Although population predictions suggest that over the next 40 years, minorities will become the new majority in the country, the fundraising profession is not listening to these predictions as its demographics remain unchanged. The fact that President Obama has called for more Americans to become college educated, which says more and more people…

Continued competition for precious resources in higher education, along with the simultaneous increasing expectations of higher education by parents, students, and other stakeholders, has forced institution administrators to look for significant alternatives for funding. In conjunction with these pressures, the U.S. Congress is pressing colleges…

This article features Jordan Thomas, who lost his feet in a spear fishing accident in August 2005. It describes how Thomas turned his own loss into a way to help kids get the prosthetics they need. Just three weeks after losing his feet, Thomas filed the paperwork for the Jordan Thomas Foundation, which aims to raise funds for prosthetic limbs for…

This article presents the results of a nationwide survey conducted in the spring of 2009 that examined the impacts of the current recession on nonprofit organizations, including museums. The survey identified a host of negative effects that nonprofits have been experiencing as a result of the recession, including reduced organizational revenues,…

A recent trend among universities shifts from traditional MBA programs to specialized MBA offerings. Specialized programs are believed to cultivate stronger relationships with students, which lead to stronger alumni relationships and increased donations. This research tests this empirically by examining relationship perceptions and donation…

Keeping up with alumni has always been tough for community colleges. It's not unusual for students to transfer to other institutions and leave the area, or to attend school briefly only to be swallowed up again by the workforce. Fortunately, a new breed of social media is making alumni outreach easier. And colleges are taking advantage. This…

Every university and nonprofit in the country is interested in raising more money. Many universities spend millions of dollars to hire experienced staff, build databases, and pay for prospect travel. The question becomes, What is the return on investment? With significant and sometimes drastic budget cuts, university programs are increasingly…

Traditional community college CEOs who are experiencing an increased demand for services, as well as reduced funding, have a choice to make: They can worry and complain, or they can change their operating model. In this article, the author calls for CEOs to have a clear focus on how they operate their organizations. The author argues that it is…

This descriptive and causal comparative study sought to identify motivations for alumni donor acquisition and retention in Christian institutions of higher learning. To meet this objective, motivations for alumni donors, lapsed donors, and non-donors were analyzed and compared. Data was collected through an electronic survey of a stratified sample…

This publication is only available as a downloadable file. See who's giving and getting grants in your field. Strengthen your search for funds with the Foundation Center's digital edition of "Grants for Arts, Culture & The Humanities." This new "Grant Guide" reveals the scope of current foundation giving in the field. You'll find descriptions of…

It's hard to underestimate how crucial the board is in setting an institution's direction. In the United States, the boards of public and private institutions have wildly divergent characteristics. Boards at public institutions are typically smaller than those at private institutions. Board members of public institutions are usually appointed by a…

It's common practice in higher education to conduct assessments--exams, state board tests, surveys, and focus groups, among other instruments. The resulting data are typically used to strengthen academic programs and improve outcomes. The same data sometimes also influence the strategic planning process. This article discusses how Pennsylvania's…

After years of growth and predictions that fund raising for higher education would escape the brunt of the economic crash, the recession has started to affect colleges' efforts to raise money, according to a survey by "The Chronicle" and Moody's Investors Service. Predictions are that 2009 may be an even tougher year for fund raisers, with…

After several years of aggressive hiring, some college fund-raising operations are now cutting back as both revenue and investment income fall. The regrouping could slow growth plans on many campuses at a time when the need for private support has never been greater. Often the colleges cutting employees are laying off back-office staff members and…

This policy brief describes the growth of schoolhouse advertising and marketing activities in the last few decades, assesses the harms associated with commercial activities in schools, and provides advocates, policymakers, and educators with a policy framework and model legislative language designed to protect children and the integrity of…