Alumni Poll Finds 83% Have Favorable Attitude to Harvard

Results of an alumni poll released Tuesday by the Harvard College Fund reveal that 83 per cent of the alumni contacted have a favorable attitude toward Harvard.

Officials at the Fund hired a private consultant last February for $18,000 to conduct a poll designed to show the fundraisers how to improve their techniques.

Preliminary reports show that the Fund, which supplies the Faculty with about one-tenth of its unrestricted funds, may fail to top last year's figure of $4,802,000 by a few percentage points, and will almost definitely fail to reach its $5-million goal established last fall.

However, Peter F. Clifton '49, director of the Fund, said Tuesday he is pleased by the Fund's performance, considering the current state of the economy. Final figures for the fund will be tabulated within ten days.

The consultant contacted by phone more than 600 alumni from the classes of 1926 through 1974 and asked questions ranging from how the alumni view the school educationally to how they react to fund appeals.

Although a total breakdown of figures will not be available until next September, Clifton said the survey shows that 86 per cent of those contacted had given to the fund, and about 70 per cent of the alumni give almost every five years.

"We are a little surprised at the incredible amount of good will alumni have shown for Harvard," Clifton said. But he said the poll has also shown the fund may have to "update its methods of communicating" if increases are to be expected.

Because of the poll's findings fundraisers will switch to more personal solicitation, including more phone calls and to orienting different appeals to different age groups.

Currently the Fund uses one broad solicitation for all alumni.

"The survey is going to help us make our plans for next year's drive," Clifton said. "It shows us that we have some rethinking to do. The mailings and other appeals could get a lot better."

The Fund has brought in around $4 million for the Faculty in each of the last three years Clifton said next year's goal will again be more than $5 million.