Head of school transitions happen for a variety of reasons. Without a doubt, however, the most stressful ones are those that are not voluntary. In the last few years, an increasing number of boards have decided to let their heads go at nontraditional transition times. In turn, this has left the school leadership staff scrambling to ensure that the…

It is often noted that children spend most of their waking hours out of school. What they do during non-school hours is important, because access to high-quality learning, both in and out-of-school, is key to cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. In the United States today, demand for after-school programs outstrips supply: 8.4…

A challenge gift helps fundraisers reach goals by stimulating multiple aspects of a fundraising program. First, the message of a challenge grabs the attention of prospects and generally generates excitement beyond the case for support. It also commands the attention of the prospect managers in an organization, particularly when the challenge…

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for donors on how to target their giving, with profiles of successful gifts. American philanthropists long have been generous in their support of colleges and universities. But donors do not always find the results they envisioned for their generosity and good intentions. ACTA has responded by…

This white paper presents a case history of the Spelman College endowment and how good financial management and alternative strategies for the growth of the endowment has made Spelman's one of the largest among U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). How has Spelman College been able to grow its endowment funds to this level? A…

Faculty members have an important role to play in helping to fund programs and direct donor dollars at colleges and universities. This paper outlines the "golden age of philanthropy" that the United States has currently entered, explaining the combination of material resources and spiritual inclinations that have led to increased giving.…

A number of colleges and universities with widely varying sizes and missions have used direct mail techniques to improve fund raising. Methods include use of fund-raising themes, checklists of reasons for donating, gift clubs, and challenge grants. Attention to direct communication, image, and repetition of the message are success factors. (MSE)

The University of Pennsylvania's major gift officers have specific goals for interaction with donor prospects, including proportions of time spent in cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Guidelines are based on staff experience, nature of the prospect pool, faculty support, campaign stage, volunteer management, administrative support,…

A public relations model provided the basis for the five-step ROPES college fund-raising model: (1) research on the institution, the funding opportunity, and the publics targeted; (2) objective setting for both office output and program impact; (3) programming to meet those objectives; (4) evaluation of the effectiveness, not just efficiency, of…

Building a college's potential for a major gift requires that (1) faculty, administrators, and volunteer leaders share a strong sense of where they want the institution to go and how to take it there; and (2) the development professional communicate that vision and excitement to alumni, community, and other possible donors. (MSE)

A study of the fund raising program design aspects commonly considered important in fund raising success and the strength of these aspects in institutions with various levels of fund-raising success is reported. The 398 institutions studied include public and private research universities, public and private doctoral universities, public…