Difficult financial times are not the time for college to allow fund-raising, alumni relations, and public relations efforts to slow down. If advancement has served the institution well, it can draw invaluable support from the alumni and friends it has already cultivated. (Author/MSE)

Advice on creation of effective videotape recordings for use in alumni affairs is drawn from the experience of a number of colleges. Suggested uses include special events, lifelong learning, admissions, video magazines, and development. Specific do's and don'ts for production are also offered. (MSE)

Every planned giving administrator's ultimate responsibility is to serve the institution of higher education and not the donor. Planned giving administrators should instruct donors to consult a financial adviser because they cannot fill that role. (MLW)

The recent appointment of experienced fundraisers to several college presidencies reflects the increasing importance of fundraising in the presidency. Boards are looking for administrators with a balanced understanding of financial management, the academic enterprise, and institutional advancement strategies. (MSE)

The president of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education talks about why college advancement officers need to rethink, restructure, and communicate better about their fund-raising campaigns, in light of public perceptions that the institutions are greedy and not managing resources efficiently. Emphasis is on carefully defining…

Finds that role as a technician, perception of public relations as a secondary function, organizational turbulence, and dependency on private gifts lead to the takeover of the public relations department by professionals from outside public relations. Theorizes about external and internal factors contributing to this. (SR)

Analyzes propensity of business school alumni to give cash donations to their alma mater. Estimates a utility maximization model, using logistic regression and survey sample data of 1956-90 graduates of a large U.S public research university. Giving probability is strongly correlated with specific majors, time since graduation, other factors.…

Both routine monitoring reports and special studies contribute to effective fund-raising efforts and the provision of services to alumni of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A long-range strategy committee was established to determine market-research needs and approaches and to establish long-term alumni-relations priorities. The alumni…

The Kresge Foundation has undertaken an $18-million project to assist four-year, historically black colleges build successful fund-raising operations. The grants pay for consultants to analyze advancement offices and map improvements for them. The program will also match black-college advancement officers with mentors who are successful fund…

In college and university fundraising, mergers and initial public offerings can create donor-deadlines windows of opportunity during which prospective donors can make tax-favored major gifts. Development officers need to monitor their prospects' holdings for these deadlines. Categories of donor prospects to consider and indicators to watch are…

Development officers at DePauw University (Indiana) use a structured, five-section, face-to-face interview process to assess prospective donors' ability to give and interest in giving, which then determines how the institution offers them the opportunity to support it. A step-by-step outline of the interview process is provided, as are answers to…

Expounds the process for seeking small grants through three major steps: (1) acknowledge what grants are; (2) develop an idea to be funded and; (3) cultivate contacts for possible funding. Advises different intermediate steps and encourages social studies teachers to search for small grants. Provides a sample letter of request. (CMK)

Discusses the importance of community and school official collaboration and compromise behind building secondary school multipurpose stadiums. Examples of how some schools resolved funding issues are highlighted. (GR)

Examines the planning, renovation and enlargement, and funding of a new University of Utah football stadium that would also be used in the 2002 Winter Olympics. Contractor selection, solutions to construction challenges, and the steps taken to minimize risk and guarantee success of the projects are discussed, including the fact that the stadium is…

Describes how Harvard University exceeded its goals in its recently completed five-year fund-raising campaign. Notes emphasis on appeals based on societal problems and teamwork by the institution's various colleges. Includes a table comparing 21 recent or ongoing billion-dollar capital campaigns. (DB)