Using empirical research methods to segment alumni markets, profile donors, prioritize prospects, and project realistic budgets becomes more important as fundraising goals expand. Projecting alumni growth and its impact on program and budget planning, profiling donors and nondonors, and ranking prospects are discussed. (MLW)

Steps and strategies to help senior development officers analyze activities, delegate duties, and concentrate on the central concerns of their job are provided. A distinction is made between activity urgency and importance. The techniques of selectively ignoring certain office cues and focusing on differential advantage in selecting activities are…

College and universities that invested in the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy, now bankrupt, now find they were taken in by the organization's investment claims. Suits are being filed on behalf of investors and by the Securities and Exchange Commission, claiming fraud. Even institutions not investing in the charity may learn from the…

A number of factors keep college alumni staff and development officers from forging cooperative relationships, and campus and graduates suffer as a result. These factors include competition for resources and professional opportunities and stereotypes of administrator roles and characteristics. Successful partnerships require shared values and…

Thirty-seven universities received half the money donated by foundations to higher education in 1989-90, and 40 institutions received half the corporate dollars donated, revealing the power of research universities to attract private monies. Some feel the concentration is neither rational nor fair. Tables present dollar and percentage figures for…

College and university proposal-writing personnel are encouraged to develop collaborative strategies with faculty researchers. Ideas are given for offering consultation services, sharpening diplomacy skills, representing the institution to foundations, and negotiating fruitful agreements. (DB)

To cultivate companies for fund raising, the college development officer should focus on appropriate people, understand giving trends, follow mergers and acquisitions, and note corporate differences in giving patterns. Annual reports can reveal company self-image, help identify individuals, and illuminate the company's fiscal situation. However,…

Installation of a new metal halide lighting system at an old athletic high school stadium serving the Red Lion School District in Pennsylvania made night games possible. Community members raised funds for the installation. Because of increased attendance, the district made a $10,000 profit. Provides facts and figures on the stadium lighting. (MLF)

Many colleges and universities are beginning to court female graduates as aggressively as they have male graduates, with specially targeted programs and closer attention paid to women's views. Demographic changes have resulted in women having more financial power and new attitudes about spending, and fund-raising expectations are following the…

The role of creativity in college and university advancement is examined, and institutional barriers to creativity are discussed. The need for balance between creativity and judgment is emphasized. Sources of new ideas for fund raising are drawn from a variety of models and theories of creativity. (MSE)

Analysis of 50 years of Princeton University (New Jersey) annual-giving data found most variation in gift size and percentage of class giving can be explained by models based on reunion attendance, class identity, and fiscal year. These models can reveal trends in giving behavior and exceptional performance of particular classes. (Author/MSE)

A video recording about the college that evokes a nostalgic response can be extremely effective in a fund-raising campaign and can even be used to openly solicit donations. Older, affluent alumni are the prime target audience. Producing an effective video requires attention to technical, financial, and aesthetic factors. (MSE)

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)

In response to increasing costs and growing reliance on external funding for college faculty research, a plan for promoting faculty success in gaining financial support for research is proposed. The plan is based on information in the literature concerning prerequisites for success in getting external support. (Author/MSE)

Technology can assist in recordkeeping that enhances college alumni fund raising. Colleges can contract with commercial vendors who use databases to update address and telephone number records. Keeping track of even small donors can be an effective fund-raising strategy. (MSE)