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…

"A Guide to Fundraising at Historically Black Colleges and Universities" is a comprehensive, research-based work that brings the best practices and expertise of seminal professionals to the larger Black college environment and beyond. Drawing on data-driven advice from interviews with successful Black college fundraisers and private sector…

This article discusses the results of a CASE survey, compiled in April 2009, which was sent to almost 2,800 members who had previously indicated that community relations were part of their professional responsibilities or interests. The survey suggests that the role and practice of community relations in a public institution is somewhat different…

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)

Basic principles of designing a reunion gift program include beginning small, researching class prospects, gathering volunteers, determining the financial goal, communicating needs and intentions, organizing volunteers, advertising well, and making the donation at the reunion a major event. More ambitious plans can be tied into the program later.…

Steps in developing a major college donor weekend program are outlined, including goal setting; tailoring events to reflect the best the institution has to offer; drafting an appropriate guest list; calculating costs; dealing with common problems such as low attendance, damaging media coverage, and guest list errors; and getting feedback. (MSE)

Fund-raising campaign experience at the University of Iowa Foundation suggests that attention to three planning areas (the intended audience, budget, and project requirements) and seven kinds of materials (campaign name and logo, case statement, letterhead, pledge form, return envelope, folder, and carrier envelope) facilitate program…

Improving productivity in alumni programs involves finding the right combination of budget, staff, and program that will energize the alumni. Whitman College has found that spending money, time, and energy to motivate and train volunteers, educate staff, and involve students yields rich dividends. (MLW)

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…

Fund-raising campaigns among the employees of colleges and universities have been very successful in some cases, and have not only involved both current and retired faculty and staff but have also built institutional unity and led to increased external giving. Examples of institutional campaigns provide insights into the planning of such programs.…

The University of Arizona's experience with a small-scale fund-raising project to establish a memorial scholarship illustrates that the development office's efforts in guiding a motivated group of donors can pay off. Planning elements included establishing a team, delegating tasks, handling mail and telephone calls, generating enthusiasm, and…

Planning to raise funds for a small-scale or specific college capital improvement project requires a different approach for background research, writing, and design of solicitation publications, use of volunteers, and visits to donors than does a larger project. A civic purchase-and-renovation project in Ohio illustrates the principles used. (MSE)

A guide to planning college and university anniversary celebrations that attract the attention of both friends and strangers recommends creating substantive programs related to current public interest; faculty involvement; broad-based and varied programing; media participation; attention to both past and future; and adequate budget. (MSE)

A public relations model provided the basis for the five-step ROPES college fund-raising model: (1) research on the institution, the funding opportunity, and the publics targeted; (2) objective setting for both office output and program impact; (3) programming to meet those objectives; (4) evaluation of the effectiveness, not just efficiency, of…