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    Oxford-style tutorials offered in2005-06:50

    Percentage of Williams students who…

    take a tutorial:50

    write a thesis:21

    • The Finer Points of Williams Fund Raising

    WAYS TO INCREASE A DONOR’S GIFT

    It isn’t enough to get classmates to make a gift. Ideally, you hope to encourage those individuals to increase their gifts. Most people’s personal economic situations improve over the years, and they become increasingly capable of larger donations. Because the goal of the Alumni Fund is to provide six to eight percent of the College’s current expenditures budget – and we all know that budgets increase every year – it’s important that we all increase our Alumni Fund gifts over time. Here are some tactics that our veteran volunteers have used to persuade people to give bigger gifts.

    Leadership Gift. Encourage classmates close to the leadership gift level – $2,000 or more – to step up to this level of distinction. Most people are flattered to hear that they are approaching leadership gift level. Donors who give at or above $2,000 receive a Williams commemorative plate at the end of the Fund year.

    Average Gift. See the Class Standings/Goals Report, online at http://www.williams.edu/alumni/ campaign/ways2give/alumnifund/thisyear.php and note the average gift of your class. Suggest that the classmate move up to this level.

    Competition. Your class competes with nearby classes, each trying to out-do the other; ask the donor to increase his or her gift “to put ’76 ahead of ’75.” We also compete with other colleges…

    Doubling. Ask your classmate to consider doubling his or her previous gift. This works well with alumni who tell you about a business or personal success. Propose doubling the gift as a way of celebrating this success.

    Reunion. If this is a reunion year for your class, ask your classmate to contribute an increased amount “because of our 20th Reunion.” Alumni often double or triple their gift in honor of a reunion year. If you increased your gift for the occasion, say so – and explain why you did.

    Challenge Gift. Sometimes an individual or group agrees to make a sizable gift if other donors in the class will achieve a predetermined goal. If there is a challenge gift in place for your class, ask for an increased gift in order to help meet the challenge. Tell him or her that each dollar, because of this match, will be worth two or three more dollars – whatever the terms of the match.

    Pledge. More flexible terms of payment are helpful to some; ask a donor to consider increasing his or her gift and paying it over several months within the Fund year. Pledges themselves don’t count toward Alumni Fund totals – only payments on the pledges made or postmarked by the last day of February for non-reunion classes and by May 15 for reunion classes count in the current year’s Fund. Remind classmates that credit card gifts can easily be made in pre-scheduled installments.

    Corporate Matching Programs. Your classmate, or that person’s spouse or partner, may work for a firm that matches gifts of employees. Ask about this and urge your classmate to give thevery best possible gift “because then each dollar you increase will mean two or more to Williamsbecause of the match.” Matching gifts received after the close of the Fund will credit the nextyear’s Fund.

    Overcome obstacles. If your classmate is not ready to make a gift, try to identify the issues preventing him or her from making the commitment. Can you get information from other classmates or the staff to resolve this matter? If it simply comes down to inability or unwillingness to commit to the original amount asked for, determine what your classmates can do for this year, and try to set the concept of moving up to a higher level over time

    Negotiation is frequently successful.
    WILLIAMS PEOPLE GENERALLY RESPECT PLEASANT TENACITY.
    TWENTY-EIGHT