Institutional Advancement (IA) professionals employed in higher education institutions play a critical role in building relationships with external constituents that lead to philanthropic support for strategic priorities. While IA activities have been part of the fabric of higher education since the 18th century, IA has only been a recognized…

Higher education, like most charitable organizations, is dependent on alumni funding as donors pour a tremendous amount of dollars into these organizations. However, the nature of donor involvement in higher education institutions has evolved over the last four centuries. The generational change of the donor base from the Boomers to the…

Institutions of higher education play an important role in training citizens who can thoughtfully and critically make decisions that impact the sustainability of our planet. While researchers have determined competencies that students need as environmental and sustainability professionals, less is understood about how to achieve these outcomes…

This report presents regional qualitative findings from three countries in Asia--India, Indonesia, and the Philippines--where the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP) was implemented from 2001-2013 The report is second in a series of research reports from the IFP Alumni Tracking Study, a 10-year study that explores the personal…

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) launched the volunteer-led Asia-Pacific Alumni Relations Survey in 2014 to provide a resource for alumni relations professionals to benchmark performance internally and against fellow institutions of higher education. That was the first survey CASE has done on alumni relations programmes…

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for donors on how to target their giving, with profiles of successful gifts. American philanthropists long have been generous in their support of colleges and universities. But donors do not always find the results they envisioned for their generosity and good intentions. ACTA has responded by…

This study is an examination of the giving decision-making process, as well as the factors, characteristics, and motivators of major donors to music programs in higher education. The college and the conservatory of music selected for this study are part of large, public, doctoral, research universities in metropolitan areas with at least three…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to trace the organizational history of the University of California Santa Cruz from its inception in 1965 to its 40th anniversary in 2005. The study investigated the original vision of small residential colleges as modeled after the Oxford University plan. The study chronicled the critical turning points of…

Sometimes, the key to solving an old problem is a fresh perspective. This was the case for the annual fund for The Catholic University of America (CUA), which underwent a transformation that nearly doubled the fund between 2004 and 2008. In 2004-05, the annual giving program at CUA raised $454,789 in unrestricted gifts from 1,760 donors. By…

Maintaining a quality college alumni program on a small budget requires careful analysis of services and may involve painful decisions. This process should begin with a broad, strategic review of mission, programming, audiences, and services. Finding other funding sources and increasing cost-consciousness can also help keep some activities funded.…

Points to consider when contemplating a national alumni program are reviewed, including: (1) the program will be expensive, (2) a national clubs organization will take staff time, (3) volunteers will be used effectively, and (4) the college will come alive to those who rarely get to the campus. (MLW)

Perspectives on working with alumni boards are presented in papers presented at a 1980 conference sponsored by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. Papers and authors are as follows: "Your Alumni: An Untapped Resource," Robert G. Forman; "Involving your Alumni in the Total Alumni Program," Douglas Wilson;…

Successful alumni travel programs require good organization, careful targeting, and attention to detail. Planning includes understanding audience demographics, choosing an appropriate tour, knowing current travel trends and constraints, selecting the best host for the group, calculation of costs and tax limitations, choosing a good agent, and…

Offers principles for resolving ethical dilemmas in college alumni relations, based on a theory of decision-making using four ethical dilemma paradigms (truth vs. loyalty, individual vs. community, justice vs. mercy, short-term vs. long-term). Practitioners are urged to use quiet moments to reflect on and discuss ethical issues among the staff.…

Fifty alumni association administrators offer tips on how they save money or make their programs more cost effective in a variety of administrative areas including event programing, staffing, postal services, support of chapters, looking for new sources of revenue, fees for services, publications, planning ahead, and sharing resources. (MSE)