You have to have a president that is willing to walk away from gifts that aren't in line with what the school's needs are. That's really difficult, especially for schools that struggle to get cash.

Often times for very large gifts, there (are) naming rights attached.

I challenge each member of the council to donate a month of their (council) salary to pay for the gifts.

Generally speaking, we definitely have more very large gifts coming in, and we have more people giving.

The folks that really have their act together get the building they want.

With student centers, many schools want a building that gives the campus a presence. That's the draw. In those cases, a school might sacrifice some of the program inside — maybe reduce the seating from 700 to 600.