty, and donors concerning level of positions available, minimum donations for each, and titles. Minimum funding figures should be based on predicted endowment income.…

A discussion of donor records in college and university fund-raising programs looks at a variety of issues, including who sees them (administrators, donors, volunteers, and members of the legal profession), how access to them is controlled, and what is kept in them. Suggestions are offered for managing such records, and the experiences of a number…