Advancement professionals have always been thirsty for information that will help them understand how their programs compare with those of their peers. But in recent years the demand for benchmarking data has exploded as budgets have become leaner, leaders have become more business minded, and terms like "performance metrics and return on…

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…

Fundraisers seem to get all the attention from senior management, the budget they need to do their job, and unfettered praise when all goes well. Alumni relations professionals, in contrast, receive the occasional pat on the head when they run a popular event, barely manage to scrape enough budget together to send out the alumni magazines, and…

How things have changed. No longer can alumni relations rely on head counts or anecdotal feedback as indicators of a job well done. Alumni leaders now have to prove it, and to do that, they need to look at their programs with a critical eye, comparing where they stack up against peer and aspirant institutions on specific, measurable objectives. In…