Discussion of ways to increase minority giving to colleges and universities debunks the myth of "minorities don't give," and reports a recent study of minority philanthropy, which details philanthropic characteristics of four minority cultures: blacks, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and American Indians. Specific strategies recommended include…

Considers the direction of literature curricula and asks why the study of literature and language is an essential part of culture. Explains the curriculum's educational value and intellectual purposes to those who allocate resources. Raises fundamental questions about the political and spiritual aspects of teaching literature. (SC)

Reviews critical issues in selecting a product fund-raising program for schools. Suggests that the most important considerations should be the quality of the product or service and its "fit" with the school. (JDI)

Successful college and university telephone fund-raising campaigns depend on basic techniques such as asking for larger donations and attaining a high fulfillment rate, but these techniques require careful caller training. Specific approaches include role-playing, encouraging taking time to build rapport, requiring follow-up on pledges, letting…

Turnover among college fundraisers and related administrators (alumni relations, publications) has been high, with some remaining in positions for less time than a major campaign takes to complete. Some feel fundraisers, particularly those in low- or mid-level positions, are competing for higher salaries, better titles, and career development…

Ten ways to improve college annual fund letter campaigns include integration into a comprehensive communication plan, building long-term donor relationships, framing the case in donors' terms, creating an inviting envelope, getting names and honorifics correct, readability, providing supporting material that involves the potential donor, making a…

Of the black athletic directors in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, 20 work at historically black institutions. Black athletes, however, have a large presence overall in these programs. One black administrator sees significant challenges in both hiring black directors and performing crucial aspects of the job, such as…

A college presidential search will find the best candidate if the search committee exceeds routine reference checks, conducts effective interviews, and includes visits to finalists' home campuses. The visit can cast light on such unknown factors as fund-raising potential and leadership skills. There are also disadvantages to be considered,…

Examines fears of small private colleges that major fund raising campaigns of large public universities will hamper their own fund raising efforts. Gives the example of Pennsylvania State University and the 86 small, private colleges also in Pennsylvania. Shows that trends in both private and corporate giving increasingly favor public research…

Discusses fund raising for school-technology projects using the Internet. Lists Web sites where federal government funding sources can be found and sites with more than 130 federal bulletin boards, including the Department of Education's Grants Database and private-sector grant funding in technologies. (GR)

Presents an example of one school's solution to space needs for handling play and practice times for its multiple sports teams. Explains the school's planning efforts towards agreeing to, then gaining public support for, a major renovation project. (GR)

The University of Wisconsin River Falls is a small, primarily undergraduate teaching institution with a limited history of grant support. In 1990 it created an office of grants and research, whose director found writing proposals with faculty to be an effective way to increase external funding. The methods, pitfalls, and results of this approach…

Greene County, near Charlottesville, is a predominantly farming community with little commerce and about 15,000 residents. It has been more adversely affected by recent economic conditions than counties with a stronger tax base. Yet it is also among the most rapidly growing counties in Virginia. County resources alone would not be enough to build…

Higher education relies upon private philanthropy as a significant source of outside revenue, yet competition for donor resources escalates annually. Competency for building enduring donor relationships may positively influence institutional fund-raising outcomes by addressing this problem. Qualitative data are presented examining the utility of…

The increasing costs of higher education and the decreasing willingness of taxpayers to support it have amplified the importance of fund-raising in the modern university. The (dis)satisfaction of the university president with his/her development program can have profound ramifications for the success of the program and the careers of the…