This research study sought to better understand what motivates and influences young alumni to engage with their alma mater. For many development and alumni relations departments, alumni have become a source of private funding to assist in the decreased burden of tuition and the cost of attending college. Frequently, alumni who are reached out to…

In 2015 while higher educational institutions received $40 billion in gifts, community colleges only received about 1.5 percent of that amount--despite the fact that they account for about half of students at any one time, according to an estimate provided by the Council for Aid to Education, which maintains data on educational giving. The reason…

At the dawn of a new presidential election, we are reminded that what separates the United States from the rest of the world are the immigrants who came here in the pursuit of the American Dream. These immigrants do not just come to the United States as workers, but also as consumers and entrepreneurs who contribute to the American economy, and…

A growing number of U.S. institutions are recognizing the importance of reaching out to and involving alumni in meaningful ways--so much so that it's encoded as a specific campaign goal. But, like fundraising goals, alumni engagement goals are not realized easily, overnight, or just because they're committed to paper. Lasting engagement takes…

Three advancement professionals discuss what their colleagues need to understand about their jobs. The Ohio State University Alumni Association is currently integrating into the university's advancement office at the behest of the board of trustees, so Andy Gurd is now working more closely with his development and communications colleagues than…

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 purpose of this study is to better understand the characteristics that lead to revenue generation in K-12 education foundations. I reviewed higher education and K-12 education fundraising research literature to identify factors that might be related to success in private revenue generation. The review revealed three key factors explored…

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.…

Some institutions create a gift fee to pay for a campaign or to cover basic fundraising costs, and especially today, many are doing it in order to increase revenues in the wake of the recession's effect on endowments. In the best circumstances, gift fees are emblematic of a transparent, accountable development process, where donors understand that…

For years, development officers have cultivated prospective donors by listening to their deepest desires. Now, development officers' work increasingly involves devising a strategy for aligning the donor's desires with the mission, goals, and needs of their institution. It is possible, even amid signs of changing donor agendas and attitudes, but it…

State support for colleges and universities has been in decline since the 1970s. Institutions of higher learning have been forced to rely increasingly on private gifts to balance their budgets. The private gifts are managed by each school's foundation, a separate non-profit entity that exists to raise money for its respective institution. The…

This case study of Florida State University (FSU) Panama City illustrates the essential importance of strong synergy among a branch campus, its main campus, and its community. The interdependence of the branch campus and its community is highlighted through discussion of the role of the campus administrator, various partnerships, and niche…

The purpose of this study is to better understand the characteristics that lead to revenue generation in K-12 education foundations. I reviewed higher education and K-12 education fundraising research literature to identify factors that might be related to success in private revenue generation. The review revealed three key factors explored…

In 1971 it was not financial hardship that launched a new program at Eckerd College in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Rather, it was the tragic loss of a student by drowning, followed a year later by a class temporarily stranded in a boat. That same year, under Bill Covert's leadership, twelve students formed the Florida Presbyterian College Search,…

For the past couple of decades, customer relationship management has been quietly establishing itself as the way everybody does business. Migrating to the education community only in the past five years or so, it has acquired a more genteel transcription of its acronym: constituent relationship management. However one decodes the letters, CRM is…