Suggestions on when to seek a consultant and how to select the one best suited to collegiate needs are discussed. Reliance on recognized firms, professional organizations, and selective free-lance consultants is recommended. Being well-prepared, planning the consultant's time schedule carefully, clarifying arrangements, and setting the terms are…

Suggestions offered for planning a successful volunteer program center on setting goals, defining roles, and timing. Areas identified for volunteer use are admissions, identifying and soliciting fellow alumni, alumni relations, and in program planning for such events as Parent's Weekend. (LC)

Personality in planning, promoting, and executing a special event may be as important as the event itself. Events should be planned that deserve media coverage, and then skills should be used to obtain coverage. (MSE)

Some barriers to fund-raising productivity are identified. A checklist of characteristics of an ideal development program drawn up by a panel of nationally recognized experts was included in a questionnaire sent to participating campuses. (MLW)

Personal solicitation is seen as the most effective way to produce a gift. Specific steps for solicitation are identified: preparation, approach, presentation, and close. Leadership and volunteer training needed for the annual fund drive are discussed. University of Georgia examples are included. (MLW)

Direct mail surveys can be an effective method of surveying alumni, but a good survey takes careful planning, scheduling, execution, and follow-up. A six-month timetable is recommended, with three mailings and attention to a variety of details, such as the quality of the survey package and the recording of responses. (MSE)

Strategies used at Oberlin College to justify a budgetary increase for alumni programs are outlined, along with suggestions for budgetary planning. Alumni program coordination with other important programs--such as recruitment, career exploration, and attracting experts to campus--is suggested. (MSE)

Alumni represent a tremendous market opportunity for universities. It is suggested that benefit segmentation--benefits sought or needs of a specific market--be used as a method to subdivide the alumni market in order to identify alumni educational needs and motivations, and benefits they seek. (MLW)

Private giving through gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and bequests is discussed. A commitment of trustees and administrators by allocating adequate money and staff is necessary. The kinds of institutional commitments that a program administrator should insist on are outlined, along with a statement of policies and guidelines. (MLW)

Virginia Wesleyan College's planned giving program reveals the importance of such a program regardless of how modest. Advice provided includes: don't defer efforts because of small staff, know long-range needs of college, don't underestimate the potential donor, publicize bequests, begin with established constituencies, and employ retired…

Institutions need coordinated events programs that support institutional goals and are closely related to them, whether the objective is fund raising, student recruitment, or improvement of the college image. Carefully selected and planned events create news, affect perceptions, influence attitudes, spark emotions, and affect people's decisions…

Charitable remainder trusts and charitable income trusts are discussed as essentials in any "marketing mix" of gift-giving options. Unitrusts and annuity trusts are described and tax benefits of the charitable income trust are explained. (MLW)

A booklet about gifts of real property used in capital campaign literature describes six ways of giving: (l) outright gift, (2) life income trust, (3) place of residence, with right to use property, (4) "bargain sale" (5) outright gift by will, and (6) gift by will, establishing a life income trust for a beneficiary. (MLW)

A variety of colleges, large and small, public and private, have organized unique and interesting events for prospective students, current students, recent graduates, alumni, and friends of the institutions. A potpourri of these events is described, and some advice is given for planning them. (MSE)

Encouragement of wills and bequests is the backbone of a good planned giving program. Methods of promotion, types of will gifts, tax aspects, identification of potential donors, a simple bequest program, program evaluation, and the need for continuity and patience are discussed. (MLW)