An effective alumni relations program provides the base on which an overall program of institutional advancement can be planned and implemented. The alumni director and staff are essential to such a program, and the prudent college president will use the alumni board as a forum for advancing programs that benefit the entire institution. (MSE)

The challenge for fund raising for fine arts programs is to draw the needed donors from the general community. More and more institutions are showing off their institutions' cultural achievements and attracting recognition for them. (MSE)

This publication contains 15 papers concerned with the establishment at colleges and universities of new major gift programs or the improvement of existing programs. The papers, all by development professionals in higher education, are as follows: (1) "An Introduction to the Major Gift Process" (Jon Cosovich); (2) "Strategic…

This article offers suggestions for and examples of fundraising activities for community-based education programs. Topics addressed include: (1) the importance of fundraising and the advantages of being self-sufficient; (2) recommendations on planning fundraising activities and on planning campaigns to publicize the activities; and (3) approaches…

Developmental professions outline the steps and key concepts in the planning and evaluation of fund-raising goals and of the potential to obtain gift support for them. (Author)

Some barriers to fund-raising productivity are identified. A checklist of characteristics of an ideal development program drawn up by a panel of nationally recognized experts was included in a questionnaire sent to participating campuses. (MLW)

The long-range planning strategy used at the University of the Redlands to boost alumni program productivity and increase the program budget is outlined. The effort consisted of a series of planning weekends and a number of subtle strategies to justify added resources. (MSE)

One way of garnering grant funding to support restructuring projects is to establish a districtwide grants development office. This article describes a low-cost grants office in the Norfolk (Virginia) Public Schools that employs one administrator and one part-time clerical support person. An overview of the grants development and proposal writing…

This article presents five basic guidelines for initiating a successful alumni merchandising program: (1) shop around for the best vendor; (2) decide what to sell; (3) manage merchandise properly; (4) watch out for risky business; and (5) get what you pay for. (MDM)

The president of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education talks about why college advancement officers need to rethink, restructure, and communicate better about their fund-raising campaigns, in light of public perceptions that the institutions are greedy and not managing resources efficiently. Emphasis is on carefully defining…

The Kresge Foundation has undertaken an $18-million project to assist four-year, historically black colleges build successful fund-raising operations. The grants pay for consultants to analyze advancement offices and map improvements for them. The program will also match black-college advancement officers with mentors who are successful fund…

A taxonomy of developmental planning considerations and corresponding areas in which institutional researchers and developmental professionals can collaborate to assess and improve fund-raising activities is presented. (MSE)

A written campaign plan is seen as essential for annual fund success. It should contain details on all aspects of the campaign: strategy, leadership, organization, goals, and events, plus the schedule and deadlines for each of these. (MLW)

Currently the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is reaffirming its commitment in supporting projects dealing with foreign language and linguistics. Advice is given on how to better acquire NEH funding, and contact information to the Division of Education Programs of NEH is provided. (GLR)

An estate planning seminar is a personal and cost-effective tool for alerting college constituents to a financial opportunity. Such seminars are not hard to coordinate, are a service to alumni and friends, and may bring long-term benefits to college and participants. Experiences at a number of colleges illustrate diverse approaches. (MSE)