Delivering on a commitment to diversity in schools, colleges, and universities is a living, breathing endeavor for many members of the advancement community. While a diversity leadership agenda is set clearly from the top, advancement officers can and must play a critical role in this arena. Effective development and alumni leaders are uniquely…

California State University, Fresno administrators and development leaders figured that a campus culture of philanthropy would be critical to the success of the institution's first comprehensive campaign. There was one problem: They did not know how to define it, or for that matter, measure it or grow it. The campaign proved successful, hitting…

A growing list of community colleges of all sizes is seeking--and raising--previously unheard-of sums through major campaigns, despite having significantly fewer staff members than their four-year counterparts. According to a recent CASE study of community college foundations, more than half of the respondents said they were planning, conducting,…

At most institutions, annual fund-giving is down. Crowdfunding sites allow people with a great idea or worthy cause to bypass traditional funding methods and take their case directly to web-savvy investors and donors. This article describes how higher education institutions are expanding their donor pool through such crowdfunding sites as USEED,…

Who we are and what we like are increasingly known pieces of information. This data, collected in aggregate and individually, is used to target marketing efforts ranging from the coupons on the grocery receipt to the online ads people see to the promotional offers sent in the mail. Even when marketing is not personally targeted, general…

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…

In this article, Elizabeth B. Herman, a trainer, facilitator, and coach with 25 years' success leading higher education campaigns and advancement teams, offers the following eight ways to bring out the best in a major gifts team: (1) Match ability and temperament to the job; (2) Allow autonomy and celebrate small wins; (3) Make prompt, fair…

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,…

Veteran development officers say the experience of visiting and traveling to different places or countries often feels like an endless cycle of getting lost, missing flights, and eating midnight dinners from hotel vending machines. Despite ongoing travel challenges, experienced road warriors have learned how to maximize their effectiveness,…

In the mad dash to complete the plethora of projects that lead up to the public launch of a campaign, it would be easy to start thinking of the kickoff as a goal in itself, but it's merely a mile marker in the marathon of a fundraising campaign that may last five to 10 years. Given that only a fraction of an institution's constituents may attend a…

In this article, the author explores how athletic success translates into advancement gains. He shares the Cinderella story of the Butler University's Butler Bulldogs which became the prototypical college sports Cinderella during its star turn in the 2010 tournament. Many institutions say that their athletic accomplishments have brought them…

This article begins with an anecdote that serves as one of several that advancement professionals shared recently when asked to recount their worst moments in fundraising. Examining best practices is a great way to improve a development program, but looking at worst practices can also be enlightening. This article shares some stories that have…

Communications and person-to-person relationship skills are as important for fundraisers as they ever were. However, today's fundraisers must also have finely honed technology skills, the ability to conduct data analysis, an understanding of social media, and experience relating to people from a variety of cultures. Competing for and attracting…

Most administrators in higher education get to leadership positions by traveling paths that do not have anything to do with philanthropy and development. Having worked their way up through the academy, institutional leaders do not always have a frame of reference for understanding the nuances of development. In this article, the author discusses…