British Fund Raisers Seek Help Making Direct Appeals

Fund raisers at British universities have started to seek alumni donations more aggressively than in the past — even if they feel embarrassed doing so, reports The New York Times.

British colleges have endowments 14 times smaller than similar American colleges, reports the article, and even the most prestigious British institutions lag the Harvards and Yales by tens of billions of dollars.

To help bolster donations, some British fund raisers have started using role-playing exercises to overcome their diffidence about talking about money. Among the advice offered: “After you ask for money, let the request hang in the air, even as tension builds and every fiber of your upbringing cries out for you to break the silence.”

Read The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s coverage of recent changes to British fund-raising and charity laws.

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