Ways to establish a senior class gift and pledge program are discussed. Senior gift campaigns solicit an out-right cash gift, collected before graduation. Pledge programs can run anywhere from a 1-year commitment, to a 25-year commitment. (MLW)

This article presents five guidelines for running a successful faculty-staff fund drive, illustrating them with anecdotal evidence from recent college and university fund drives: (1) educate your constituents; (2) tailor your campaign; (3) choose your leader; (4) guard against disaster; and (5) make it easy to give. (MDM)

Discussion of techniques for college and university fundraising among international alumni looks at targeting prospective donors and their parents, keeping prospects connected to the institution through overseas student and faculty activities and alumni volunteers, communicating the importance of philanthropy, selecting a language to use, and…

With each merger or corporate restructuring comes the possibility that corporate giving to higher education will suffer. A combination of patience, understanding of the processes at work in corporate change, and regular contact with affected companies can help position the college or university to make the most of any outcome. (MSE)

Although nearly all the world's cultures value philanthropy, few have a recent history of giving to education. If colleges and universities make the effort to motivate their international constituents today, these alumni, families, and friends can have a significant impact on the institution's future. The first step is for institutions to examine…

People give major gifts because they want to express a deeply felt commitment to the institution. Ultimate gift fund raising is costly in the time and talent of the volunteers, staff, and faculty. It requires a great deal of personal attention over a period of many years. (MLW)

While many basic fund-raising principles have been retained, some of the practices of former decades have been revised or replaced as conditions changed and new concepts evolved. Some lessons learned from previous capital campaigns are described. (MLW)

Senior development officers of the 56 member institutions of the Association of American Universities were surveyed to learn about the scope of their prospect research programs. Scope of programs, prospect research approaches, and information resources are discussed. (MLW)

Capital campaign strategies that helped rally support for seven community colleges are described. An attractive college profile, enthusiastic volunteers, effective training, community contacts, and high internal morale helped create good donor support. (MLW)

A three-year endowment campaign at the University of Texas at Austin is described. Other ideas from CASE members are described including alumni endowments, foundations and corporations, federal and state endowments, and unusual endowments. (MLW)

Stewardship is seen as an essential part of the fund-raising cycle of identification, cultivation, solicitation, recognition, and looking after the gift. Sometimes referred to as donor relations, stewardship covers the entire relationship between a donor and the institution. (MLW)

In developing programs for nontraditional alumni, aim for a series of targeted programs that play on the human need to belong, to be recognized, and to look good by association with success. The University of Missouri at Saint Louis' lunchtime meetings for business professionals is one such successful program. (MLW)

The basics of effective proposal writing, from content to structure to length, are presented in three articles: "Knowledge Is Power" (Andrew Grant, Emily S. Berkowitz), "Write on the Money" (Lucy Knight); and "The Problem Proposal." (MLW)

College fundraisers can enhance their planned-gift negotiation by focusing on donor concerns, knowing the variety of gift options available, and presenting them effectively to the prospective donor. With this approach, it is possible to choose the solution that most benefits both donor and institution. (MSE)

A survey of 300 institutions of higher education found 9 factors associated with alumni giving participation rates. These included library volumes per student; average Scholastic Aptitude Test scores of entering first-year college students; percentage of faculty with doctorates; educational and general budget expenditures per student; endowment…