Cultivating Models of Success
CURRENTS Article Community colleges throughout the country are beginning to engage alumni as donors and advocates who can testify to the value of a community college education.

The Next Phase
CURRENTS Article Whether through growth, reorganization, or makeshift strategies, a steadily increasing number of minority-serving institutions, particularly historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions, are starting their first campaigns. Institutions that already have their first campaign under their belt are shifting into a higher gear for the next.

Office Space: Advancement Is Everyone’s Job
CURRENTS Article Michael Larson of The Fay School discusses how his institution increased its advancement staff without hiring new staff.

Take-Away Idea
CURRENTS Article Some small-shop alumni officers hear about what larger institutions are doing and then adapt those ideas to their own budgetary and manpower scale. When this works out, small shops prove their creativity and that innovative programming is not only the province of the large and well-funded.

Timely Answers
CURRENTS Article This article looks at the latest of five surveys on benchmarks for advancing smaller colleges and universities.

Career Path: On the Other Side
CURRENTS Article No matter the size of the organization, development work is at its core the same. It's a matter of figuring out how to work with what you have.

Manager's Portfolio: On the Ball
CURRENTS Article Elementary school development offices face more challenges every year. How can these small shops handle ever-increasing expectations during a time of belt tightening and greater demands for results? Managers should begin by setting priorities, goals, and objectives as well as the strategies for achieving them. Careful measurement and evaluation will ensure that managers focus on vital fund-raising activities and stay on track toward completion.

Small Office: Managing a Small Shop Down Under
CURRENTS Article Scholz, director of development at the University of Melbourne, describes how her advancement staff's objectives and activities differ from those of its counterparts in the United States. Recent cuts in government support of education have dramatically increased the role of fund raising in Australia. Melbourne's strategic response has been to focus on earning more income through student fees, the commercialization of university research, and fee-for-service initiatives. The development office's role is to provide sophisticated management of relationships with clients and commercial partners, not just donors.

Tech Support: Leapfrogging
CURRENTS Article The rapid rate of change in computer technology makes it expensive and difficult for a small shop to keep its equipment current. Nohner, director of the news and publications office at Bemidji State University, describes his strategy for concentrating his budget on a large technical leap every few years rather than constant upgrades. Newer groups of machines are allocated to complex needs, while older ones are retained as long as possible and devoted to simpler tasks.

A Big Plan for Small-Office Planned Giving
CURRENTS Article Coppes, a consultant who specializes in independent school planned-giving programs, offers advice for small development offices getting started in planned giving. Important steps include: 1) Articulate how major gifts fit into your institution's mission and vision. 2) Create a budget. 3) Get CEO commitment and board approval. 4) Hire a planned-giving adviser. 5) Identify potential givers and recruit a leadership team. 6) Adopt planned-giving policies and guidelines. 7) Coordinate plans with the business office. 8) Create a planned-giving society. 9) Create a marketing plan, newsletter, and other support materials. 10) Work planned giving into your major gift cultivation process. 11) Make personal visits. 12) Ask for gifts, but don't push. 13) Create a stewardship plan. 14) Organize, delegate, and follow up.