Solutions to common problems of college and university alumni boards and their meeting effectiveness are offered. Recommended are developing diversity in board membership, setting goals, making service meaningful, trying for turnover, balancing the work burden, planning for dignified departures, and fostering member involvement. (DB)

The life estate gift annuity program, which can benefit both the donor and the institution of higher education, is explained; the legal aspects are discussed; and the potential advantages and disadvantages to both parties are outlined. (MSE)

Following recent abuse, educational institutions and gift-giving corporations have become more attentive to misuse in matching gift programs and more active in making sure ethical abuses or crimes don't occur. Resources of information on matching gift administration are listed. (MLW)

Marketing professionals offer these suggestions to college communicators: segment audiences; convey the campus' position on issues; express the same theme in various communications; frame the message in the context of meeting the audience's needs; let editorial content guide design; use sophisticated but cost-effective design; solicit opinions;…

Corporate sponsorship is a marketing strategy by which companies communicate about their products or services by affiliating with events or institutions valued by targeted customer groups. Increasingly, campus communicators are seeking to establish corporate sponsorships but first must resolve legal and ethical concerns. Various types of…

After a college or university has received the large gift it has solicited, there are still a variety of follow-through tasks to attend to, including considering an appropriate sign of appreciation, notifying campus officials and encouraging them to send thank-you notes, creating a payment schedule, keeping the donor apprised of progress toward…

The best-prepared college crisis managers go beyond planning and networking to compiling information on what the campus does to avoid and cope with problems, including (1) keeping lists of key campus individuals and establishing rapid access to media; (2) cultivating campus connections; (3) gathering information on contingencies; and (4)…

Advice is offered for making the children of alumni welcome at campus events and reunions, illustrated with the experiences of several colleges. Suggestions include cooperating with the campus legal office concerning risk and liability of child care, using community facilities that cater to children, starting small and expanding with success, and…

Suggestions are offered by fund-raising professionals on the following topics: choosing the best night for phonathons; effective teasers for envelopes; type of reply envelopes used; use of precalling postcards; letter length; return rate for mail solicitations; return rate for phonathons; and avoiding common mistakes in mail requests, phonathons,…

Eight steps to help manage time are discussed: analyze time, identify time problems, self-assessment, set goals and priorities, develop action plans, carry out plans, face time problems, and analyze each day. Telephone tricks and ways to manage meetings are described. (MLW)

Guidelines for college publications professionals seeking to improve their productivity include these: set priorities; consider the consequences of each project; spend minimal time on trivial tasks; focus on your goal; identify the slowest task, which may limit a project's effectiveness; make appointments; avoid taking work home; and schedule…

A discussion of donor records in college and university fund-raising programs looks at a variety of issues, including who sees them (administrators, donors, volunteers, and members of the legal profession), how access to them is controlled, and what is kept in them. Suggestions are offered for managing such records, and the experiences of a number…

Presents and answers a series of questions about how the college or university development office can prepare for economic uncertainty or downturn, including insulating the major gift operations from economic decline, communicating with the administration, budget cutting, communicating with donors, helping donors cope with financial losses, and…

Anecdotes of college and university public relations problems and experiences illustrate 10 principles in managing campus controversy. Issues discussed include promptness of dissemination, accuracy of information, deciding how much of the story needs to be told, establishing a relationship of trust with the media, educating faculty about media…

Advice for stretching the capacity of the small college public relations office includes planning well; using strategy; searching out creative ideas; choosing quality over quantity in press releases; using student and volunteer workers; developing strong media relations; accepting advice; and anticipating problems. (MSE)