Fund-raising mailing must be well conceived and executed in order to hold its own against competing charitable organizations as well as commercial firms offering sweepstake prizes. An appeal letter is seen as the most important piece in any direct-mail effort. (MLW)

Some basic strategies and procedures that provide a step-by-step annual fund plan are reviewed. This approach divides goals into revenue targets for each annual fund program and links program success to budget and staff requirements. (MLW)

The experiences of a four-person advancement staff of a 300-student institution that had six weeks to meet a two-for-one challenge are discussed. The one-week planning process is described and the campaign strategies are reviewed. (MLW)

A written campaign plan is seen as essential for annual fund success. It should contain details on all aspects of the campaign: strategy, leadership, organization, goals, and events, plus the schedule and deadlines for each of these. (MLW)

A stewardship report, a well-done report sent regularly to give a donor information on the use of a gift, assures the donor that the institution appreciates the gift and the giver. Some techniques are given for making stewardship reports as effective as possible. (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)

Minicapital campaigns at the 25th and 50th reunions at Williams College are described. Leadership, organization, timing, budget, purpose, marketing, and a solid foundation of positive alumni attitudes toward supporting the college help to make a successful campaign. (MLW)

Phonathons are seen as a highly personal, effective, and informative type of solicitation. Duke University's "Dialing for Duke" phonathon is described. Suggestions for phonathon success are: relentless recruitment of volunteers, upbeat atmosphere, a sense of competition, good training, staff supervision, and a realistic goal. (MLW)

Six institutions' successful annual fund drives are described. St. Stephen's School keeps its constituents informed of giving participation and fosters a competitive spirit by using agents for each alumni class and parent representatives for each school grade. Ohio University cultivates annual gifts through a gift club for local donors. (MLW)

Yale University's Quarter Century Fund, a way to involve students in fund raising and to get new graduates into the giving habit, is described. Yale seniors make pledges to the Fund and contribute an annual amount to be invested as the nucleus for the class's 25th reunion. (MLW)

"Flat tax," a euphemism for major tax reform, is discussed. Its adoption would probably mean reducing tax rates by broadening the base upon which taxes are imposed. This implies elimination of many, if not most, of the deductions, credits, and other special provisions of the tax code. (MLW)

Three methods for reporting the value of a deferred gift are described: the tax method, net realizable value, and fair market value. Three major categories of deferred gifts are identified: pooled income funds, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable gift annuities. (MLW)

Data collected by Group Attitudes Corporation as part of a nation-wide survey of public attitudes toward higher education is discussed. Twenty-six percent of all respondents who had been to college said that they had made some sort of donation to the undergraduate institution they attended. (MLW)

A study of 100 foundations at public institutions in the U.S. is described. Chief development officers or foundation executive directors at each institution responded to a six-page questionnaire. The relationship of each foundation to its host college or university was studied. (MLW)