As with many Volunteer Programs, volunteerism at Filoli began in support of a fledgling organization in 1975. Initially a separate nonprofit, Friends of Filoli was created with the purpose of fundraising and other support, but was dissolved in 1989 as it was not self-sufficient. The leadership structure, however, remained and later merged with the…

This article briefly compares the prison system in the United States with progressive correctional systems in the world, before pivoting to discuss the lessons learned from the author's development of the Prison Education Project (PEP). PEP has expanded educational opportunities for inmates in 12 Californian correctional facilities. With the…

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…

Many universities, colleges, and independent schools face the reality of geographically expanding alumni bases, likely combined with constant or decreasing budgets for alumni activities. Well-intentioned colleagues understand the potential power of a geographically diverse alumni network but do not always grasp the time and complexity associated…

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)

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.…

The first chapter of this monograph presents some major themes and fundamental issues surrounding leisure activities volunteers and their management from a system perspective. Chapter 2 discusses the results of a survey conducted to obtain a status report of selected volunteer system characteristics. The third chapter focuses on dealing with…

This organizational kit is intended to help high school clubs associated with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) get started in their mission of introducing students to careers in special education. Topics discussed include: getting started, association with CEC, setting goals for the high school club, CEC's belief statements, suggested…

Parents represent a major but largely neglected source of annual, capital, and deferred gifts. An important dividend of any effective parents program will be the volunteers it turns up. These volunteers can help with fund raising. (MLW)

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)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York) has coordinated a comprehensive fund-raising campaign with special emphasis on several regions of the country. Each regional component is a miniature of the overall campaign. Planning strategies include regional analysis, adaptation of the usual development resources, volunteers and staffing, good…

A bad attitude can sabotage recruiting volunteers. After examining attitudes, alumni administrators need to set goals, make plans, write job descriptions, recruit the right people for the job, and delegate properly. Ways to ensure good continuing relations are offered. (MLW)

This book provides "how to" information for those who have never managed a fund-raising event for a college or university, and gives advice to help the experienced professional fund-raiser fine-tune traditional or new events. It covers the essential steps in event planning such as developing a realistic budget, and includes a budget planning…

This practicum report describes an attempt to correct the inadequacies and improve the volunteer program in the Lower School of the University School of Nova University. The revised program endeavored to satisfy teachers and volunteers by matching the specific needs of the Lower School staff to the interests, skills, talents, and time of the…

A guide on using phonathons as a fund raising tool is presented. The information is addressed to both experienced and inexperienced audiences to aid in the planning and implementation of successful phonathons. The important basic principles are repeated as they apply to different phonathon settings. The use of both paid and volunteer workers is…