October 30, 2003 | Read Time: 1 minute
Innovations in Annual Giving: 10 Departures That Worked
by Robert A. Burdenski
This book describes how 10 educational institutions took new approaches to soliciting annual gifts from alumni. Robert A. Burdenski, a fund-raising consultant in St. Paul, uses case studies to demonstrate how fund raisers develop ideas and how they convince others that it is worth pursuing new strategies.
He writes that the best annual-giving programs encourage alumni to continue to feel attached to their colleges and universities, inspire individuals to make their first gifts, and identify people who might make big gifts in the future. Mr. Burdenski also emphasizes that fund raisers must coordinate with members of public-relations and alumni offices to strengthen connections with potential donors.
Highlighting successful appeals, the book offers innovative suggestions for using direct mail and the Internet, educating students about philanthropy, conducting research on what appeals to donors in solicitations, and developing strategic plans for increasing alumni giving. One chapter profiles a telephone fund-raising event at Kansas State University, in Manhattan, that distributes numerous prizes to encourage students to call alumni and ask for gifts.
Publisher: Council for Advancement and Support of Education, 1307 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20005-4701; (202) 328-2273; fax (202) 387-4973; http://www.case.org/books; 142 pages; $41.95 for members, $55.95 for nonmembers; I.S.B.N. 0-89964-378-7.
