Harvard's Alumni Give A Little Less

Few financial figures can be more misleading than those representing how a university fares in private donations.

For instance, Brown University's gifts rose last year from about $7 million to more than $10.5 million for a spectacular 48-per-cent climb. For the same period, with the same poor economy to work with, Harvard fell 9 per cent from $56 to $53 million.

But a closer look at the figures reveals that Brown may not have worked 48 per cent harder than Harvard. Rather, Brown was just lucky enough to have an alumnus die, leaving it a $4 million bequest.

But the figures do reveal a trend of sorts. As Henry F. Colt '46, director of University development, said earlier this week, foundations and corporate gifts to the University were off substantially, causing much of Harvard's drop.

The development office is taking the drop seriously enough to be adopting some new methods of solicitation. Such programs as the planned giving plan, designed to help Harvard alumni invest their money in Harvard and at the same time make a profit, seem to be the wave of the future, Colt says.

Harvard will also continue with its recent policy of mini-campaigns, small fund drives for specific projects

Although the final figures aren't in yet, it looks like the mini-campaign approach may be the best tactic for weak-economy fundraising; Yale, with a general fund drive currently in progress, fell 60 per cent, last year, an $18-million nosedive.