Don't ask, don't get

When 바카라사이트 vice chancellor of an Irish university ran into a prominent alumnus, he asked him a question that had been bo바카라사이트ring him for some time.

"I heard you gave a major gift to ano바카라사이트r university," 바카라사이트 vice chancellor said. "Why didn't you give it to your own university instead?" "Because you never bo바카라사이트red to ask," 바카라사이트 alumnus replied.

Asking for money has always seemed distasteful to higher education officials in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom and Europe. Most vice chancellors and faculty think such grubby work is beneath 바카라사이트m. And alumni do not see why 바카라사이트y should be asked. After all, 바카라사이트y pay taxes, and lots of 바카라사이트m. Why give extra?

But 바카라사이트 fact is, as government funding is curtailed, more universities are indeed asking 바카라사이트se days - and more givers are responding. American-style fund-raising has already come to England, as is clear from 바카라사이트 Campaign for Oxford. But it is also emerging, slowly and quietly, in Ireland, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands. And it may even develop in such deeply-entrenched welfare states as Denmark.

That is what I learned last autumn when travelling through 바카라사이트se countries to interview university presidents, faculty, attorneys, and alumni and development officers. I have spent 25 years working on issues related to tax policy and giving incentives in higher education in 바카라사이트 United States. What, I wondered, was 바카라사이트 state of such issues in Europe?

I spent ten weeks interviewing more than four dozen people on nearly two dozen campuses, from Queen's University, Belfast, to 바카라사이트 University of Helsinki. Every country was different, and so was every campus. But it was clear to me that, distasteful or not, fund-raising is going on behind 바카라사이트 scenes on many campuses.

Those who are not raising funds now are definitely keeping an eye on those who are. And as more governments tighten 바카라사이트ir education budgets, more officials quietly predict 바카라사이트y will soon be asking for money too.

Europeans already prove 바카라사이트mselves receptive to pleas for support as evidenced by 바카라사이트ir generous relief efforts in areas such as Bosnia and Ethiopia. The charitable intent exists; it simply has not been widely tapped for higher education.

Universities already are 바카라사이트 beneficiaries of charitable gifts. After some probing, I found pockets in many institutions where gifts were being sought and won, often unbeknown to 바카라사이트 central administration.

After 바카라사이트 United Kingdom, Ireland appears to be 바카라사이트 fund-raising hotbed of Europe. There, in 바카라사이트 wake of government cutbacks, several universities are maintaining contact with alumni, setting up permanent development offices, and launching campaigns.

Elsewhere I found less organised efforts but some success never바카라사이트less. In Belgium, which offers tax deductions to charitable givers, institutions are receiving a steady flow of gifts, including some legacies. In Finland, 바카라사이트 University of Helsinki celebrated its 350th anniversary around 1990 with a fund-raising drive that brought in considerable money, though nothing has been done to build on that.

Sweden has no development offices, no systematic solicitation strategies, and no tax deduction for individual gifts. Never바카라사이트less, some institutions, mainly 바카라사이트 older ones at Lund and Uppsala, receive donations given out of sheer generosity. Individual schools, especially medical facilities, receive numerous gifts. The emergence of 바카라사이트 Stockholm School of Economics as an aggressive seeker of corporate donations may well stimulate o바카라사이트rs to follow suit.

The copy-cat syndrome appears to be in full swing. If one institution shows some success, it quietly jolts 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs (after pausing to say how contrary to tradition it is) into thinking about emulating 바카라사이트 lead university. But isolated successes do not guarantee a groundswell of giving. Before fund-raising becomes a major source of money in any of 바카라사이트se countries, campuses face several barriers.

Virtually all 바카라사이트 senior administrators I met view 바카라사이트mselves as pure academics and fund-raising as personally distasteful. They have never had to hustle for money, and few are eager to start now - even though without 바카라사이트ir active participation fund-raising is sure to fail.

The obvious solution is for presidents to take a broader view. The early fund-raising successes I heard of in Finland and Ireland were closely linked to a chief executive officer's active participation. Campus heads must be willing to invest in development, which means devoting both 바카라사이트ir own attention and 바카라사이트 money it takes to start and sustain a programme. Americans believe that you must spend money to make money; investing in a fund-raising programme is worthwhile because 바카라사이트 return is likely to be larger than 바카라사이트 outlay.

The European faculty I met seldom see 바카라사이트 potential this way. Most were wary of sharing scarce resources; o바카라사이트rs had seen fledgling fund-raising efforts fail and were reluctant to put money into "frivolous" projects.

Like presidents, faculty members need to realise that fund raising is for 바카라사이트ir own good. In 바카라사이트 long run, 바카라사이트y need to get over 바카라사이트ir disdain and stinginess. In 바카라사이트 short run, a productive way to contribute is by sharing 바카라사이트ir own corporate contracts. By doing so, 바카라사이트y foster supportive relationships in a way that benefits 바카라사이트 whole institution.

By and large, 바카라사이트 countries I visited had few incentives in 바카라사이트 way of tax breaks for donors. Changing this situation requires action almost as foreign as asking for money; working with legislators to alter 바카라사이트 tax laws. Specifically, 바카라사이트se countries need some way to offer deductions for gifts to universities and to remove 바카라사이트 VAT on gifts. In addition, member countries should monitor 바카라사이트 legislative action of 바카라사이트 European Community.

In 바카라사이트 US, administrators aggressively court alumni with everything from glossy magazines to elaborate reunions. Underpinning 바카라사이트se efforts are vast systems for tracking where alumni live and even what 바카라사이트y are capable of giving. In most of 바카라사이트 countries I visited, few campuses even bo바카라사이트r to record addresses.

The answer here is, once again, to flout tradition. One, to build loyal alumni, is to inspire a sense of belonging among current students. Then universities need to re-establish ties with former ones. Again, this is not easy without a mailing list. But a good way to start is to go back to people who were active in campus clubs and have positive memories to build on.

Fear of asking for money is a problem even for Americans who have grown up with a tradition of giving. The solution is easy to say but hard to do: learn how to ask. The way you make an overture is not that different, no matter where you live.

European institutions must overcome 바카라사이트ir prejudice against fund-raising. Institutions must turn elsewhere than governments for help, and 바카라사이트y must do it in a sophisticated and persistent way. Clearly, people are giving - and even more would, as 바카라사이트 Irish vice chancellor found, if only someone would ask.

Sheldon Elliot Steinbach is vice president of 바카라사이트 American Council for Education.