Conclusion.

Readers have been patient indeed as they have absorbed the prose of this handbook, so I will conclude with just a few basic principles. Directors should

* not be afraid to start small, yet concentrate significant effort on major donors and prospects;

* set a good example by becoming donors to their own honors program;

* show prompt gratitude and demonstrate how well each donor's gift is being used, for nothing encourages further giving better than good stewardship;

* cultivate relationships, not gifts;

* remember that previous donors are the best prospects;

* ask the right person for the right amount for the right project at the right time;

* solicit donors face-to-face, for this is the most critical and effective technique;

* remember that most donors do not give unless they are asked;

* treat everyone, even those they consider unlikely donors, with the highest respect, for surprises happen;

* remember that their attitude and flexibility count for much, for fundraising is an art more than a technique, and no advice or guideline can replace their own good sense, good judgment, good communication skills, and good character;

* learn from rejection and move on, preserving a cordial relationship for the future;

* go forth with enthusiasm and confidence.

Larry R. Andrews is Dean Emeritus of the Honors College and Professor Emeritus of English at Kent State University. He has served on the National Collegiate Honors Council Board of Directors, has been a member of NCHC's Publications Board since 2001, and is a past president of the Mid-East Honors Association. At the NCHC national conferences, he has led several sessions on fundraising and other sessions on a variety of topics. He serves on the editorial board for Honors in Practice (HIP) and has written for the National Honors Report (NHR), the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council (JNCHC), and the monograph The Honors College Phenomenon. He has also served as a consultant and program evaluator.