The IRF Compensation Report summarizes the results of CASE's most recent compensation survey just for institutionally related foundations (IRFs). The 42-page report contains data from 323 individuals employed at North American IRFs. The 2012 results provide a comprehensive view of compensation practices to help identify patterns across the…

Community colleges are often viewed as the gateway to higher education as well as institutions that can rapidly prepare students to enter the workforce. Yet, in spite of widespread acclaim for their effectiveness and success, community colleges have done very little to garner volunteer and financial support from their alumni. Admittedly, many…

Fundraisers seem to get all the attention from senior management, the budget they need to do their job, and unfettered praise when all goes well. Alumni relations professionals, in contrast, receive the occasional pat on the head when they run a popular event, barely manage to scrape enough budget together to send out the alumni magazines, and…

Many studies have explored the use of learning-by-doing in higher education, but few have applied this to social entrepreneurship contexts and applications: this paper addresses this gap in the literature. Our programme involved students working with different stakeholders in an interactive learning environment to generate real revenue for social…

CASE has conducted salary surveys to track trends in the profession and to help members benchmark salaries since 1982. Following CASE's major overhaul of the survey instrument and data collection system, CASE Europe fielded a European version of the salary survey for the second time in October 2012. All individual CASE Europe members at colleges,…

The Southington Board of Education in Connecticut has committed itself to asking school administrators to look for funding alternatives so the board does not have to continuously say no. The Southington School District serves 6,900 students with an operating budget of $79.5 million, but that amount simply does not fund all its needs. The district…

From Louisiana to West Virginia to North Carolina--and many states in between--a growing number of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are coming off the sidelines and finally getting into the major fundraising game. In the face of a cash crunch, the colleges are rushing to launch serious capital and planned giving campaigns.…

In autumn, most colleges' football fields are covered with a thick carpet of grass or artificial turf and are adorned with yard lines. But the football field at Paul Quinn College was carved up by plowing and planting. This past fall, portions of the college's gridiron were covered with sweet potatoes, watermelons, peppers, rosemary, and sugar…

A survey of more than 35,000 alumni magazine readers conducted by CASE and more than 135 member institutions in the United States provides powerful evidence that, among the communications options in the advancement toolbox, magazines are one of the most effective ways to connect with, engage, and motivate alumni and other constituents. The CASE…

"Donors don't give to causes; they give to people with causes." This often-cited saying rings true and emphasizes that the donor is influenced largely by the personality, professionalism, and character of the asker. The interpersonal skills of development officers and key volunteers are critical to development of relationships with donors, a fact…

"How to Walk to School" is the story--from the highs to the lows--of motivated neighborhood parents galvanizing and then organizing an entire community to take a leap of faith, transforming a challenged urban school into one of Chicago's best, virtually overnight. The fate of public education is not beyond our control. In "How to…

Does school choice enhance the ability of school districts to raise revenue? School districts use charter and magnet schools to attract and retain students, but does choice improve the odds for school districts seeking increased taxing authority at the polls? If those parents who choose schools are attentive to district policies, then increasing…

Whether the donations are from once-friendly foreign governments now scorned or from famous entrepreneurs subsequently convicted of fraud, gifts gone bad "are the kinds of things that keep every chief advancement officer awake at night." A tainted gift can put an institution's integrity on the line but doesn't have to with the right…

For years, development officers have cultivated prospective donors by listening to their deepest desires. Now, development officers' work increasingly involves devising a strategy for aligning the donor's desires with the mission, goals, and needs of their institution. It is possible, even amid signs of changing donor agendas and attitudes, but it…

The idea behind integrated advancement is simple and dates back to the 1990s: A strong relationship between advancement offices conserves resources. It leads to a more efficient workforce. It portrays a highly unified message to stakeholders, including donors, alumni, local officials, and opinion leaders. In short, the entire advancement team…